Sport footwear

Abstract

The invention concerns an item of sport footwear (10) which may for example be a football boot. The footwear (10) comprises a sole for engaging the ground and an upper (12) configured to receive and embrace a foot of a wearer. The footwear (10) further comprises a shield (22) arranged outside the upper (12) and over at least part of the instep of the foot, in use. The shield (22) can provide both protection of the foot against injury and an improved kicking surface, where the footwear is used in a ball-kicking sport such as football, rugby etc.

Description

[0001] SPORT FOOTWEAR

[0002] The present invention is concerned with sport footwear, particularly footwear for use in sports involving kicking a ball.

[0003] The invention has been conceived and developed in relation to football boots (soccer boots) but is equally applicable to rugby boots, Gaelic football boots, Australian rules football boots, boots used in American football, and footwear used in any sport involving kicking a ball. While the following discussion refers specifically to football (soccer) boots, similar performance issues arise in relation to footwear used in other ball-kicking sports.

[0004] The term "boot" is commonly used to refer to footwear in ball-kicking sports and is adopted herein, but it must be understood that it does not, in common usage nor herein, imply that the footwear in question must have a high ankle. Modern football boots, for example, typically have a low ankle.

[0005] One key aspect of the performance of a football boot is its interaction with the ball - the power it transmits to the ball, and the control it provides the wearer over the ball's spin and trajectory. The speed of a kicked ball is influenced by various factors including the nature of the surface of the boot that strikes the ball. In general, a harder surface can transmit the force more efficiently, potentially resulting in a faster ball speed compared with a softer or more flexible surface. But the nature of the boot's contact surface may also affect the control the player is able to exert over the ball.

[0006] Football boots have traditionally been tightened on the foot using laces, and laced boots are still widespread and have important advantages. The laces make insertion of the foot easy and allow the fit and tightness of the boot to be adjusted by the wearer. But the laces and the eyes through which they pass are in the zone of the boot used to contact the ball, and can thus affect the boot's interaction with the ball.

[0007] Another important issue in football boot design is the protection that the boot affords to the wearer's foot. Any sporting injury is regrettable, and the huge financial sums involved in sports such as soccer and American football only emphasise the importance of protecting players from injury. Ball-kicking sports present various risks to the feet of participants. The metatarsal bones are especially vulnerable. These are five long bones in the midfoot, extending from the tarsal bones of the heel and ankle to the phalanges (toes). Metatarsal injuries can occur in a variety of ways but the most common is direct trauma, such as a blow or kick during a game. A metatarsal break is rarely a career-ending injury but can keep the player out of action for a protracted period, which is distressing for the amateur and potentially hugely costly in relation to a professional player.

[0008] A current trend for football boots to be made of thin, light fabrics may contribute to foot injuries by offering little protection from impacts. Modern boots are even vulnerable to being sliced open by the studs of another player's boot, resulting in feet being bruised and cut.

[0009] The present invention addresses a need for footwear for use in ball-kicking sports which offers protection to the foot at the same time as providing good kicking power and control over the ball.

[0010] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is an item of footwear which is any of a football boot, rugby boot, Gaelic football boot, Australian rules football boot, boot used in American football, or like footwear for use in any sport involving kicking a ball, the item of footwear comprising a sole for engaging the ground and an upper configured to receive and embrace a foot of a wearer, the upper having an inner side, on which the big toe lies in use, and an outer side, on which the little toe lies in use, the item of footwear further comprising a shield arranged outside the upper, the shield extending laterally from the inner side of the upper to the outer side of the upper to substantially cover the instep region of the wearer's foot in use, the shield having an inner side portion attached or provided with means for releasable attachment to the inner side of the upper, an outer side portion attached or provided with means for releasable attachment to the outer side of the upper, and an intermediate portion between the inner side portion and the outer side portion which is not directly attached to the upper, the shield being at least semi-rigid to distribute impact loads and having an outer surface which is resilient and / or compliant and / or elastomeric and / or is provided with upstands and / or recesses to provide grip when kicking a ball.

[0011] In a broader aspect, the invention provides a According to a first an item of sport footwear comprising a sole for engaging the ground and an upper configured to receive and embrace a foot of a wearer, the footwear further comprising a shield arranged outside the upper and over at least part of the instep of the foot, in use.

[0012] The shield serves to protect the midfoot region, at least, from impact injury, such as might otherwise occur when studs of the sole of one player's boot impact the upper side of another player's boot, a common issue in sports such as football. The shield can also protect against piercing of the upper e.g. by impact with studs. By distributing impact loads over an increased area it reduces their injurious effect. And it can provide a regularly shaped surface for ball contact, improving ball control. Its surface can be chosen to provide for powerful kicking and for a desired degree of frictional engagement with the ball, further improving ball control.

