JP7787399B2 - Football shoes - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to football shoes, and in particular to their upper structures.

In sports where a ball is hit with a hitting tool, such as rubber baseball and golf, it has been known that the velocity of the hit ball can be increased by inserting a soft structure into the part of the bat or driver that hits the ball (see, for example, Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2).

Meanwhile, technology is also known for football shoes to increase the speed of the kicked ball (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-305040

Yoshifumi Kanda, Takeshi Naruo, Toshiaki Kida, "The Effect of Rubber Baseball Bat Stiffness on the Coefficient of Restitution," Proceedings of the JSME Sports Engineering Symposium and Symposium on Human Dynamics (Joint Symposium, Proceedings of the JSME Sports Engineering Symposium and Symposium on Human Dynamics), Japan, November 8, 2006, pp. 94-97 Takanori Tanaka, Sadayuki Ujihashi, Norio Ino, et al., "Analysis of the Rebound Characteristics of a Golf Ball Impacting a Thin Plate," Joint Symposium: Sports Engineering Symposium, Proceedings of the Symposium on Human Dynamics, Japan, November 9, 2000, pp. 105-109.

However, while the ability to increase ball speed with conventional technology primarily depends on the type of material selected, there is still room for further increases in speed even with the same material by improving the structure.

The present invention was made in light of these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a football shoe structure that allows players to kick the ball harder and faster.

To solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention provides a football shoe comprising a sole and an upper joined directly or indirectly to the sole. The upper is provided with an elastic pad at a predetermined location, including a ridge located on the medial side of the instep, that has at least one protrusion formed of a flexible resin material and having a convex shape with an internal recess that protrudes outward.

The present invention provides a football shoe structure that allows players to kick the ball more powerfully and faster.

FIG. 1 is a top view of a football shoe. FIG. 1 is a side view of a football shoe viewed from the medial side of the foot. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the relationship between the bones of the foot and the part of the body that strikes the ball during an instep kick. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the distribution of heights of a plurality of protrusions on an elastic pad portion. FIG. FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the elastic pad portion. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the elastic pad portion when a ball hits it. FIG. 10 is a graph showing test results regarding the relationship between the hardness of the elastic pad portion and the protrusion portion and the displacement due to a load. FIG. 1 is a table showing the relationship between conditions and results for four types of samples.

The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments and variations, identical or equivalent components and parts will be given the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted where appropriate. The dimensions of the parts in each drawing will be enlarged or reduced as appropriate to facilitate understanding. Some parts that are not important for explaining the embodiments will be omitted from the drawings.

Figure 1 is a top view of a football shoe. Unless otherwise specified, Figure 1 and the following figures show football shoes or parts thereof for left-footed shoes, but the explanations in this specification apply equally to shoes or parts thereof for right-footed shoes. In the top view, a center line C connecting the center of the toe and the center of the heel is indicated by a dashed line. The right side of the center line C in the figure is called the "medial side of the foot," and the left side of the center line C in the figure is called the "lateral side of the foot." In shoes for right-footed shoes, the medial side and lateral side are reversed left and right. The arrow W pointing left and right in the figure indicates the foot width direction of the football shoe 1 or upper 3, and the arrow L pointing up and down in the figure indicates the front-to-back direction of the football shoe 1 or upper 3.

Football shoes 1 are shoes used in sports such as football, soccer, and futsal, where a ball is kicked with the foot (hereinafter collectively referred to as "football"). However, they may also be used in sports such as rugby, American football, and Aussieball, where a ball is kicked. In football, when kicking a ball particularly hard and fast, an instep kick is generally used, where the ball hits the top of the foot. Here, the part of the upper just below the top of the foot is made up of hard bones, which can significantly deform the ball on impact, and this can easily limit the ball's speed.

