Stabilizing Overshoe Structure for Cleat Stability on Hard Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cleated footwear is inherently unstable on hard surfaces, leading to ankle and knee injuries due to lateral tilting, rolling, or shifting, necessitating a stabilizer that can be quickly engaged and disengaged for off-field use.
Innovation Solution
A stabilizing overshoe with an upper and sole structure featuring stabilizers and protrusions that overlay the cleated shoe, providing lateral stability and grip to prevent excessive movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If cleated footwear is worn on hard surfaces, then the player can move and play off-field, but the footwear becomes unstable and causes ankle and knee injuries due to lateral tilting and rolling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a stabilizing overshoe as an intermediary device that fits over the cleated footwear. This overshoe has a rigid sole with a smooth bottom surface that contacts hard surfaces, preventing lateral tilting and rolling. The overshoe acts as a mediator between the cleated shoe and the hard surface, allowing off-field wear while maintaining stability and preventing injuries.
2Reliability
If the stabilizing overshoe structure is enhanced to provide maximum stability, then lateral shifting and rolling are prevented, but the device complexity and bulk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizing overshoe is segmented into distinct functional components: an upper portion that fits over the cleated shoe upper, a rigid sole portion with a smooth bottom surface for hard surface contact, and a stabilizer element. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while keeping the overall structure manageable and not excessively complex.
Solution Approach 2:
The overshoe applies stability enhancement locally where needed - the rigid sole with smooth bottom surface contacts the hard surface to prevent lateral tilting, while the upper portion simply envelops the existing cleated shoe. This localized approach provides maximum stability without requiring the entire device to be overly complex or bulky.
Data Source
AI summary
The present stabilizing overshoe includes one or more stabilizers that extend up from the sole of the stabilizing overshoe and overlap the overshoe upper to a height sufficient to at least partially overlay a cleated shoe upper of a cleated shoe inserted within the stabilizing overshoe. The stabilizer augments the rigidity of the overshoe upper to substantially decrease lateral shifting, rolling, and twisting of the cleated shoe relative to the stabilizing overshoe. In one or more embodiments, the overshoe upper is made of an elastic material configured to tightly enclose the cleated shoe, further restricting movement. In one or more embodiments, a stabilizing protrusion protrudes from or is situated atop the insole or the sole of the stabilizing overshoe, such that the stabilizing protrusion is compressed between the sole of the cleated shoe and the sole of the stabilizing overshoe to further grip and hold steady the cleated shoe.