Football shoes

Abstract

To provide a structure of a football shoe which enables a user to shoot a ball strongly and fast.SOLUTION: In a football shoe 1, an upper 3 at a prescribed part including a ridge line positioned near an inner foot of an instep is provided with an elastic pad part 10 which has, at least partially, a projection formed by flexible resin material protruding in an outward direction in a projection shape incorporating a recess. In the elastic pad part 10, a plurality of projections is arranged, recesses incorporated by the projections are hollow, and the projection parts are formed into shapes where a cross-sectional area nearer on an end side than a cross-sectional area of a root part is recessed small.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a football shoe, and more particularly to an upper structure. [Background technology]

[0002] In sports where a ball is hit with a hitting tool, such as rubber baseball and golf, it has been known that the ball speed can be increased by inserting a soft structure into the part of the bat or driver that hits the ball (see, for example, Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] Meanwhile, in football shoes, there is also known a technique for increasing the speed of a kicked ball (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-305040 [Non-patent literature]

[0005] [Non-Patent Document 1] Yoshifumi Kanda, Takeshi Naruo, Toshiaki Kida, "The Effect of the Rigidity of a Rubber Baseball Bat on the Coefficient of Restitution," Proceedings of the JSME Sports Engineering Symposium and Symposium on Human Dynamics (Joint Symposium, Proceedings of the JSME Sports Engineering Symposium and Symposium on Human Dynamics), Japan, November 8, 2006, pp. 94-97 [Non-patent document 2] Takanori Tanaka, Sadayuki Ujihashi, Norio Ino, et al., "Analysis of the Rebound Characteristics of a Golf Ball Impacting a Thin Plate," Proceedings of the Joint Symposium on Sports Engineering and Human Dynamics, Japan, November 9, 2000, pp. 105-109. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, while the ability to increase ball speed with conventional technology primarily depends on the type of material selected, there is still room for further increase in ball speed by improving the structure of the same material.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a football shoe structure that enables a player to kick the ball with greater strength and speed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention provides a football shoe comprising a sole and an upper joined directly or indirectly to the sole. The upper is provided with an elastic pad at a predetermined location, including a ridge located on the medial side of the instep, the elastic pad having at least a protrusion formed of a flexible resin material in a convex shape that includes a recess and protrudes outward. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a football shoe structure that allows a player to kick the ball with greater strength and speed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a top view of a football shoe. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a side view of a football shoe viewed from the medial side of the foot. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the relationship between the bones of the foot and the part of the body that strikes the ball during an instep kick. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] 10 is a diagram showing the distribution of heights of a plurality of protrusions on an elastic pad portion. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the elastic pad portion. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the elastic pad portion when a ball hits it. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a graph showing test results regarding the relationship between the hardness of the elastic pad portion and the protrusion portion and the displacement due to a load. [Figure 10] This is a table showing the relationship between conditions and results for four types of samples. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments and modifications, identical or equivalent components and members are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted where appropriate. The dimensions of the members in each drawing are enlarged or reduced as appropriate to facilitate understanding. Some members that are not important for explaining the embodiments in each drawing are omitted.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a top view of a football shoe. Unless otherwise specified, the following figures, including FIG. 1, show a football shoe or its components for a left foot, but the description in this specification applies equally to a shoe or its components for a right foot. In the top view, a center line C connecting the center of the toe and the center of the heel is indicated by a dashed line. The right side of the center line C in the figure is called the "medial side of the foot," and the left side of the center line C in the figure is called the "lateral side of the foot." In a shoe for a right foot, the medial side and lateral side are reversed left and right. An arrow W pointing left and right in the figure indicates the foot width direction of the football shoe 1 or upper 3, and an arrow L pointing up and down in the figure indicates the front-to-back direction of the football shoe 1 or upper 3.

[0013] The football shoe 1 is a shoe used in sports such as football, soccer, and futsal, where a ball is kicked with the foot (hereinafter collectively referred to as "football"). However, it may also be used in sports such as rugby, American football, and Aussieball, where a ball is kicked. In football, when kicking a ball particularly hard and fast, an instep kick is generally used, where the ball hits the instep. Here, the part of the upper just below the instep is made up of hard bones of the foot, so it significantly deforms the ball on impact, and the ball's speed is likely to be limited.