In this embodiment, the football shoe 1 is provided with an elastic pad 10, which is a soft member, centered around the instep on the medial side of the foot. The flexibility and cushioning properties of the elastic pad 10 suppress deformation of the ball upon impact, reducing energy loss of the ball and enabling the ball to travel faster than if the elastic pad 10 were not present. In particular, it is possible to achieve a shot ball reaching the goal approximately two balls faster when shot from a distance of 20 m.

Football shoe 1 comprises a sole 2 and an upper 3. The upper 3 is joined directly or indirectly to the sole 2. In this embodiment, the upper 3 is made of artificial leather, natural leather, or the like, and is joined to a shoe tongue 4. The bottom or bottom of the upper 3 is directly or indirectly bonded to the sole 2, and together with the shoe tongue 4, forms an internal space for accommodating the wearer's foot. The upper 3 encases the entire foot when the wearer puts it on. The upper 3 and sole 2 are joined by a method such as gluing.

The elastic pad portion 10 is a flexible resin member formed in an approximately semi-elliptical shape overall, with multiple protrusions 12 arranged on a base plate. The elastic pad portion 10 is sewn to the sole 2 at a position offset toward the medial side of the foot from the center line C. Note that while the lines representing the multiple protrusions 12 are drawn in this diagram, the lines representing the joints and holes connecting the multiple protrusions 12 have been omitted for convenience. The joints and holes will be described later.

The elastic pad portion 10 is positioned so that its center in the foot width direction W is aligned with the ridge line R of the instep. In football, an instep kick, in which the ball is kicked hard near the ridge line R of the instep, is commonly used when kicking a strong, fast ball, such as in a shot, or when kicking a strong, long ball, such as a long ball. The ridge line R indicates the area corresponding to the ridge formed along the proximal phalanx, metatarsal, and medial cuneiform bone of the wearer's big toe (i.e., the first toe). The elastic pad portion 10 is positioned in an area centered around the area where the ball is expected to impact, particularly during an instep kick.

Figure 2 is a side view of a football shoe from the medial side of the foot. The first region 20 is the area that the ball strikes primarily during instep kicks. The elastic pad portion 10 is provided in a region that generally covers the first region 20 and is less likely to interfere with other types of kicks or traps. Examples of other types of kicks include inside kicks, in-front kicks, toe kicks, outside kicks, and heel kicks, all of which require the accuracy of the ball's trajectory over the strength or speed of the kick. Furthermore, since the sensation of the ball touching the foot is important for the football player wearing the football shoe 1 during traps, it is preferable that the area where the ball strikes during traps does not unnecessarily impede this sensation. Therefore, the elastic pad portion 10 is provided in an area that excludes, as much as possible, areas primarily used for these kicks and traps. For example, the second region 21 is the lower region on the medial side of the midfoot, and includes areas primarily affected by the ball during inside kicks and traps. The third region 22 is the area on the lower inner side of the forefoot, and includes the area that is primarily impacted by the ball during in-front kicks. Although not shown, the toe area is used for toe kicks, the heel area is used for heel kicks, and the outer side of the foot area is used for outside kicks. The elastic pad 10 is preferably provided in an area that does not include, or barely includes, the second region 21, the third region 22, the toe, the heel, or the outer side of the foot. This limits interference with ball impact during kicks other than instep kicks and traps.

Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of the relationship between the bones of the foot and the impact points of the ball during an instep kick. The most prominent part of the instep of the foot 60 is the medial cuneiform bone 61. In an instep kick, it is preferable to have the ball impact primarily the upper part of the medial cuneiform bone 61 and parts of the surrounding navicular bone 62, metatarsal bones 63, and intermediate cuneiform bones 64. The upper part of the medial cuneiform bone 61 is located approximately 60% of the foot length from the toes (indicated by arrow 65) along the ridge of the instep. The elastic pad portion 10 is positioned on the upper 3 so as to generally cover the upper part of the medial cuneiform bone 61 and parts of the surrounding navicular bone 62, metatarsal bones 63, and intermediate cuneiform bones 64. The elastic pad portion 10 and protrusion portion 12 are positioned so that the tallest protrusion portion (described below), which is provided near the center of the elastic pad portion 10, is positioned approximately above the medial cuneiform bone 61.

