Footwear Outsole With Removable Inserts for Friction Customization
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bowling shoes with VELCRO® fasteners for attaching pads suffer from wear and tear, leading to the need for frequent shoe replacement.
Innovation Solution
A customizable footwear outsole design featuring a chassis with openings for removable inserts, secured with mechanical fasteners, allowing users to customize the coefficient of friction for different foot locations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If VELCRO® fasteners are used to attach pads to the outsole, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to wear and tear requiring frequent shoe replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The outsole is segmented into a chassis with multiple openings that can receive different inserts at different locations. Each insert can be independently attached and removed, allowing the fastening system to be modular and replaceable without replacing the entire shoe.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastening mechanism changes from adhesive-based (VELCRO®) to mechanical interlocking (protrusions fitting into recesses). This parameter change in the fastening method provides more durable and reliable attachment that doesn't degrade over time like adhesive fasteners.
2Ease of manufacture
If uniform outsole material is used, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but adaptability deteriorates as users cannot customize friction properties for different locations
Solution Approach 1:
The outsole is divided into multiple insertable sections, each with openings that can receive different inserts. This segmentation allows the base chassis to be manufactured simply while enabling customization through interchangeable inserts with different friction properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The chassis with standardized openings serves as a universal base that can accommodate multiple different inserts. This multi-functional design allows a single chassis to support various outsole configurations, combining manufacturing simplicity with user customization.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a long-lasting, customizable option for bowling shoes, allowing users to adjust traction and slide properties based on their preferences and needs, reducing the frequency of shoe replacement.
Implementation Method 1
The first insert has a first coefficient of friction to provide a first desired surface property in a first outsole location, and the second insert has a second coefficient of friction to provide a second desired surface property in a second outsole location
Data Source
AI summary
A footwear outsole is provided. The footwear outsole includes a chassis, a plurality of openings formed within the chassis, the plurality of openings includes at least a first opening and a second opening, and a plurality of inserts configured to be removably received within the plurality of openings. The plurality of inserts includes at least a first insert and a second insert, where the first insert is configured to be received within the first opening, and the second insert is configured to be received within the second opening. The first insert has a first coefficient of friction to provide a first surface property in a first outsole location, and the second insert has a second coefficient of friction to provide a second surface property in a second outsole location, where the second coefficient of friction is different than the first coefficient of friction. The first and second inserts each include a mechanical faster to removably secure the first and second inserts respectively in the first and second openings.