[0014] The football shoe 1 of this embodiment is provided with an elastic pad 10, which is a soft member, centered on the instep on the medial side of the foot, and the flexibility and cushioning properties of the elastic pad 10 suppress deformation of the ball upon impact, reducing energy loss of the ball and enabling the ball to travel faster than without the elastic pad 10. In particular, it is possible to make a shot from a distance of 20 m reach the goal by about two balls faster.

[0015] A football shoe 1 comprises a sole 2 and an upper 3. The upper 3 is joined directly or indirectly to the sole 2. In this embodiment, the upper 3 is made of artificial leather, natural leather, or the like, and is joined to a shoe tongue 4. The bottom or bottom of the upper 3 is directly or indirectly bonded to the sole 2, and together with the shoe tongue 4, forms an internal space for accommodating the wearer's foot. The upper 3 encases the entire foot when the wearer puts it on. The upper 3 and sole 2 are joined by a method such as adhesion.

[0016] The elastic pad 10 is a flexible resin member formed in a shape that is approximately a semi-ellipse overall, with multiple protrusions 12 arranged on a bottom plate. The elastic pad 10 is sewn to the sole 2 at a position that is biased toward the medial side of the foot from the center line C. Note that while the lines of the multiple protrusions 12 are drawn in this drawing, the lines of the joints and holes that connect the multiple protrusions 12 are omitted for convenience. The joints and holes will be described later.

[0017] The elastic pad portion 10 is positioned so that its center in the foot width direction W is aligned with the ridgeline R of the instep. In football, an instep kick, in which the ball is kicked hard around the ridgeline R of the instep, is commonly used when kicking a strong, fast ball, such as in a shot, or when kicking a ball that will fly far, such as a long ball. The ridgeline R indicates the area corresponding to the ridge formed along the proximal phalanx, metatarsal, and medial cuneiform bone of the wearer's big toe (i.e., first toe). The elastic pad portion 10 is positioned in an area centered around the area where the ball is expected to impact, particularly during an instep kick.

[0018] FIG. 2 is a side view of a football shoe as seen from the medial side of the foot. The first region 20 is the region that the ball strikes primarily during an instep kick. The elastic pad portion 10 is provided in a region that generally covers the first region 20 and is less likely to interfere with other types of kicks or traps. Other types of kicks include, for example, inside kicks, in-front kicks, toe kicks, outside kicks, and heel kicks, all of which require the accuracy of the ball's trajectory more than the strength or speed of the ball. Furthermore, in trapping, the sensation of the ball touching the foot is important for the football player wearing the football shoe 1, so it is preferable that the area where the ball strikes during trapping does not unnecessarily impede the sensation of touch. Therefore, the elastic pad portion 10 is provided in a region that excludes, as much as possible, areas primarily used for these kicks and traps. For example, the second region 21 is the lower region on the medial side of the midfoot, and includes areas that the ball strikes primarily during inside kicks and traps. The third region 22 is the area on the lower medial side of the forefoot, and includes the area where the ball primarily impacts during in-front kicks. Although not shown, the toe area is used for toe kicks, the heel area is used for heel kicks, and the outer side of the foot area is used for outside kicks. The elastic pad 10 is preferably provided in an area that does not include, or barely includes, the second region 21, the third region 22, the toe, the heel, or the outer side of the foot. This limits interference with the impact of the ball during kicks other than instep kicks and traps.

[0019] FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of the relationship between the bones of the foot and the parts of the foot that strike the ball during an instep kick. The most prominent part of the instep of a foot 60 is the medial cuneiform bone 61. In an instep kick, it is preferable to kick the ball by having it strike the upper part of the medial cuneiform bone 61 and parts of the surrounding navicular bone 62, metatarsal bones 63, and intermediate cuneiform bone 64. The upper part of the medial cuneiform bone 61 is located approximately 60% of the foot length from the toes (indicated by arrow 65) along the ridge of the instep. The elastic pad portion 10 is provided on the upper 3 in a position that generally covers the upper part of the medial cuneiform bone 61 and parts of the surrounding navicular bone 62, metatarsal bones 63, and intermediate cuneiform bone 64. The elastic pad portion 10 and the protrusion portion 12 are arranged so that the highest protrusion portion, which is provided near the center of the elastic pad portion 10 and will be described later, is positioned approximately above the medial cuneiform bone 61 .