Figure 4 is a top view of the elastic pad portion 10. In this figure, the elastic pad portion 10 is shown separated from the upper 3 and placed on a flat surface. Note that in this figure, lines representing the multiple protrusions 12 are also drawn, but lines representing joints, holes, etc. connecting the multiple protrusions 12 have been omitted for convenience.

On the top surface of the elastic pad portion 10, 27 protrusions 12 are arranged along six parallel imaginary grid lines curved from the upper right to the lower left of the figure, and seven parallel imaginary grid lines curved from the upper left to the lower right of the figure. The six imaginary grid lines curved from the upper right to the lower left are the first grid line 31, the second grid line 32, the third grid line 33, the fourth grid line 34, the fifth grid line 35, and the sixth grid line 36. The seven imaginary grid lines curved from the upper left to the lower right are the seventh grid line 37, the eighth grid line 38, the ninth grid line 39, the tenth grid line 40, the eleventh grid line 41, the twelfth grid line 42, and the thirteenth grid line 43. The first grid line 31, the second grid line 32, the third grid line 33, the fourth grid line 34, the fifth grid line 35, and the sixth grid line 36 intersect with the seventh grid line 37, the eighth grid line 38, the ninth grid line 39, the tenth grid line 40, the eleventh grid line 41, the twelfth grid line 42, and the thirteenth grid line 43 to form a grid-like arrangement.

Along the first grid line 31, two protrusions are arranged in the order of fourth protrusion 12d and fourth protrusion 12d from the top right. Fourth protrusion 12d is the protrusion with the shortest height. Along the second grid line 32, four protrusions are arranged in the order of fourth protrusion 12d, third protrusion 12c, third protrusion 12c, and third protrusion 12c from the top right. Third protrusion 12c is the protrusion with the third highest height. Along the third grid line 33, five protrusions are arranged in the order of third protrusion 12c, second protrusion 12b, second protrusion 12b, second protrusion 12b, and third protrusion 12c from the top right. Second protrusion 12b is the protrusion with the second highest height.

Along the fourth grid line 34, six protrusions are arranged in the following order from the top right: third protrusion 12c, second protrusion 12b, first protrusion 12a, first protrusion 12a, second protrusion 12b, and third protrusion 12c. First protrusion 12a is the tallest protrusion. Along the fifth grid line 35, five protrusions are arranged in the following order from the top right: second protrusion 12b, second protrusion 12b, second protrusion 12b, third protrusion 12c, and fourth protrusion 12d. Along the sixth grid line 36, five protrusions are arranged in the following order from the top right: third protrusion 12c, third protrusion 12c, third protrusion 12c, third protrusion 12c, and fourth protrusion 12d.

Along the seventh grid line 37, two protrusions are arranged in the order of fourth protrusion 12d, fourth protrusion 12d. Along the eighth grid line 38, four protrusions are arranged in the order of fourth protrusion 12d, third protrusion 12c, third protrusion 12c, third protrusion 12c. Along the ninth grid line 39, four protrusions are arranged in the order of third protrusion 12c, second protrusion 12b, second protrusion 12b, second protrusion 12b. Along the tenth grid line 40, five protrusions are arranged in the order of third protrusion 12c, second protrusion 12b, first protrusion 12a, second protrusion 12b, third protrusion 12c.

Four protrusions are arranged along the eleventh grid line 41 in the order of second protrusion 12b, first protrusion 12a, second protrusion 12b, and third protrusion 12c from the top left. Four protrusions are arranged along the twelfth grid line 42 in the order of third protrusion 12c, second protrusion 12b, third protrusion 12c, and third protrusion 12c from the top left. Three protrusions are arranged along the thirteenth grid line 43 in the order of third protrusion 12c, fourth protrusion 12d, and fourth protrusion 12d from the top left.

Figure 5 shows the distribution of heights of multiple protrusions on the elastic pad portion 10. Note that although lines representing the multiple protrusions 12 are drawn in this figure, lines representing joints and holes connecting the multiple protrusions 12 have been omitted for convenience.

