OUTSOLE LUGS ALIGNED WITH METATARSAL BONES

1 . A running shoe, comprising:

an upper;

a foot cavity defined at least in part by an inside surface of the upper, including a frontmost toe surface, a rearmost heel surface, and a foot cavity length starting at the rearmost heel surface and ending at the frontmost toe surface;

a midsole; and

an outsole, including a first metatarsal lug located on an exterior of the outsole to be located under a first metatarsal bone of a user when the user is wearing the shoe, the first metatarsal lug having a center disposed at a center point corresponding to a first location between 65% and 67% of the foot cavity length.

2 . The running shoe of claim 1 , wherein the first metatarsal lug further comprises a toe-facing edge disposed at an edge point corresponding to a second location between 71% and 73% of the foot cavity length.

3 . The running shoe of claim 1 , wherein the first metatarsal lug further comprises a heel-facing edge disposed at an edge point corresponding to a third location between 61% and 63% of the foot cavity length.

4 . The running shoe of claim 1 , wherein an edge of the first metatarsal lug defines, in part, a flexure recess defined in the outsole, the flexure recess being transversely orientated with respect to the foot cavity length.

5 . The running shoe of claim 1 , wherein the first metatarsal lug is located adjacent to a second metatarsal lug that is mechanically isolated and separated from the first metatarsal lug along a second flexure recess defined in the outsole;

wherein the second flexure recess is aligned with the foot cavity length.

6 . The running shoe of claim 1 , wherein the outsole further comprises:

a first phalange lug disposed substantially adjacent to a toe-facing edge of the first metatarsal lug and disposed under a first phalange bone of the user when the user is wearing the shoe;

a third flexure recess between a toe-facing edge of the first metatarsal lug and the first phalange lug; and

wherein the first metatarsal lug is mechanically isolated from the first phalange lug.

7 . The running shoe of claim 1 , further comprising a second metatarsal lug disposed under a second metatarsal bone of the user when the user is wearing the shoe, comprising:

a center disposed at a center point corresponding to a fourth location between 65% and 67% of the foot cavity length;

a toe-facing edge disposed at an edge point corresponding to a fifth location between 71% and 73% of the foot cavity length; and

a heel-facing edge disposed at an edge point corresponding to a sixth location between 61% and 63% of the foot cavity length.

8 . The running shoe of claim 7 , further comprising a third, fourth, and fifth metatarsal lug, wherein one of each of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth metatarsal lugs corresponds to each metatarsal bone of the user's foot.

9 . The running shoe of claim 8 , wherein the outsole further comprises:

a second phalange lug disposed substantially adjacent to the toe-facing edge of the second metatarsal lug and disposed under a second phalange bone of the user when the user is wearing the shoe; and

a fourth flexure recess between the toe-facing edge of the second metatarsal lug and the second phalange lug;

wherein the second metatarsal lug is mechanically isolated relative to the second phalange lug and the metatarsal lug.

10 . The running shoe of claim 6 , wherein the outsole further comprises a fifth flexure recess between the first metatarsal lug and the second metatarsal lug; and

wherein the first metatarsal lug is mechanically isolated relative to the second metatarsal lug.