[0020] 4 is a top view of the elastic pad portion 10. In this figure, the elastic pad portion 10 is shown separated from the upper 3 and placed on a flat surface. Note that in this figure, lines representing the multiple protrusions 12 are also drawn, but lines representing joints, holes, etc. connecting the multiple protrusions 12 are omitted for convenience.

[0021] On the top surface of the elastic pad 10, 27 protrusions 12 are arranged along six parallel imaginary grid lines curved from the upper right to the lower left in the figure and seven parallel imaginary grid lines curved from the upper left to the lower right in the figure. The six imaginary grid lines extending from the upper right to the lower left are the first grid line 31, the second grid line 32, the third grid line 33, the fourth grid line 34, the fifth grid line 35, and the sixth grid line 36. The seven imaginary grid lines extending from the upper left to the lower right are the seventh grid line 37, the eighth grid line 38, the ninth grid line 39, the tenth grid line 40, the eleventh grid line 41, the twelfth grid line 42, and the thirteenth grid line 43. The first grid line 31, the second grid line 32, the third grid line 33, the fourth grid line 34, the fifth grid line 35, and the sixth grid line 36 intersect with the seventh grid line 37, the eighth grid line 38, the ninth grid line 39, the tenth grid line 40, the eleventh grid line 41, the twelfth grid line 42, and the thirteenth grid line 43 to form a grid-like arrangement.

[0022] Along the first grid line 31, two protrusions are arranged in the order of fourth protrusion 12d and fourth protrusion 12d from the upper right. Fourth protrusion 12d is the protrusion with the shortest height. Along the second grid line 32, four protrusions are arranged in the order of fourth protrusion 12d, third protrusion 12c, third protrusion 12c, and third protrusion 12c from the upper right. Third protrusion 12c is the protrusion with the third highest height. Along the third grid line 33, five protrusions are arranged in the order of third protrusion 12c, second protrusion 12b, second protrusion 12b, second protrusion 12b, and third protrusion 12c from the upper right. Second protrusion 12b is the protrusion with the second highest height.

[0023] Six protrusions are arranged along the fourth grid line 34 in the following order from the upper right: third protrusion 12c, second protrusion 12b, first protrusion 12a, first protrusion 12a, second protrusion 12b, and third protrusion 12c. First protrusion 12a is the tallest protrusion. Five protrusions are arranged along the fifth grid line 35 in the following order from the upper right: second protrusion 12b, second protrusion 12b, second protrusion 12b, third protrusion 12c, and fourth protrusion 12d. Five protrusions are arranged along the sixth grid line 36 in the following order from the upper right: third protrusion 12c, third protrusion 12c, third protrusion 12c, third protrusion 12c, and fourth protrusion 12d.

[0024] Along the seventh grid line 37, two protrusions are arranged in this order, fourth protrusion 12d, fourth protrusion 12d. Along the eighth grid line 38, four protrusions are arranged in this order, fourth protrusion 12d, third protrusion 12c, third protrusion 12c, third protrusion 12c. Along the ninth grid line 39, four protrusions are arranged in this order, third protrusion 12c, second protrusion 12b, second protrusion 12b, second protrusion 12b. Along the tenth grid line 40, five protrusions are arranged in this order, third protrusion 12c, second protrusion 12b, first protrusion 12a, second protrusion 12b, third protrusion 12c.

[0025] Along the eleventh grid line 41, four protrusions are arranged in the order of second protrusion 12b, first protrusion 12a, second protrusion 12b, and third protrusion 12c from the top left. Along the twelfth grid line 42, four protrusions are arranged in the order of third protrusion 12c, second protrusion 12b, third protrusion 12c, and third protrusion 12c from the top left. Along the thirteenth grid line 43, three protrusions are arranged in the order of third protrusion 12c, fourth protrusion 12d, and fourth protrusion 12d from the top left.