The multiple protrusions 12 include protrusions of four different heights, with the second protrusion 12b, third protrusion 12c, and fourth protrusion 12d arranged in that order with the highest protrusion, the first protrusion 12a, at the center and the height decreasing radially. The first protrusion 12a is primarily arranged in the central region 50, which is expected to be the center of ball impact during an instep kick. The height of the first protrusion 12a is, for example, 15 mm. The second protrusion 12b is primarily arranged in the first peripheral region 51 surrounding the central region 50. The height of the second protrusion 12b is, for example, 10 mm. The third protrusion 12c is primarily arranged in the second peripheral region 52 surrounding the first peripheral region 51. The height of the third protrusion 12c is, for example, 5 mm. The fourth protrusion 12d is primarily arranged outside the second peripheral region 52. The height of the fourth protrusion 12d is, for example, 3 mm. Note that the heights of the first protrusion 12a, second protrusion 12b, third protrusion 12c, and fourth protrusion 12d are merely examples, and they may be designed so that the heights gradually decrease in the order of first protrusion 12a, second protrusion 12b, third protrusion 12c, and fourth protrusion 12d. As a result, the dashed lines indicating the central region 50, first peripheral region 51, and second peripheral region 52 indicate that the height decreases radially from the center to the periphery, like contour lines.

As it is anticipated that it may be difficult to hit the ball in the central region 50 depending on the player's ability and the playing conditions, protrusions 12 are also provided in peripheral regions other than the first region 20, making it possible to absorb a certain amount of the load of the ball impact. Meanwhile, the fact that the height of the protrusions 12 decreases radially from the central region 50 to the first peripheral region 51 and second peripheral region 52 does not directly affect the ball speed, but by keeping the height of the protrusions 12 relatively low outside the first region 20, it is possible to prevent the height of the protrusions 12 from interfering with kicking movements other than instep kicks, such as shooting, or trapping movements. The cross section indicated by line A-A' will be described later.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the elastic pad portion 10. This figure shows the elastic pad portion 10 separated from the upper 3 and placed on a flat surface. The elastic pad portion 10 is made of a flexible urethane resin material such as thermoplastic polyurethane, and covers the wearer's instep as part of the upper 3. When fastened by the shoe tongue 4, the elastic pad portion 10 flexes along the curved surface of the instep, fitting snugly to the instep. In addition to thermoplastic polyurethane, the elastic pad portion 10 may also be made of rubber, foam resin, gel-like elastic material, nylon, etc.

A frame portion 10a of a certain thickness is formed around the periphery of the elastic pad portion 10, and a base plate portion 10c, which is thinner than the frame portion 10a, is formed at the bottom inside the frame portion 10a and serves as a base. The bottom plate portion 10c has multiple protrusions 12 formed at the positions shown in Figures 4 and 5. The bottom plate portion 10c also has a rod-shaped raised joint portion 10b formed so that the bases of adjacent protrusions 12 are continuous.

The multiple protrusions 12 are formed in a pyramidal shape, with the cross-sectional area at the tip end narrowing from the cross-sectional area at the base. Most of the multiple protrusions 12 have a quadrangular pyramid shape, but some protrusions 12 may be pentagonal or triangular pyramid shapes. In modified examples, the protrusions 12 may be pyramidal shapes with different base shapes, such as circular or elliptical cones, or frustum shapes, such as truncated square pyramids, pentagonal pyramids, triangular pyramids, circular cones, and elliptical cones. Alternatively, the protrusions do not have to be pyramidal or frustum-shaped, as long as they have a shape in which the cross-sectional area at the tip end is narrower than the cross-sectional area at the base. The joints 10b connecting the bases of adjacent multiple protrusions 12 are formed so that the corners of the pyramidal bases of the protrusions 12 are continuous, and when connecting the bases of four protrusions 12, they are formed in a cross shape.

