Footwear traction device and method of using the same

#The present disclosure generally concerns footwear or footwear accessory devices, systems, and methods for improving traction.

#Many attempts have been made to create devices that can be worn over footwear to help provide traction on slick or slippery surfaces, in snow, or on ice. Such footwear traction devices are bulky underneath the foot, provide limited traction, are uncomfortable during use, do not stay in place on the footwear, are heavy; and/or provide insufficient durability. In addition, such footwear traction devices work well on only a single specific surface type, such as either pavement or trail.

#One aspect of the present disclosure is directed toward a device that can be worn over footwear to provide traction on a variety of different terrain, from roads and sidewalks to trails, whether snowy, icy, steep, or uneven. Described embodiments comprise polymeric traction bodies that are stepped, sloping lugs having hard tipped spikes which make the described embodiments useful on diverse terrain, e.g., sidewalks as well as trails, whether or not such terrain is steep and/or uneven and whether or not snowy and/or icy. The polymeric traction bodies combined with the openwork base thereunder have a depth (also referred to as “effective height”) suitable for trails and uneven terrain and a material hardness level that makes them suitable and comfortable on smoother surfaces, such as paved surfaces. Moreover, the material hardness level makes for a more comfortable user experience overall.

#FIGS. 1A to 1C are images of a footwear traction embodiment bound around a footwear in the manner intended for use.

#FIG. 2A to 2C illustrates an openwork traction base embodiment shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C. 2A illustrates a perspective view of the side of the base that would contact the underside of the footwear. 2B illustrates a perspective view of the side of the base that would engage with the terrain. 2C is a close up perspective view of a traction body shown in 2A.

#FIG. 2D(i) to 2D(iii) are schematic illustrations of alternative configuration of the openwork traction base.

#FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment of a footwear traction device 100 in accordance with the present invention. As depicted, the device 100 is configured to be worn over footwear. In FIG. 1, the device 100 is depicted on an item of footwear 200 in the manner intended for use. As shown, a footwear binding member 102 is disposed about a footwear upper 202 and an openwork traction base 101 is disposed on the underside 204 of the footwear 200.

#FIGS. 2A and 2B depict an embodiment of an openwork traction base 101. As can be readily appreciated by comparing the figures, the base 101 in FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate an openwork traction base 101 not coupled to the elastomeric binding member 102 and is in a substantially planar orientation. FIG. 2A depicts the side that is intended to contact the underside of the footwear. FIG. 2B depicts the side that faces opposite the side depicted in FIG. 2A and that is intended to contact the ground when the user is, e.g., walking, running, or hiking.

#In accordance with the present invention, the openwork traction base 101 defines a first opening 110 and a second opening 120. The first opening 110 is defined by a first polygonal form 111 that has at least four sides 112. The second opening 120 is defined by a second polygonal form 121 that has at least three sides 122. The polygonal forms 111 and 121 are relatively positioned so that the first opening 110 is nearer the anterior-end 1 than the posterior-end 2 and the second opening 120 is nearer the posterior-end 2 than the anterior-end 1. As such, the second opening 120 is predominantly below the midfoot and/or hindfoot during use, and the first opening 110 is predominantly below the forefoot during use. (The areas of the foot that form the hindfoot 3, midfoot 4, and forefoot 5 regions are depicted in FIG. 3.)