[0026] 5 shows the distribution of the heights of the multiple protrusions on the elastic pad 10. Note that in this figure, the lines of the multiple protrusions 12 are also drawn, but the lines of the joints and holes connecting the multiple protrusions 12 are omitted for convenience.

[0027] The multiple protrusions 12 include protrusions of four different heights, with the second protrusion 12b, third protrusion 12c, and fourth protrusion 12d arranged in that order with the height decreasing radially from the highest first protrusion 12a. The first protrusion 12a is mainly arranged in a central region 50, which is expected to be the center of ball impact during an instep kick. The height of the first protrusion 12a is, for example, 15 mm. The second protrusion 12b is mainly arranged in a first peripheral region 51 surrounding the central region 50. The height of the second protrusion 12b is, for example, 10 mm. The third protrusion 12c is mainly arranged in a second peripheral region 52 surrounding the first peripheral region 51. The height of the third protrusion 12c is, for example, 5 mm. The fourth protrusion 12d is mainly arranged outside the second peripheral region 52. The height of the fourth protrusion 12d is, for example, 3 mm. The heights of first protrusion 12a, second protrusion 12b, third protrusion 12c, and fourth protrusion 12d are merely examples, and may be designed so that the heights gradually decrease in the order of first protrusion 12a, second protrusion 12b, third protrusion 12c, and fourth protrusion 12d. As a result, the dashed lines indicating central region 50, first peripheral region 51, and second peripheral region 52 indicate that the heights decrease radially from the center to the periphery, like contour lines.

[0028] Since it is anticipated that it may be difficult to hit the ball in the central region 50 depending on the player's ability or the playing situation, protrusions 12 are also provided in peripheral regions other than the first region 20, so that the load of the ball collision can be absorbed to a certain extent. Meanwhile, the fact that the height of the protrusions 12 decreases radially from the central region 50 to the first peripheral region 51 and the second peripheral region 52 does not directly affect the ball speed, but by making the height of the protrusions 12 relatively low in regions other than the first region 20, it is possible to prevent the height of the protrusions 12 from interfering with kicking movements other than instep kicks, such as shooting, or trapping movements. The cross section of the area indicated by line A-A' will be described later.

[0029] 6 is a perspective view of the elastic pad portion 10. This figure shows the elastic pad portion 10 separated from the upper 3 and placed on a flat surface. The elastic pad portion 10 is formed from a flexible urethane resin material such as thermoplastic polyurethane, and covers the instep of the wearer as part of the upper 3. When fastened by the shoe tongue 4, the elastic pad portion 10 flexes along the curved surface of the instep to fit the instep. Note that in addition to thermoplastic polyurethane, the elastic pad portion 10 may also be formed from rubber, foam resin, gel-like elastic material, nylon, or the like.

[0030] A frame portion 10a having a certain thickness is formed around the periphery of the elastic pad portion 10, and a bottom plate portion 10c that is thinner than the frame portion 10a is formed as a base on the inner bottom of the frame portion 10a. A plurality of protrusions 12 are formed on the bottom plate portion 10c at the positions shown in Figures 4 and 5. The bottom plate portion 10c further has a rod-shaped raised joint portion 10b that connects the bases of adjacent protrusions 12.

[0031] The multiple protrusions 12 are formed in a pyramidal shape with a cross-sectional area at the tip end that is smaller than the cross-sectional area at the base end. Most of the multiple protrusions 12 have a quadrangular pyramid shape, but some of the protrusions 12 may have a pentagonal or triangular pyramid shape. In a modified example, the protrusions 12 may have a pyramidal shape with a different base shape, such as a cone or an elliptical cone, or a truncated pyramid shape, such as a square pyramid, a pentagonal pyramid, a triangular pyramid, a circular cone, or an elliptical cone. Alternatively, the protrusions do not have to be pyramidal or truncated pyramidal, but may have a shape in which the cross-sectional area at the tip end is smaller than the cross-sectional area at the base end. The joints 10b connecting the bases of adjacent multiple protrusions 12 are formed so that the corners of the pyramidal bases of the protrusions 12 are continuous, and when connecting the bases of four protrusions 12, they are formed in a cross shape.