A hole 10d is provided through the bottom and top surfaces of the bottom plate 10c in a portion surrounded by the joint 10b, protrusion 12, frame 10a, etc. Two eyelets 6 for inserting shoelaces 5 are provided at predetermined positions in the center of the raised, truncated cone-shaped portion of the bottom plate 10c. Note that because many joints 10b and holes 10d are formed in the figure, only some of them are labeled with reference numerals. As described above, the frame 10a, joint 10b, bottom plate 10c, holes 10d, and eyelets 6 of the elastic pad 10 are integrally formed from a flexible urethane resin member.

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the elastic pad portion 10. This figure shows the cross-section of the portion indicated by line A-A' in Figure 5. The first protrusion 12a, which has the highest height, is located in the center, and the second protrusions 12b, which have the second highest height, are located on both sides of it. The height 15a of the first protrusion 12a is, for example, 15 mm. The height 15b of the second protrusion 12b is, for example, 10 mm. The base of the protrusion 12 is connected to the base of another adjacent protrusion or to the frame portion 10a by a joint portion 10b. The top 16a of the second protrusion 12b may be formed in a position closer to the first protrusion 12a than the center of the second protrusion 12b.

The thickness 10e of each protrusion 12 and joint portion 10b is 1.5 mm. The first protrusion 12a has a conical shape on the outside, while a recess 13a is formed on the inside. A cavity 14a is formed in the recess 13a. The second protrusion 12b also has a conical shape on the outside, while a recess 13b is formed on the inside. A cavity 14b is formed in the recess 13b. The volume ratio of the recess 13 or cavity 14 contained within each protrusion 12 is, for example, 60 to 65%. As a variant, the recess 13a and recess 13b may be filled with a material with a lower hardness than the material of the protrusion 12 itself, such as urethane foam.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the elastic pad portion 10 upon impact with a ball. The upper row shows a cross-section of the elastic pad portion 10 before impact with the ball, and the lower row shows a cross-section of the elastic pad portion 10 upon impact with the ball. When a compressive load due to the impact of the ball 70 is applied in the downward direction indicated by arrow 74, the top 16a of the highest first protrusion 12a is crushed by the compressive load and bends downward, and the base 17a slides laterally indicated by arrow 71 so that the opening of the recess 13a widens left and right. At the same time, the top 16b of the second protrusion 12b also slides laterally indicated by arrow 72. The first protrusion 12a and the second protrusion 12b as a whole bend and bulge while expanding radially, thereby absorbing the compressive load from above to below over a wide area. By forming cavities 14a and 14b in recesses 13a and 13b, the first protrusion 12a and second protrusion 12b are more flexible than when they are entirely made of dense urethane resin, allowing for sufficient sliding and bending in the left-right direction and preventing deformation of the ball 70.

If there were no joints 10b between adjacent protrusions 12 and the bases 17 were not continuous, the bases 17 of each protrusion 12 would be connected to the upper 3 and would be independent. In this case, the bases 17 would not move laterally in response to a compressive load from above, and the load would be concentrated only on the protruding portion above the bases 17, making them more susceptible to buckling or breakage due to excessive downward deflection. In this embodiment, in response to a compressive load from above, the multiple protrusions 12 whose bases 17 are connected by the joints 10b can slide laterally as a whole, absorbing the load while dissipating it laterally, preventing buckling and breakage and demonstrating sufficient flexibility.

Here, a precision universal testing machine was used to conduct tests to examine the degree of displacement when a load was applied to four types of elastic pad samples. The test conditions were an initial load of 0.5 N and a compression speed of 1.0 mm/min.

The first sample uses the third hardest material (Shore A hardness: HA70) for the protrusions and has a hollow (i.e., hollow) recess within it. The protrusion height is 15 mm. The second sample uses the hardest material (Shore A hardness: HA85) for the protrusions and has a hollow (i.e., hollow) recess within it. The protrusion height is 15 mm. The third sample uses the second hardest material (Shore A hardness: HA75) for the protrusions and has a solid (i.e., hollow) structure. The protrusion height is 15 mm. The fourth sample uses the softest (fourth hardest) material (Shore A hardness: HA65) for the protrusions and has a solid structure. The protrusion height is 5 mm.

