Golf shoe

Application filed January 7, 1931. Serial No. 507,289.

It is an object of the invention to provide a shoe for use in playing golf which is especially adapted to facilitate proper foot work of the player.

₆ The invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which

Figure 1 is a rear view of a pair of shoes, right and left, the view being taken on the center line of Fig. 2, that is, the, line extend20 ing midway between the shoes of the pair shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the soles and heels with the upper and counters removed, the outline of the uppers being shown in dotted 15 lines.

Fig. 3 is a cross section through the shoes at substantially the point where the ball of the foot lies, the view being taken from the rear and looking towards the toe of the shoes. §0 Fig. 4 is an inner side view of the right shoe.

As is well known, it is important for the performance of a proper stroke that the feet of the player go through prescribed move25 ments at the proper time and in proper sequence. In one nart of the stroke the individual foot work should be characterized by stability or resistance to a rocking or lateral tilting action whereas in another part of the 80 stroke the foot work should be characterized by mobility or freedom for lateral tilting or yielding action. These actions take place in a prescribed sequence in respect to first one foot and then the other.

In carrying out the invention I form the heel of the shoe at the outside of the shoe flaring downwardly and outwardly as at 1. This outward and downward inclination of the outer face of the heel is at the right side 40 of the right heel and is continued a distance well around the back of the heel so that what mav be termed the rear right back face of the right heel has this characteristic just mentioned of inclining downwardly and out45 wardly.

In respect to the heel of the left shoe, the heel on its outer or left side is flared downward and outward and this flare is continued around the left heel at the rear. In both in50 stances whether it be the right heel or the left heel this outward and downward inclination or flare of the outer side and of the rear face of the heel merges into an approximately vertical face at the inner side of the heel as shown at '2. This vertical inner face of .-the 55 heel extends along the entire inner side of the heel. In respect to the sole of the shoe, the invention consists in making the outside edge portion at the outer side of the shoe at 3 so as to extend a substantial degree beyond the 00 outer side 4 of the upper whereas in respect to the edge, of the sole at the inner side of the shoe this, as shown at 5, is almost flush with the inner side 6 of the upper.

Furthermore, the edge of the sole at the 05 outer side of the shoe is substantially rectangular in cross section as at 7 whereas the edge of the sole at the inner side of the shoe is rounded as at 8. This rounded shape of the edge begins at the toe of the shoe and 7® extends to a point about midway of the length of the sole to about the ball of the foot.

In the use of these shoes it will be understood that on the backward swing of the club 75 and during the swaying of the player towards the right the right foot will be braced against lateral outward rocking movement by the extended part of the sole at the outer side or right side of said foot and by the right- ⁸⁰ward broadened heel resulting from the outward and downward flare of said heel and as the weight shifts to the rearward part of the foot, at the top of the swing, the rearward broadened heel formation will sustain the ⁸⁵thrust against the tendency to rock and thus the maintenance of the equilibrium of the player will be materially aided. On this rearward stroke a different effect, from that just described in respect to the right foot, takes place in relation to the left foot because here it is desired to facilitate an easy rocking or pivoting movement of the left foot. This will be accomplished because of 95 the substantially flush round edged sole at the inner side of the shoe and the substantially vertical face of the heel at the inner side of the shoe. This rocking and pivoting movement takes place as the left knee bends 100

1,870,761 and the left side of the body follows the backward stroke.

On the downward stroke and the followthrough the substantially flush rounded edge ® at the inner side of the right foot and the substantially vertical formation of the heel contribute to the easy tilting or pivoting action of the right foot in an inward or leftward direction. As to the left foot, however, a bracing effect takes place along the outer side of the shoe due to the broadened square edged sole and the outward flared heel formation, this aiding the player in sustaining himself as the swing of the club continues ¹⁸ towards the left, and as the pivot action is completed the left foot turns on the heel and the toe gradually points towards the direction of flight.

While these shoes are primarily designed ²⁸ for the full shot, wood or iron, there is nothing in their design that would detrimentally influence any of the positions that the feet assume in the varied shots to the green as the shots become shorter. On uphill and ²⁸ downhill lies the shape of sole and heel contribute stability to the particular stance required for those lies.

In addition to the heel formation above described, I so form the bottom face of the ⁸⁸ heel that it will slope upwardly from the edge at the, outer side of the heel to the edge at the inner side of the heel. In other words, for the right heel the slope of the bottom face would be upwardly from the right side ³⁸ edge to the left side edge of the heel, whereas for the left heel the slope would be from the left side edge to the right side edge.

In other words, the heel is higher on the outside edge than on the inside edge. This ⁴⁸ formation adds to the bracing effect at the right foot against the up-swing, and so far as the left foot is concerned, this is additionally braced by this inclined heel face, at the time of impact, against the tendency of ⁴⁸ the heel to roll over on the outer edge.

In connection with this heel, I use a scored flexible shank connecting the heel to the sole in a manner similar to that shown in patent of the United States No. 1,242,233 dated Oct. ⁸⁸ 9, 1917.

By means of this flexible shank the sole and heel adjust themselves relative to each other.