[0032] A portion of the bottom plate 10c surrounded by the joint 10b, protrusion 12, frame 10a, etc. has a hole 10d penetrating the top and bottom surfaces. Two eyelets 6 for inserting shoelaces 5 are provided at predetermined positions in the center of a protruding portion of the bottom plate 10c in the shape of a truncated cone. Note that in the figure, since many joints 10b and holes 10d are formed, only some of them are labeled with reference numerals. As described above, the frame 10a, joint 10b, bottom plate 10c, holes 10d, and eyelets 6 of the elastic pad 10 are integrally formed from a flexible urethane resin member.

[0033] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the elastic pad portion 10. This figure shows a cross section taken along line A-A' in FIG. 5. The first protrusion 12a, which has the highest height, is located in the center, and the second protrusions 12b, which have the second highest height, are located on both sides of it. The height 15a of the first protrusion 12a is, for example, 15 mm. The height 15b of the second protrusion 12b is, for example, 10 mm. The base of the protrusion 12 is connected to the base of another adjacent protrusion or to the frame portion 10a by a joint portion 10b. The top 16a of the second protrusion 12b may be formed at a position closer to the first protrusion 12a than the center of the second protrusion 12b.

[0034] The thickness 10e of each protrusion 12 and joint portion 10b is 1.5 mm. The first protrusion 12a has a conical shape on the outside and a recess 13a formed on the inside. A cavity 14a is formed in the recess 13a. The second protrusion 12b also has a conical shape on the outside and a recess 13b formed on the inside. A cavity 14b is formed in the recess 13b. The volume ratio of the recess 13 or cavity 14 contained within each protrusion 12 is, for example, 60 to 65%. As a modified example, the recess 13a and the recess 13b may be filled with a material having a lower hardness than the material of the protrusion 12 itself, such as urethane foam.

[0035] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the elastic pad portion 10 upon impact with a ball. The upper diagram shows the cross-section of the elastic pad portion 10 before impact with the ball, and the lower diagram shows the cross-section of the elastic pad portion 10 upon impact with the ball. When a compressive load due to the impact of the ball 70 is applied downward as indicated by arrow 74, the apex 16a of the highest first protrusion 12a is crushed by the compressive load and bends downward, and the base 17a slides laterally as indicated by arrow 71 so that the opening of the recess 13a widens in the left-right direction. At the same time, the apex 16b of the second protrusion 12b also slides laterally as indicated by arrow 72. The first protrusion 12a and the second protrusion 12b as a whole bend and expand radially, thereby absorbing the compressive load from above to below over a wide area. By forming cavities 14a and 14b in recesses 13a and 13b, the first protrusion 12a and the second protrusion 12b are more flexible than when they are entirely made of dense urethane resin, allowing them to fully slide and bend in the left-right direction, and suppressing deformation of ball 70.

[0036] If there were no joint portions 10b between adjacent protrusions 12 and the bases 17 were not continuous, the bases 17 of each protrusion 12 would be connected to the upper 3 and would be independent. In that case, the bases 17 would not move laterally in response to a compressive load from above, and the load would be concentrated only on the protruding portion above the bases 17, making it more likely to buckle or break due to excessive downward deflection. In this embodiment, in response to a compressive load from above, the multiple protrusions 12 whose bases 17 are connected by the joint portions 10b can slide laterally as a whole and absorb the load while dissipating it laterally, preventing buckling or breakage and demonstrating sufficient flexibility.

[0037] Here, a precision universal testing machine was used to conduct tests to examine the degree of displacement when a load was applied to four types of elastic pad samples. The test conditions were an initial load of 0.5 N and a compression speed of 1.0 mm / min.

