Athletic shoe cleats for artificial turf

In an athletic shoe for use on artificial turf having tufts of fiber that simulate grass on the surface thereof, a ground sole for the shoe with a plurality of cleats that project perpendicular from the surface of the sole, the improvement comprising,

• (a) each of said cleats having a channel on one side thereof extending substantially along the projecting length of the cleat to the end thereof and meeting substantially perpendicular thereto a flat surface at the end of the cleat,
• (b) the side of the cleat opposite said channel side being substantially tapered from the end of the cleat to the surface of the sole,
• (c) said channel side of each of said cleats facing the most likely direction of force that the end of the cleat in contact with the artificial turf exerts on the turf during normal intentional maneuvers of the wearer of the shoe,
• (d) whereby the artificial turf fibers immediately adjacent the cleat channel are gathered in the channel when the cleat contacts and slides over the fibers in said most likely direction, the said flat surface at the end of the cleat bears against the fibers so gathered in the channel wiping the fibers clean of moisture and thereby increasing the coefficient of friction between the said fibers and the cleat,
• (e) while the same cleat, when moving across the turf in the direction opposite said most likely direction makes relatively low friction contact therewith.

In an athletic shoe for use on artificial turf that has tufts of fibers that simulate grass on the surface of the turf, the shoe having a ground sole with a plurality of cleats that project substantially perpendicular from the surface of the sole and wherein a significant activity of the wearer includes pivoting on the ball of the wearer's foot as is done by the batter in baseball and the like, the improvement comprising:

• (a) some of said cleats having a channel on one side thereof extending substantially the projecting length of the cleat,
• (b) the side of the cleat opposite said channel side being tapered from the end of the cleat to the surface of the sole,
• (c) said cleats with channels being arranged to define a circle at the ball of the wearer's foot, said circle being within said peripheral cleats,
• (d) whereby the wearer can readily pivot on the ball of his foot whether on said artificial turf, dirt, grass or other surface as required of a batter in baseball.