Article of footwear with a ground-engaging member and method of altering a ground-engaging member

An article of footwear comprising a sole, said sole including:

• a ground engaging member extending from said sole, said ground engaging member having a portion being positionable at one of a plurality of predetermined positions relative to said sole;
• wherein said ground engaging member comprises:
• a base attached to said sole;
• and
• wherein said portion includes a tip movably coupled to said base and being selectively extendable and retractable relative to said base;
• wherein said base comprises a stem and said tip includes a bore formed therein in which said stem is received, such that said tip is movable along said stem;
• wherein said base includes a wall member formed concentrically about said stem and said tip includes a leaf spring member extending in a circumferential direction relative to said tip and being resiliently biased in a radially outward direction, wherein an interior surface of said wall member has a plurality of depressions formed therein and a distal end of said leaf spring member has a protrusion formed on an outward side thereof, wherein said tip is movable a along said stem such that said protrusion selectively engages one of said depressions so as to fix said tip in positional relationship with said base.

An article of footwear comprising a sole, said sole including:

• a ground engaging member extending from said sole, said ground engaging member having a portion being positionable at one of a plurality of predetermined positions relative to said sole;
• wherein said ground engaging member comprises:
• a base attached to said sole;
• and
• wherein said portion includes a tip movably coupled to said base and being selectively extendable and retractable relative to said base;
• wherein said base comprises stem and said tip includes a bore formed therein in which said stem is received, such that said tip is movable along said stem;
• wherein said stem has a first threading formed thereon and an interior wall of said bore has a second threading cooperating with said first threading formed thereon;
• a tip locking mechanism for locking said tip relative to said base, said tip locking mechanism being constructed and arranged to lock said tip relative to said base at a plurality of distinct position;
• wherein said base includes a wall member formed concentrically about said stem and said tip includes a leaf spring member extending in a circumferential direction relative to said tip and being resiliently biased in a radially outward direction, wherein interior surface of said wall member has a plurality of depressions formed therein an a distal end of said leaf spring member has a protrusion formed on an outward side thereof, wherein said tip is movable along said stem such that said protrusion selectively engages one of said depressions so as to fix said tip in a positional relationship with said base.

A method of adjusting a ground-engaging member of a shoe, the ground-engaging member including a tip telescopically coupled to a base and said tip having a plurality of peripheral spring elements biased towards an interior surface of said base and the base having a plurality of corresponding receiving elements to said spring elements, said method comprising:

• telescopically moving the tip relative to the base;
• responsive to said moving, said spring elements abutting said interior surface of said base;
• and
• selectively locking the tip with the spring members in place relative to the base in said receiving elements at on of a plurality of different heights.