Groove system for footwear outsoles

A footwear comprising:

• an upper;
• and
• an outsole coupled to the upper, the outsole having a hindfoot region, a midfoot region, and a forefoot region disposed opposite the midfoot region from the hindfoot region, the outsole having a top side and an underside that is configured to contact the ground while a wearer of the footwear walks, one or more of the hindfoot region or the midfoot region having one or more first raised portions that extend along the top side of the outsole in a first pattern, the one or more first raised portions being configured to provide the one or more of the hindfoot region or the midfoot region with a first amount of vertical flexibility, the forefoot region having one or more second raised portions that extend along the top side of the outsole in a second pattern that is different than the first pattern, the one or more second raised portions being configured to provide the forefoot region with a second amount of vertical flexibility that is greater than the first amount of vertical flexibility, the one or more first raised portions and the one or more second raised portions being configured to increase the structural strength of the outsole,
• wherein the underside of the outsole defines grooves that extend across a longitudinal axis of the outsole, each of the one or more second raised portions being disposed over at least a portion of a respective one of the grooves and being misaligned with at least another portion of the respective one of the grooves;
• and
• a raised perimeter portion that extends along a perimeter of the outsole and that surrounds the one or more first raised portions and the one or more second raised portions,
• wherein the raised perimeter portion defines a notch between two adjacent ones of the one or more second raised portions, whereby the notch increases flexibility of the outsole,
• whereby the one or more second raised portions increase the flexibility of the outsole.