[0013] A specific embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

[0014] Figure 1 depicts a football boot embodying the present invention from above and one side, a shield part of the football boot being in an open configuration;

[0015] Figure 2 depicts the football boot from above and in front, the shield being in a closed configuration;

[0016] Figure 3 depicts the football boot from one side, the shield being in the closed configuration;

[0017] Figure 4 depicts the football boot from the opposite side, the shield being open; and Figure 5 is a section through the shield along the line A-A of Figure 3.

[0018] The specific embodiment described and depicted herein is a football boot (soccer boot) 10 but it is emphasised again that the invention may be applied to footwear for use in any ball-kicking sport. The boot 10 has an upper 12 upon a sole, which is not seen clearly in the drawings but provides in conventional manner the lower surface of the boot through which it engages with the ground. The shape and formation of the sole will reflect the sport for which the boot 10 is intended and the type of ground on which it is to be used, but in this example it carries depending studs 13 (see Figure 3) for increasing traction with the ground, as is commonplace for football boots.

[0019] The upper 12 is attached to the sole and is shaped to receive and embrace the foot of a wearer. In conventional manner, the upper 12 has two rows of eyes 14 on either side of a split 16 to receive a lace 18 which, by drawing the material of the upper 12 on either side of the split 16 together, serves to tighten the boot 10 on the foot of the wearer. Beneath the split 16 is a tongue 20 interposed in use between the lace 18 and the foot. Of course the boot 10 is one of a handed pair.

[0020] In accordance with the present invention, the boot 10 is provided with a shield 22. In the present embodiment, the shield 22 lies over the instep region of the wearer's foot. One may also say that the shield lies over the midfoot region. More specifically, the shield substantially covers at least the majority of the instep region. The shield 22 extends in the fore-and-aft direction from a proximal edge 24 close to the ankle of the wearer to a distal edge 26 close to the ball region of the foot. A shallow cutout 27 in the proximal edge 24 prevents unwanted contact of the shield 22 with the ankle of the wearer. The shield 22 extends in the lateral direction from inner side 28 of the upper 12 (the side on which the big toe lies, in use) to outer side 30 of the upper 12 (the side with the little toe). In use, the shield 22 thus lies over, and provides protection to, the midfoot or instep region, including the metatarsal bones of the wearer. The shield 22 does not cover the region of the upper 12 lying over the ball of the foot nor the toes. It could be extended in other embodiments.

[0021] In the present embodiment, the shield 22 is attached to the upper 12 through an inner side portion 32 lying on the inner side 28 of the upper 12 and through an outer side portion 34 lying on the outer side 30 of the upper 12. An intermediate portion 36 of the shield is not directly secured to the upper 12. This mode of attachment serves to maintain the shield 22 securely in position, but permits the boot as a whole to flex as necessary for comfort and for properly accommodating the articulation of the foot and ankle. This flexibility is provided along with the desired protection for the foot.

[0022] In some embodiments, the attachment of the shield 22 on both sides of the upper 22 is fixed. This is appropriate for example in a boot with no laces. Laceless boots are well known, often having an elastic portion in the midfoot region of the upper to allow them to be put on and taken off whilst still fitting closely to the foot in use. But in the present example, the boot 10 has the lace 18 to which access is needed. This is provided for by making the attachment of the shield 22 on either the inner side 28 or the outer side 30 of the upper 12 releasable. In the present embodiment, the releasable attachment is on the outer side 30. Any suitable releasable fastening arrangement may be used for this purpose but the illustrated example uses hook-and-loop type panels (a well-known fastener of this type is sold under the Velcro® brand). A first attachment panel 40 is provided on underside 42 of the outer side portion 34 of the shield 22, and a complementary second attachment panel 44 is provided on the outer side of the upper 12. With the releasable attachment 40, 44 disengaged and the shield in the open configuration of Figure 1, the wearer has free access to the lace 18. After donning the boot 10 and fastening the lace 18, the wearer need merely draw the shield 22 into position across the foot to engage the releasable attachment 40, 44 and so secure the shield 22 in position ready for use.

[0023] The fixed attachment of the shield's inner side portion 32 to the upper 12 is by means of stitching 35 passing through the inner side portion 32 of the shield 22 into the upper 22, as seen in Figure 3. Other suitable means of attachment, including adhesives or fusion welding, may be substituted. In other embodiments, the attachment of the shield 22 to both sides of the upper may be detachable, so that the shield 22 can be removed altogether if desired.

[0024] As well as providing the foot with protection, the shield 22 provides a clean and regularly shaped surface across the instep for contact with a ball. This is in stark contrast to a typical laced boot, where the region often used to kick a ball - the instep region, containing laces, the boot's tongue, the split in the upper that is bridged by the laces, and the eyes through which the laces pass - is distinctly irregular in shape. The shield 22 covers all of these features.

