Item of footwear

1. An item of footwear comprising:

a sole having a length configured to substantially correspond in length to a foot of a wearer of the item of footwear, the sole including a mid-sole, the mid-sole having a first major surface for facing the foot of the wearer, a second major surface opposite the first major surface, the mid-sole having an inner edge corresponding to an inside of the wearer's foot and an outer edge corresponding to an outside of the wearer's foot; and

the item of footwear being securably positionable to the foot of the wearer such that the first major surface of the mid-sole is configured to contact the foot of the wearer,

wherein:

the mid-sole includes a heel region arranged to support a heel of the foot of the wearer of the item of footwear;

the heel region comprises a central land, surrounded around an entire perimeter of the central land by a plurality of arc-shaped lands and a plurality of radial grooves, the arc-shaped lands being defined by the plurality of radial grooves, wherein the arc-shaped lands are separated by the radial grooves extending radially outwardly from the central land;

a plurality of generally transverse grooves formed in the mid-sole and a generally longitudinal primary groove formed in the mid-sole and spaced inward from the outer edge of the sole and extending generally parallel to the outer edge of the sole over a majority of the length of the sole, the generally longitudinal primary groove extending from a radial groove of the plurality of radial grooves, the generally transverse grooves and the generally longitudinal groove intersecting to divide the mid-sole into an array of mid-sole lands; and

in an arch region of the mid-sole, the generally longitudinal primary groove extends generally centrally such that the mid-sole is divided into two longitudinal rows of mid sole lands in the arch region, each mid sole land in the arch region extending in the transverse direction from the generally longitudinal primary groove to the inner edge or the outer edge and having a substantially equal size in the transverse direction.

2. The item of footwear of claim 1 wherein the plurality of generally transverse grooves are arcuate when viewed in plan view.

3. The item of footwear of claim 2 wherein the generally transverse grooves have a radius of curvature that increases with increasing distance from a rearmost point of the mid-sole.

4. The item of footwear of claim 3 , wherein an insert is provided in one or more of the arc-shaped lands.

5. The item of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the central land is generally circular when viewed in plan view and is surrounded by a circular groove and the plurality of radial grooves extend radially outwardly from the circular groove, when viewed in plan view, with the arc-shaped lands defined between the circular groove and the plurality of radial grooves.

6. The item of footwear of claim 5 , wherein an insert is provided in the central land.

7. The item of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the central land has a radius of approximately 15 mm.

8. The item of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the heel region extends over the rearmost 29% to 39% of the length of the sole.

9. The item of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of generally transverse grooves are spaced apart by a distance in a range of 8 mm to 14 mm.

10. The item of footwear of claim 1 , wherein:

the mid-sole includes a forefoot region arranged to support a forefoot of the wearer of the item of footwear; and

the mid-sole further comprises a generally longitudinal secondary groove in the forefoot region, the secondary groove being generally parallel with the primary groove.

11. The item of footwear of claim 10 , wherein the forefoot region extends over the forwardmost 15% to 24% of the length of the sole.

12. The item of footwear of claim 10 , wherein the secondary groove terminates at or near the inner edge of the mid-sole.

13. The item of footwear of claim 10 , wherein the primary and secondary grooves are spaced apart by a distance in a range of 25 mm to 40 mm.

14. The item of footwear of claim 1 , wherein:

the mid-sole includes a forwardmost region; and

the grooves do not extend into the forwardmost region.

15. The item of footwear of claim 14 , wherein an insert is provided in the forwardmost region.

16. The item of footwear of claim 14 , wherein the forwardmost region extends over a forwardmost 20% of the length of the sole in the longitudinal direction.

17. The item of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the depths of the transverse grooves are in a range of 7 mm to 12 mm.

18. The item of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the depths of the longitudinal grooves are in a range of 10 mm to 12 mm.

19. The item of footwear of claim 1 , wherein:

the depths of the grooves in the heel region are in a range of 7 mm to 12 mm.

20. The item of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the transverse grooves and the longitudinal grooves each have a generally tapered cross-section, when viewed in a cross-section taken transversely across each groove.

21. The item of footwear of claim 1 , wherein a width of openings of the grooves at the second major surface is in a range of 1 mm to 3 mm.

22. The item of footwear of claim 1 , further comprising an outsole, wherein the outsole extends into each groove.

23. The item of footwear of claim 22 , wherein the mid-sole has a minimum thickness of 5 mm.