Golf shoes with aligned traction members

A pair of soles for golf shoes, comprising:

• a first heel portion attachable to a first golf shoe, the first golf shoe being one of a right shoe and a left shoe, the first heel portion having a first edge, a second edge opposite the first edge and a third edge intermediate the first and second edges;
• a second heel portion attachable to a second golf shoe, the second golf shoe being the other of the right shoe and the left shoe, the second heel portion having a first edge, a second edge opposite the first edge and a third edge intermediate the first and second edges;
• a first traction member connected to and depending from the first heel portion, the first traction member being elongated along a first axis generally aligned with at least one of the edges of the first heel portion, the first traction member being positioned proximate at least one of the edges of the first heel portion;
• a plurality of first cleat members connected to and depending from the first heel portion, the first cleat members defining a second axis aligned with and proximate to at least one of the edges of the first heel portion, the first cleat members being spaced apart to allow pivotal motion of the first heel portion;
• a plurality of spaced apart second cleat members connected to and depending from the second heel portion;
• and
• a second traction member connected to and depending from the second heel portion, the second traction member being elongated along a third axis generally aligned with at least one of the edges of the second heel portion, the second traction member being positioned proximate at least one of the edges of the second heel portion and intermediate the one edge and the plurality of second cleat members to stabilize the second heel portion, a first arrangement of the first cleat members and the first traction member being different than a second arrangement of the second cleat members and the second traction member such that the first arrangement is not a mirror image of the second arrangement.

A pair of athletic shoes, comprising:

• a first shoe having a first upper portion attached to a first sole, the first shoe being one of a right shoe and a left shoe, the first sole having a heel portion, a toe portion forward of the heel portion, a first edge extending between the heel and toe portions, a second edge extending between the heel and toe portions opposite the first edge;
• a second shoe having a second upper portion attached to a second sole, the second shoe being the other of the right shoe and the left shoe, the second sole having a heel portion, a toe portion forward of the heel portion, a first edge extending between the heel and toe portions, a second edge extending between the heel and toe portions opposite the first edge;
• and
• a plurality of traction members, each elongated along a traction member axis, the plurality of traction members including
• at least one first traction member connected to and depending from the first sole, the traction member axis thereof being generally transverse to at least one of the first and second edges of the first sole,
• at least two second traction members connected to and depending from the first sole, the traction member axes thereof being aligned generally parallel with at least one of the edges of the first sole, a total number of second traction members being greater than a total number of first traction members to resist pivotal motion of the first sole relative to the ground,
• at least one third traction member connected to and depending from the second sole, the traction member axis thereof being aligned generally parallel with at least one of the edges of the second sole, and
• at least two fourth traction members connected to and depending from the second sole, the traction member axes thereof being generally transverse to at least one of the first and second edges of the second sole, a total number of fourth traction members being greater than a total number of third traction members to allow pivotal motion of the second sole relative to the ground.

A pair of athletic soles, comprising:

• a first sole and a second sole, each having a heel portion, a toe portion forward of the heel portion, a first edge extending between the heel and toe portions and a second edge extending between the heel and toe portions opposite the first edge, the first sole being one of a left sole and a right sole, the second sole being the other of the left sole and the right sole;
• a plurality of traction elements connected to and depending from each sole, each traction element being elongated along an element axis and having a surface area aligned with the element axis thereof, traction elements in a first group of the plurality of traction elements being substantially aligned with at least one of the first and second edges of the first sole to resist pivotal motion of the first sole, traction elements in a second group of the plurality of traction elements having the element axes thereof extending between the first and second edges of the second sole to allow pivotal motion of the second sole, a combined surface area of the traction elements of the first group being different than a combined surface area of the traction elements of the second group, the total number of traction elements depending from the first sole forming a first arrangement, the total number of traction elements depending from the second sole forming a second arrangement different than the first arrangement such that the first arrangement is not a mirror image of the second arrangement.

A pair of golf shoes, comprising:

• a first shoe having a first sole, the first sole having a heel portion, a toe portion forward of the heel portion, a first edge extending between the heel and toe portions and a second edge extending between the heel and toe portions opposite the first edge, the first sole further having a plurality of first traction elements connected to and depending therefrom, each first traction element being elongated along a first element axis and having a surface area aligned with the first element axis, the plurality of first traction elements including a first group and a second group, first traction elements of the first group having the element axes thereof generally aligned with at least one of the first and second edges of the first sole to resist pivotal motion of the first sole, first traction elements of the second group having the element axes thereof being generally transverse to at least one of the first and second edges of the first sole to allow pivotal motion of the first sole, a combined surface area of the first traction elements of the first group being greater than a combined surface area of the first traction elements of the second group to resist pivotal motion of the first sole;
• and
• a second shoe having a second sole, the second sole having a heel portion, a toe portion forward of the heel portion, a first edge extending between the heel and toe portions and a second edge extending between the heel and toe portions opposite the first edge, the second sole having a plurality of second traction elements connected to and depending therefrom, each second traction element being elongated along a second element axis and having a surface area aligned with the second element axis, the plurality of second traction elements including a first group and a second group, second traction elements of the first group having the element axes thereof generally aligned with at least one of the first and second edges of the second sole to resist pivotal motion of the second sole, and second traction elements of the second group having the clement axes thereof being generally transverse to at least one of first and second edges of the second sole to allow pivotal motion of the second sole, a combined surface area of the traction elements of the second group being greater than a combined surface area of the traction elements of the first group to allow pivotal motion of the second sole.

A pair of shoe soles for athletic shoes, comprising:

• a first base portion defining a first base portion plane;
• a first plurality of projections comprising at least one traction member elongated in a direction generally parallel to the first base portion plane and at least one cleat member, the first plurality of projections being fixedly attached to the first base portion, the first plurality of projections depending from the first base portion and extending away from the first base portion in a direction generally normal to the first base portion plane;
• a second base portion defining a second base portion plane;
• and
• a second plurality of projections comprising at least one traction member elongated in a direction generally parallel to the second base portion plane and at least one cleat member, the second plurality of projections being fixedly attached to the second base portion, the second plurality of projections depending from the second base portion and extending away from the second base portion in a direction generally normal to the second base portion plane, a first arrangement of the first plurality of projections being different than a second arrangement of the second plurality of projections such that the first arrangement is not a mirror image of the second arrangement.

A method for controlling motion of a golfer's feet, comprising:

• coupling at least one first elongated traction member to a first foot of the golfer, the first elongated traction member being elongated generally transverse to an edge of the first foot and coupling number of second elongated traction members to the first foot of the golfer, the second elongated traction members being elongated generally parallel with an edge of the first foot, the number of second elongated traction members being greater than a number of first elongated traction members;
• coupling at least one third elongated traction member to a second foot of the golfer, the third elongated traction member being elongated generally parallel with an edge of the second foot and coupling a number of fourth elongated traction members to the second foot, the fourth elongated traction members being elongated generally transverse to an edge of the second foot, the number of fourth elongated traction members being greater than a number of third elongated traction members;
• and
• engaging the elongated traction members with the ground when the golfer swings a golf club, to resist pivotal motion of the first foot and allow pivotal motion of the second foot.