Figure 9 is a graph showing test results regarding the relationship between the hardness of the elastic pad portion 10 and the protrusions 12 and the displacement due to load. The test results showed that sample 4, indicated by line 83, was the hardest and had the smallest displacement relative to an increase in load. The stiffness at a displacement of approximately 2 mm was 398 N/mm. In particular, because the protrusions were low, bottoming out occurred early, unlike the other samples, and there was almost no further displacement. Therefore, if the protrusions were formed under the conditions of sample 4, it is believed that the effect of suppressing ball deformation would be reduced to the extent that bottoming out occurred.

Conversely, sample 1, indicated by line 80, was the softest and exhibited the greatest displacement relative to an increase in load. Its stiffness at a displacement of approximately 2 mm was 14.9 N/mm. Furthermore, when the load exceeded a certain threshold, a phenomenon that appeared to be buckling occurred just before a displacement of 5 mm. It is believed that bottoming out becomes more likely when buckling occurs. As mentioned above, bottoming out reduces the effectiveness of suppressing deformation of the sphere. Therefore, if the protrusions are formed under the same conditions as sample 1, it is believed that a stiffness of the protrusions higher than 14.9 N/mm is preferable.

On the other hand, it was found that the second sample, indicated by line 81, and the third sample, indicated by line 82, were sufficiently displaced with increasing load without buckling. Furthermore, the second sample exhibited a greater degree of displacement than the third sample, demonstrating its superior softness. Thus, the second sample, which used the softest material, had hollow projections, and a height of 15 mm, produced the most advantageous results. Therefore, it is preferable to form the projections 12 of this embodiment under the same conditions as the second sample.
From these results, it is thought that in order to exert the effect of suppressing deformation of the sphere, it is preferable to form the protrusions so that they are less likely to buckle. To make the protrusions less likely to buckle, it is sufficient to adjust the height of the protrusions, the structure inside the protrusions (hollow/solid), or the rigidity of the protrusions.

Figure 10 is a table summarizing the relationship between the conditions and results for four types of samples. Sample 1 had the lowest rigidity of approximately 15 N/mm. Sample 4 had the highest rigidity of approximately 400 N/mm. Sample 2 had rigidity of approximately 35 N/mm. Sample 3 had rigidity of 38 N/mm. Based on the above, it is believed that the product will function well in a rigidity range of approximately 15 N/mm to approximately 400 N/mm, but conversely, it is believed that the product will not function well at rigidities below approximately 15 N/mm or above approximately 400 N/mm. Furthermore, selecting a structure and materials that results in a rigidity of around 35 N/mm is particularly preferable.

Generalizing the invention embodied in the above embodiments leads to the following technical idea. In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one aspect of the present invention provides a football shoe comprising a sole and an upper joined directly or indirectly to the sole. The upper is provided with an elastic pad portion at a predetermined location, including a ridge located on the medial side of the instep, the upper having, at least in part, a protrusion formed of a flexible resin material in a convex shape that includes a recess and protrudes outward.

Here, "football shoes" may refer to shoes worn by players in sports that involve kicking a ball, such as football, and "football" may refer to sports such as football, soccer, futsal, rugby, American football, and Aussieball. The "elastic pad" may be a component attached to the upper, or a component connected to form part of the upper. "Containing a recess" may indicate that the "protrusion" has a protruding external shape and an internal shape that forms a recess or other space. According to this embodiment, by interposing a soft protrusion between the upper and the ball in the upper part that kicks the ball, deformation of the protrusion due to the load caused by impact with the ball can be suppressed. This allows the speed of the kicked ball to be increased compared to kicking the ball with a hard instep without a protrusion.

The elastic pad portion may have multiple protrusions. In this case, the deformation can be widely dispersed across the entire area where the multiple protrusions are provided, thereby reducing the deformation of the ball and increasing its speed.