[0025] To further enhance ball control, the shield 22 may be provided with a grippy surface. To this end, its outer face 46 may comprise elastomeric and / or compliant material. Additionally or alternatively, it may comprise shaped engagement features to improved engagement with the ball, compared with a flat surface.

[0026] The structure of the shield 22 according to the present embodiment comprises inner and outer layers 48, 50 as depicted in Figure 5. The inner layer 48 is relatively rigid and provides impact protection for the foot. In the present embodiment it comprises a base panel 52 which is flat when unstressed and which bends to form a simple curve (as opposed to a compound curve) when the shield 22 is in its closed configuration. In other embodiments, the shield 22 may have a pre-formed curvature, which may be compound curvature. In either case, the curvature contributes to the stiffness of the shield 22 against impact. A suitable material for the base panel 52 is polypropylene. The base panel 52 may be moulded, and more specifically injection moulded, making mass manufacture straightforward and economical. Other suitable materials may be substituted, including any suitable polymer material and any suitable natural material. Bamboo may be used.

[0027] The outer layer 50 provides a grippy region 54 at the outer face 46 of the shield 22. The outer layer 50 may comprise rubber or have a rubberised surface. It may comprise any suitable elastomer. It may be a moulded polymer body. In the present example the outer layer 50 comprises an outer panel 56 upon the base panel 52. This combination of a structural base panel 52 and a grippy outer panel 56 provides a desirable combination of adequate rigidity, for protection and for kicking power, with grip, for ball control. The two layers may be adhered to one another, or attached to one another in any suitable manner.

[0028] In the present embodiment, the base panel 52 comprises projections or upstands 58 which extend and are exposed through complementary openings in the outer panel 56. These may form a regular and / or tessellating pattern. In the present embodiment they are hexagonal in shape and arranged in regular rows, although a multitude of other arrangements is possible.

[0029] The outer panel 56 comprises shaped features to enhance grip on the ball, which in the present embodiment take the form of upstands or dimples 62. These may form a regular and / or tessellating pattern. In the present embodiment they are oval in shape and arranged in rows, but a multitude of other arrangements is possible.

[0030] The embodiment depicted and described serves as an example only of the manner in which the claimed invention may be put into practice. Numerous variations and developments are possible without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, while the depicted embodiment uses a centrally laced boot, the shield 22 may equally well be used on a so-called asymmetric boot where the laces are placed to one side, or - as noted already - with a laced boot. The shield 22 may be provided, on the side which is detachable from the upper 22, with a pull tab to make detachment more straightforward. In place of the hook-and-loop fasteners of the present embodiment, others may use press studs, buttons, zips, or any other suitable releasable fastener.

Claims

CLAIMS1. An item of footwear which is any of a football boot, rugby boot, Gaelic football boot, Australian- rules football boot, American-football boot, or like footwear for use in any ball-kicking sport, the item of footwear comprising a sole for engaging the ground and an upper configured to receive and embrace a foot of a wearer, the upper having an inner side, on which the big toe lies in use, and an outer side, on which the little toe lies in use, the item of footwear further comprising a shield arranged outside and over the upper, the shield extending laterally from the inner side of the upper to the outer side of the upper to substantially cover the instep region of the wearer's foot in use, the shield having an inner side portion attached or provided with means for releasable attachment to the inner side of the upper, an outer side portion attached or provided with means for releasable attachment to the outer side of the upper, and an intermediate portion between the inner side portion and the outer side portion which is not directly attached to the upper, the shield being semirigid to distribute impact loads and having an outer surface which is resilient and / or compliant and / or elastomeric and / or is provided with upstands and / or recesses.

2. An item of footwear as claimed in claim 1 in which the shield extends in use, in a direction along the length of the foot, from a region proximate the wearer's ankle to a region proximate the ball of the foot.

3. An item of footwear as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which one of the inner side portion and the outer side portion is provided with a releasable attachment to the upper.

4. An item of footwear as claimed in claim 3 in which the releasable attachment comprises any one or more of hook-and-loop fasteners, press studs, buttons, a magnet, and a toggle.

5. An item of footwear as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4 in which the upper is laced and in which releasing the releasable attachment permits the shield to be placed in an open configuration providing access to the lace.

6. An item of footwear as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 in which the shield comprises at least an inner layer and an outer layer, the inner layer being stiffer than the outer layer and the outer layer having a resilient and / or compliant and / or elastomeric outer surface for engaging the ball in use.

7. An item of footwear as claimed in claim 6 in which the inner layer has upstands which project through complementary openings in the outer layer.

8. An item of footwear as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7 in which at least one of the inner layer and the outer layer comprises a polymer moulding.

9. An item of footwear as claimed in any preceding claim in which the sole carries depending studs for engaging ground beneath the item of footwear.

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