IP Library Granted Patent US 12,256,807
Granted Patent B2
US 12,256,807 · App. 18/147,422 · Granted Mar 25, 2025

Article of footwear with athletic cleats

Inventors: Michael Glancy (Baltimore, MD); Michael Forsey (Portland, OR)
Assignee: Under Armour, Inc.
A43C15/162A43B3/0042A43B5/001A43B13/26A43C15/161
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,256,807
App. No.
18/147,422
Granted
Mar 25, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An article of footwear includes a plurality of first cleats mounted on a first side of the article of footwear and a plurality of second cleats mounted on a second side of the article of footwear. Each of the first cleats includes at least one lateral leg and at least one medial leg, the at least one lateral leg having a first hardness and the at least one medial leg having a second hardness, wherein the first hardness is different than the second hardness. Each of the second cleats includes a limited number of legs, wherein all the limited number of legs on the at least one second cleat have a same hardness.

Claims (22)

1. An article of footwear comprising:

an upper;

a sole connected to the upper, the sole including a plurality of cleat mounts;

a first plurality of first cleats releasably connected to the cleat mounts on a lateral side of the sole on a forefoot of the article of footwear, and a second plurality of the first cleats releasably connected to cleat mounts on a medial side of the sole on a heel of the article of footwear, each of the first cleats including a mount coupling, a hub connected to the mount coupling, and a plurality of legs connected to the hub, the mount coupling releasably engaging one of the plurality of cleat mounts, the plurality of legs including one or more static legs comprised of a first material on a first side of the hub and one or more dynamic legs comprised of a second material on a second side of the hub, all of the one or more static legs having a first hardness and all of the one or more dynamic legs having a second hardness, wherein the first material surrounds a perimeter rim of the mount coupling on each of the first cleats and the second material covers a central portion of the mount coupling on each of the plurality of first cleats; and

a first plurality of second cleats releasably connected to the cleat mounts on the medial side of the sole on the forefoot of the article of footwear, and a second plurality of second cleats releasably connected to cleat mounts on the lateral side of the sole on the heel of the article of footwear, each of second cleats having a limited number of legs, wherein all of the limited number of legs share a common hardness.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1 wherein none of the plurality of first cleats is mounted on the medial side of the article of footwear, and wherein none of the plurality of second cleats is mounted on the lateral side of the article of footwear.

3. The article of footwear of claim 1 wherein the first hardness is greater than the second hardness.

4. The article of footwear of claim 1 wherein the first hardness is between 60 D and 80 D shore durometer and the second hardness is between 80 A and 100 A shore durometer.

5. The article of footwear of claim 1 wherein each static leg includes a first leg end defining a first edge, wherein each dynamic leg includes a second leg end defining a second edge, wherein the first edge is significantly longer than the second edge.

6. An article of footwear comprising:

at least one first cleat mounted on a lateral side of the article of footwear, the at least one first cleat including at least one lateral leg that extends away from a longitudinal centerline of the article of footwear and at least one medial leg that extends toward the longitudinal centerline of the article of footwear, the at least one lateral leg having a first hardness and the at least one medial leg having a second hardness, the first hardness greater than the second hardness; and

at least one second cleat mounted on a medial side of the article of footwear, the at least one second cleat including legs, wherein all the legs of the at least one second cleat have a same hardness that is less than the first hardness.

7. The article of footwear of claim 6 wherein the at least one lateral leg includes a lateral leg end defining a first edge, wherein the at least one medial leg includes a medial leg end defining a second edge, and wherein the first edge is significantly longer than the second edge.

8. The article of footwear of claim 6 wherein the at least one first cleat includes a front first cleat mounted along a lateral side of a forefoot of the article of footwear, and wherein the at least one second cleat includes a front second cleat mounted along a medial side of the forefoot of the article of footwear.

9. The article of footwear of claim 8 wherein the at least one first cleat further includes a rear first cleat mounted along a medial side of a heel of the article of footwear, and wherein the at least one second cleat further includes a rear second cleat mounted along a lateral side of the heel of the article of footwear.

10. An article of footwear comprising:

a first plurality of first cleats mounted on a lateral side of the article of footwear, each of the first plurality of first cleats including at least one lateral leg and at least one medial leg, the at least one lateral leg having a first hardness and the at least one medial leg having a second hardness, the first hardness greater than the second hardness, wherein the first plurality of first cleats includes a front first cleat mounted along a lateral side of a forefoot of the article of footwear;

a first plurality of second cleats mounted on a medial side of the article of footwear, each of the first plurality of second cleats including a limited number of legs, wherein all the limited number of legs on the at least one second cleat have a same hardness, wherein the first plurality of second cleats includes a front second cleat mounted along a medial side of the forefoot of the article of footwear;

a second plurality of first cleats mounted along a medial side of a heel of the article of footwear; and

a second plurality of second cleats mounted along a lateral side of the heel of the article of footwear.

11. The article of footwear of claim 10 wherein the same hardness is the second hardness.

12. The article of footwear of claim 10 , each of the second plurality of first cleats including at least one lateral leg and at least one medial leg the at least one lateral leg having a first hardness and the at least one medial leg having a second hardness, the first hardness greater than the second hardness.

Assignments (2)
CONFIRMATORY GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN UNITED STATES PATENTS Recorded Jul 3, 2025
From: UNDER ARMOUR, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 071827/0288 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 5, 2023
From: GLANCY, MICHAEL; FORSEY, MICHAEL
To: UNDER ARMOUR, INC.
Reel/Frame 064155/0718 →
Continuity (4)
Division 16781611 · Feb 4, 2020
Continuation 15598254 · May 17, 2017
Provisional Application 62337585 · May 17, 2016
Related Publication 20230135125A1 · May 4, 2023
References Cited (35)
US 3082549A · Dolceamore · 1963 [cited by applicant]
US 4754561A · Dufour · 1988 [cited by applicant]
US 4875683A · Wellman · 1989 [cited by applicant]
US 5964048A · Shieh · 1999 [cited by applicant]
US 6016613A · Campbell et al. · 2000 [cited by applicant]
US 6675505B2 · Terashima · 2004 [cited by examiner]
US 6705027B1 · Campbell · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 6817117B1 · Campbell · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 6834446B2 · McMullin · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 7559160B2 · Kelly · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 7650707B2 · Campbell · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 7726047B1 · MacNeill et al. · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 7895773B2 · Robinson · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 7946062B2 · Kelly · 2011 [cited by examiner]
US 8020322B2 · McMullin · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 8245422B2 · Krikorian et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8375604B2 · Eder · 2013 [cited by examiner]
US 8671594B2 · Ortley et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8806779B2 · Auger et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 9204682B2 · Grott · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 9220320B2 · Auger et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 9883716B2 · Jones · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10392798B2 · Kragness et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20020144439A1 · Price · 2002 [cited by applicant]
US 20050108902A1 · McMullin · 2005 [cited by examiner]
US 20060090373A1 · Savoie · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 20070199213A1 · Campbell · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 20080222924A1 · Carruthers · 2008 [cited by examiner]
US 20080271346A1 · Farmer · 2008 [cited by applicant]
US 20130333247A1 · Grott · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20150208755A1 · Rustam · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 20150237964A1 · Auger · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 20160015120A1 · Denison · 2016 [cited by examiner]
EP 1993391B1 · 2012 [cited by applicant]
JP 2012139348 · 2012 [cited by applicant]