[0038] The first sample uses the third hardest material (Shore A hardness: HA70) for the protrusion and has a hollow (i.e., hollow) recess. The protrusion height is 15 mm. The second sample uses the hardest material (Shore A hardness: HA85) for the protrusion and has a hollow recess. The protrusion height is 15 mm. The third sample uses the second hardest material (Shore A hardness: HA75) for the protrusion and has a solid (i.e., hollow) structure. The protrusion height is 15 mm. The fourth sample uses the softest (fourth hardest) material (Shore A hardness: HA65) for the protrusion and has a solid structure. The protrusion height is 5 mm.

[0039] FIG. 9 is a graph showing test results regarding the relationship between the hardness of the elastic pad portion 10 and the protrusions 12 and the displacement due to load. The test results showed that sample 4, indicated by line 83, was the hardest and had the smallest displacement with increasing load. The stiffness at a displacement of approximately 2 mm was 398 N / mm. In particular, because the protrusions were low, bottoming out occurred early, unlike the other samples, and there was almost no further displacement. Therefore, if the protrusions were formed under the conditions of sample 4, it is believed that the effect of suppressing ball deformation would be reduced to the extent that bottoming out occurred.

[0040] Conversely, sample 1, indicated by line 80, was the softest and had the largest displacement relative to an increase in load. The stiffness was 14.9 N / mm at a displacement of approximately 2 mm. Furthermore, when the load exceeded a certain level, a phenomenon that appeared to be buckling occurred just before a displacement of 5 mm. It is believed that when buckling occurs, bottoming out becomes more likely. When bottoming out occurs, the effect of suppressing deformation of the sphere is reduced, as described above. Therefore, if the protrusions are formed under the same conditions as sample 1, it is believed that a stiffness of the protrusions higher than 14.9 N / mm is preferable.

[0041] On the other hand, it was found that the second sample, indicated by line 81, and the third sample, indicated by line 82, were sufficiently displaced in response to an increase in load without causing buckling. Furthermore, the second sample exhibited a greater degree of displacement than the third sample, demonstrating its superior softness. Thus, the second sample, which used the softest material, had hollow projections with a height of 15 mm, and produced the most advantageous results. Therefore, it is preferable to form the projections 12 of this embodiment under the same conditions as the second sample. From these results, it is thought that in order to exert the effect of suppressing deformation of the sphere, it is preferable to form the protrusions in a way that makes them less likely to buckle. To make the protrusions less likely to buckle, it is sufficient to adjust the height of the protrusions, the structure inside the protrusions (hollow / solid), or the rigidity of the protrusions.

[0042] Figure 10 is a table summarizing the relationship between the conditions and results for four types of samples. Sample 1 had the lowest rigidity of approximately 15 N / mm. Sample 4 had the highest rigidity of approximately 400 N / mm. Sample 2 had a rigidity of approximately 35 N / mm. Sample 3 had a rigidity of 38 N / mm. Based on the above, it is thought that the function will be exhibited in a rigidity range of approximately 15 N / mm to approximately 400 N / mm, but conversely, it is thought that the function will not be exhibited at rigidities below approximately 15 N / mm or above approximately 400 N / mm. Furthermore, it is particularly preferable to select a structure and materials that result in a rigidity of approximately 35 N / mm.

[0043] The invention embodied in the above embodiments can be generalized to yield the following technical idea. In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a football shoe according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a sole and an upper joined directly or indirectly to the sole. The upper is provided with an elastic pad at a predetermined location, including a ridge located on the medial side of the instep, the upper having, at least in part, a protrusion formed of a flexible resin material in a convex shape containing a recess and protruding outward.

[0044] Here, "football shoes" may refer to shoes worn by athletes in sports that involve kicking a ball, such as football, and "football" may refer to sports such as football, soccer, futsal, rugby, American football, and Australian football. The "elastic pad" may be a component attached to the upper, or a component connected to the upper so as to become part of it. "Containing a recess" may indicate that the "protrusion" has a protruding external shape and an internal shape that forms a recess or other space. According to this embodiment, by interposing a soft protrusion between the upper and the ball in the upper part that kicks the ball, the deformation of the protrusion due to the load caused by the impact with the ball can be suppressed. This allows the ball to be kicked at a higher speed than when the ball is kicked with a hard instep without a protrusion.

