Dual purpose running and cycling shoe
View Patent ↗A dual purpose running and cycling shoe. The shoe can include an upper portion, an outsole portion, and a midsole portion disposed between the upper portion and the outsole portion. The shoe can also include a rigid plate that is configured to selectively couple to a clipless cycling pedal. The rigid plate can be disposed between the upper portion and the outsole portion, and the rigid plate can extend along a horizontal axis at least partially from an end portion of a heel portion of the rigid plate towards an oppositely located end portion of a toe portion of the rigid plate.
1 . A shoe, comprising:
an upper portion;
an outsole portion defining at least a portion of a recess;
a midsole portion disposed between the upper portion and the outsole portion, the midsole portion defining at least a portion of the recess;
a rigid plate configured to selectively couple to a clipless cycling pedal, wherein the rigid plate is disposed between the upper portion and the outsole portion, wherein the rigid plate extends along a horizontal axis at least partially from a heel portion of the rigid plate towards an oppositely located toe portion of the rigid plate;
a selectively attachable and detachable clipless pedal cleat, wherein the rigid plate includes one or more fasteners to couple the clipless pedal cleat to the rigid plate in a cycling mode of the shoe, wherein the clipless pedal cleat is disposed within the recess and spaced apart from a bottom surface of the outsole portion; and
at least one selectively attachable and detachable plug configured to fill the recess in a running mode of the shoe, the plug comprising a midsole plug portion and an outsole plug portion, the plug being formed and dimensioned to fit completely within the portion of the recess defined by the midsole portion and the portion of the recess defined by the outsole portion.
2 . The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the midsole portion comprises a first cushioned midsole and a second cushioned midsole, and wherein the rigid plate is disposed between the first cushioned midsole and the second cushioned midsole.
3 . The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the rigid plate is a full length rigid plate that extends along the horizontal axis from an end of the heel portion of the shoe to an end of the oppositely located toe portion of the shoe.
4 . The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the outsole portion comprises a first section and a second section laterally separated from the first section by the recess, wherein the midsole portion comprises a first section and a second section laterally separated from the first section by the recess, wherein the plug is formed and dimensioned to completely fit between first and second sections of each of the outsole portion and the midsole portion.
5 . The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the rigid plate extends at least from a location corresponding to the heel portion of the shoe to at least a location corresponding to the clipless pedal cleat.
6 . The shoe of claim 1 , wherein at least part of the rigid plate is configured to define at least one aperture or hole such that the at least one aperture or hole is configured to receive at least part of a pedal cleat and/or at least part of a clipless pedal to selectively couple the rigid plate to the clipless pedal.
7 . The shoe of claim 1 , wherein at least part of the midsole portion is constructed with a cushioned material and wherein at least part of the outsole portion is constructed with a flexible material.
8 . A shoe, comprising:
an upper portion;
an outsole portion defining a hole;
a cushioned midsole portion disposed between the upper portion and the outsole portion; and
a rigid plate disposed above the outsole portion, the rigid plate comprising an integrated cleat on a surface of the rigid plate, wherein the rigid plate is a full length plate extending along a horizontal axis from an end of a heel portion of the shoe to an end of an oppositely located toe portion of the shoe, wherein the cleat extends at least partially through the hole of the outsole portion and is configured to selectively couple to a clipless cycling pedal,
wherein the rigid plate further includes a magnetic portion configured to selectively and magnetically couple to a clipless cycling pedal.
9 . The shoe of claim 8 , wherein the cleat of the rigid plate defines at least one aperture or hole such that the at least one aperture or hole is configured to receive at least part of a clipless pedal to selectively couple the rigid plate to the clipless pedal.
10 . The shoe of claim 8 , wherein the rigid plate is further disposed above the midsole portion, wherein the midsole portion defines a recess aligned with the hole of the outsole portion, wherein the cleat extends at least partially through the recess.
11 . The shoe of claim 10 , further comprising at least one selectively attachable and detachable plug configured to fill the hole and the recess, the at least one selectively attachable and detachable plug comprising a midsole plug portion and an outsole plug portion.
12 . The shoe of claim 8 , wherein the midsole portion comprises a first cushioned midsole and a second cushioned midsole, and wherein the rigid plate is disposed between the first cushioned midsole and the second cushioned midsole.
13 . The shoe of claim 8 , wherein the rigid plate further comprises a downward-extending protrusion integrally formed with the rigid plate, the downward-extending protrusion forming the cleat.
14 . The shoe of claim 8 , wherein the rigid plate further comprises an upward-extending protrusion integrally formed with the rigid plate, the upward-extending protrusion forming the cleat.
15 . The shoe of claim 8 , wherein at least a portion of the cleat is disposed within the hole and spaced apart from a bottom surface of the outsole portion.
16 . The shoe of claim 8 , further comprising at least one selectively attachable and detachable plug configured to fill the hole.