The recess contained within the protrusion may be hollow, or the recess may be filled with a material that is less hard than the protrusion itself. According to this embodiment, by having the interior of the protrusion hollow or filled with a material that is less hard, the flexibility of the protrusion can be increased, making it easier to deform under the load of a ball collision.

The protrusion may be formed in a tapered shape, with the cross-sectional area at the tip end being smaller than the cross-sectional area at the base. The tapered shape, with the cross-sectional area at the tip end being smaller than the cross-sectional area at the base, may be a cone shape or a frustum shape. This configuration makes it less susceptible to buckling or breakage due to vertical compressive load than a protrusion formed in the shape of a column with a constant cross-sectional area.

The elastic pad portion may have a relatively tall protrusion arranged around it, with relatively shorter protrusions. The taller the protrusion, the closer it is to the center of the impacting ball, i.e., the closer it is to the center of the ball impact portion on the upper. According to this aspect, the protrusions are made taller in areas where the ball is likely to impact, particularly when kicking a strong, fast ball, to ensure sufficient flexibility, while the height of the surrounding protrusions is made relatively lower to limit interference with the impact of the ball during other types of kicks that emphasize accuracy of kicking direction over strength.

Relatively low protrusions may be formed so that their peaks are closer to the relatively high protrusions. With this configuration, when a particularly strong, fast ball is kicked, the peaks of the protrusions are positioned closer to the areas most likely to be hit by the ball, and then deformation due to the compressive load at the time of impact causes each protrusion and its peak to slide radially. This allows the load to be distributed over a wider area.

The area where the protrusions are provided may include the area of the upper that will collide with the ball during an instep kick, and may also be an area that limits interference with the impact of the ball during an inside kick. According to this aspect, by providing protrusions in areas that are particularly likely to collide with the ball during an instep kick, which is a particularly strong and fast kick, sufficient flexibility is ensured, and interference with the impact of the ball during an inside kick, which places more importance on the accuracy of the kicking direction than on strength, can be limited.

In the elastic pad portion, the bases of adjacent protrusions may be formed continuously and integrally. If the bases of adjacent protrusions were not continuous, the bases of each protrusion would be connected to the upper and independent, and the bases would not move in response to a compressive load from above, concentrating the load only on the protruding portion above the base, making buckling and destruction more likely. In this embodiment, multiple protrusions with continuous bases can slide laterally as a whole in response to a compressive load from above, dissipating the load to the side and absorbing it, preventing buckling and destruction and demonstrating sufficient flexibility.

The present invention has been described above based on an embodiment. This embodiment is merely an example, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications are possible in the combination of each component and each treatment process, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention.

1. Football shoes, 2. Sole, 3. Upper, 10. Elastic pad, 12. Protrusion, 13, 17. Base, 60. Foot, 70. Ball.

Claims (6)

Sole and
an upper joined directly or indirectly to the sole;
Equipped with
The upper is provided with an elastic pad portion at a predetermined location including a ridge line located on the medial side of the instep, the elastic pad portion having at least a protrusion portion formed of a flexible resin material in a convex shape that includes a recess and protrudes outward ;
The elastic pad portion has a relatively high protrusion and a relatively low protrusion disposed therearound,
The relatively low protrusions are formed in a shape such that the tops thereof are closer to the relatively high protrusions . The football shoe of claim 1, wherein the elastic pad portion has a plurality of protrusions. The football shoe according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the recess contained within the protrusion is hollow. A football shoe according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the protrusion is formed in a tapered shape, with the cross-sectional area of the tip being smaller than the cross-sectional area of the base. 5. The football shoe according to claim 1, wherein the region where the protrusion is provided includes a part of the upper that strikes the ball in an instep kick and limits interference with the ball in an inside kick. 6. The football shoe according to claim 1, wherein the bases of the adjacent protrusions in the elastic pad are integrally formed so as to be continuous with each other.