[0045] The elastic pad may have a plurality of protrusions. In this embodiment, the deformation of the ball can be dispersed widely across the entire area where the protrusions are provided, thereby suppressing deformation of the ball and increasing the ball's speed.

[0046] The recess included in the protrusion may be hollow, or the recess may be filled with a material having a lower hardness than the protrusion itself. According to this embodiment, the interior of the protrusion is hollow or filled with a material having a lower hardness, thereby increasing the flexibility of the protrusion and making it easier to deform under the load of a ball collision.

[0047] The protrusion may be formed in a shape that narrows in cross-sectional area from the base to the tip. The narrowed shape that narrows in cross-sectional area from the base to the tip may be a cone shape or a frustum shape. This embodiment makes it possible to achieve a structure that is less susceptible to buckling or destruction due to vertical compressive load than when the protrusion is formed in a columnar shape with a constant cross-sectional area.

[0048] The elastic pad portion may have relatively tall protrusions and relatively shorter protrusions disposed around it. The taller protrusions may be positioned closer to the center of the impacting ball, i.e., closer to the center of the ball impact portion on the upper. According to this aspect, the protrusions are made taller in areas where there is a high possibility of ball impact, particularly when kicking a strong and fast ball, to ensure sufficient flexibility, and the height of the surrounding protrusions is made relatively lower to limit interference with the impact of the ball during other types of kicks that emphasize accuracy of the kicking direction over strength.

[0049] The relatively low-height protrusions may be formed so that their apexes are closer to the relatively high-height protrusions. According to this configuration, when a particularly strong and fast ball is kicked, the protrusions are positioned so that their apexes are closer to the areas likely to be hit by the ball. Then, when the ball is hit, the protrusions and their apexes slide radially due to deformation caused by the compressive load. This allows the load to be distributed over a wider area.

[0050] The region where the protrusion is provided may include the ball impact portion of the upper part for an instep kick and may also be a portion that limits interference with the impact of the ball for an inside kick. According to this aspect, by providing the protrusion in a portion that is likely to be impacted by the ball particularly during an instep kick, which kicks a strong and fast ball, sufficient flexibility is ensured and interference with the impact of the ball can be limited during an inside kick, which places more importance on the accuracy of the kicking direction than on strength.

[0051] In the elastic pad portion, the bases of adjacent protrusions may be integrally formed and continuous. If the bases of adjacent protrusions are not continuous, the bases of each protrusion will be connected to the upper and independent, and the bases will not move in response to a compressive load from above, concentrating the load only on the protruding portion above the base, making buckling and destruction more likely. According to this embodiment, the multiple protrusions with continuous bases can slide laterally as a whole in response to a compressive load from above, dissipating the load to the side, thereby preventing buckling and destruction and exhibiting sufficient flexibility.

[0052] The present invention has been described above based on an embodiment. This embodiment is merely an example, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in the combination of each component and each treatment process, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 1 football shoes, 2 sole, 3 upper, 10 elastic pad part, 12 protrusion part, 13,17 base, 60 foot, 70 ball.

Claims

1. Sole and an upper joined directly or indirectly to the sole; Equipped with The upper is provided with an elastic pad portion at a predetermined location including a ridge line located on the medial side of the instep, the elastic pad portion having at least a protrusion portion formed of a flexible resin material in a convex shape that includes a recess and protrudes outward; The elastic pad portion has a relatively high protrusion and a relatively low protrusion disposed therearound, The relatively low protrusions are formed in a shape such that the tops thereof are closer to the relatively high protrusions.

2. The football shoe according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the protrusions are arranged on the elastic pad portion.

3. The football shoe according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the recessed portion enclosed within the protrusion is hollow.

4. The football shoe according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the protrusion is formed in a shape that is narrower in cross section at a tip end side than at a base portion.

5. 5. The football shoe according to claim 1, wherein the region where the protrusion is provided includes a part of the upper that strikes the ball in an instep kick and limits interference with the ball in an inside kick.

6. 6. The football shoe according to claim 1, wherein the bases of the adjacent protrusions in the elastic pad are integrally formed so as to be continuous with each other.

Images