Footwear device for increased lateral leverage and methods of their manufacture

Abstract

A footwear device comprising protrusions which extend into a surface provide increased leverage when a force is required to be applied in a plane about perpendicular to the protrusions and about parallel to the surface. In particular, footwear devices can increase leverage in a sport requiring increased leverage to essentially maintain contact with the footwear and the ground, such as but not limited to golf.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 ) A footwear device, comprising:
 a. a coupling element comprising:
 (i) one or more protrusions on a first side, 
 (ii) a coupling surface on a second side opposite the first side, and 
   b. a fastening element coupled to the coupling element,   
       wherein the fastening element rotates in a predetermined manner with respect to the coupling element. 
     
     
         2 ) The footwear device of  claim 1 , wherein the fastening element comprises a foot receiving element which is configured to receive a shoe. 
     
     
         3 ) The footwear device of  claim 1 , wherein the number of protrusions is from one to twenty. 
     
     
         4 ) The footwear device of  claim 1 , wherein the coupling element defines a first plane and the one or more protrusions are about directed perpendicular to the first plane. 
     
     
         5 ) The footwear device of  claim 1 , wherein the fastening element rotates around an axis with respect to the coupling element. 
     
     
         6 ) The footwear device of  claim 5 , wherein the coupling element defines a first plane and the axis is about perpendicular to the plane. 
     
     
         7 ) The footwear device of  claim 5 , wherein the coupling device, the fastening element, or both comprise a stopping member to limit the extend of rotation by which the fastening element may rotate around the axis with respect to the coupling element. 
     
     
         8 ) The footwear device of  claim 1 , wherein the fastening element is coupled to the coupling element by two or more retention elements. 
     
     
         9 ) The footwear device of  claim 1 , wherein the fastening element is coupled to the coupling element by a retention means. 
     
     
         10 ) The footwear device of  claim 2 , wherein the foot receiving element comprises two foot retention elements. 
     
     
         11 ) The footwear device of  claim 10 , wherein the foot retention elements are connected by a securing component. 
     
     
         12 ) The footwear device of  claim 11 , wherein the securing component is a flexible band. 
     
     
         13 ) The footwear device of  claim 12 , wherein the flexible band comprises a woven textile component, a knitted textile component, a natural leather component, a synthetic leather component, a polymeric component (e.g., polyurethane, SBS, nylon). 
     
     
         14 ) The footwear device of  claim 1 , wherein the footwear device is configured to be part of the sole of a shoe. 
     
     
         15 ) The footwear device of  claim 1 , wherein section of the one or plurality of protrusions comprise a cross-sectional shape selected from a polygon, a circle, or oval. 
     
     
         16 ) The footwear device of  claim 4 , wherein the one or plurality of protrusions are configured to pierce the ground. 
     
     
         17 ) The footwear device of  claim 1 , wherein the coupling element comprises a female receiving element and the fastening element comprises a male inserting element, or the coupling element comprises a male inserting element and the fastening element comprises a female receiving element, and 
       wherein the receiving element and the inserting element are configured to form a non-removable rotatable retention means. 
     
     
         18 ) A method of manufacturing a footwear device of  claim 1 , the method comprising:
 a. manufacturing the coupling element,   b. manufacturing the fastening element,   c. combining the coupling element and the fastening element in an abutting relationship,   
       wherein the coupling element comprises a female receiving element and the fastening element comprises a male inserting element, or 
       the coupling element comprises a male inserting element and the fastening element comprises a female receiving element, and 
       wherein the receiving element and the inserting element are configured to form a non-removable rotatable retention means. 
     
     
         19 ) A method of hitting a golf ball using a footwear device farther than without using a footwear device, the method comprising:
 a. wearing a footwear device of any of  claim 1 ,   b. performing a golf swing using a golf club on a golf ball,   c. hitting said golf ball a measured distance,   
       wherein the measured distance is greater when a user is wearing the footwear device compared to when a golf ball is hit by a user without wearing the footwear device.