Abstract: In a gripping element for sports shoes consisting of a cleat having a base portion formed on a sole or fastened to it and that is made of stiffly, elastic material with an insert projecting beyond the base portion that is made of a rigid, highly abrasion resistant material. To reduce the danger of destruction of the insert, particularly by shearing forces, the insert is formed so that the ratio of the maximum diameter (D) of the insert (3) relative to its total height (H) is about 1:7.5 to 1:1.8, the insert (3), in its midsection, has a constriction (E) that divides insert (3) into a tread section (4) and a fastening section (5), the height of the constriction (E) is 25% to 60% of the total height (H) and so that the smallest diameter (e) of constriction (E) is 75% to 45% of maximum diameter (D) of the tread section (4), whereby the insert is able to resiliently deflect so as to move sideways with elastic deformation of the base due to radially imposed loads.

Abstract: Footwear having a heel counter comprised of a stiff resilient material, especially an athletic shoe for medium and long distance running, is improved so that a better pressure distribution is assured on the outersole, and also on a possibly existing middle sole, in the area of the heel counter. This is achieved by the fact that the surface area which is enclosed by the sidewalls of the heel counter is provided with a pressure distribution membrane which is connected to a thicker reinforced lower arcuate edge of the sidewalls of the counter, and the pressure distribution membrane is suitably contoured to facilitate the improved distribution of heel pressure to the midsole and outer sole. Downward arching of the distribution membrane under heel pressure applied by the foot of a wearer causes an upper edge area of the sidewalls to be drawn inwardly to hold the heel with greater force.

Abstract: A process and system for measuring information concerning movement factors, and to values, which can be calculated therefrom, particularly stride length, stride number, stride time and running time, via a pair of shoes (1, 2), each of which is provided with a transmitter (S1 or S2), a receiver (E1 or E2), and a signal time measuring device (counter Z1 or Z2). A direct signal (t.sub.dir.) emitted by the front shoe (1) in response to ground contact is received by the rearward shoe (2), is transferred in conformance to time parameters to the first shoe 1 as a reflected signal (refl.). The direct and reflected signals as well as the readouts of both counters (Z1 and Z2) are transmitted to a computer unit, particularly, a high-frequency computer unit for use in determination of the movement information.

Abstract: A system with pressure sensors (5, 12), transmitters (8, 16, 18) and receivers (10, 21) provided in running shoes (2, 3) that upon the shoes (2, 3) leaving or contacting the ground (14) emit and/or receive respective signals (S1, S2, S3, S4). Signals (S1, S2, S4) are formed which are received by a receiver (21) that is independent of the shoes and which are evaluated in an evaluation unit (23). The distance between the feet (FA) is determined from when a front striding foot hits the ground and the rear foot lifts off based upon the timing between the signals using an approximating formula. From the times and the stride length other values movement characteristics of the user may be determined as well.

Abstract: A shoe for rehabilitation purposes, particularly for wear in connection with foot injuries and/or after foot surgery is designed such that patients with foot injuries or after foot surgery can remove rigid supports like plaster casts, orthotics, or the like, in a short time, enabling them to walk again as soon as possible without fear of additional damage or subsequent injuries. To this end, a shoe is provided with an outsole 6 with a front part 8 that extends from the shoe tip 7, which it upwardly embraces, to approximately the toe base joint. The front part 8 consists of an unprofiled material with a low coefficient of friction and is followed by a profiled outsole part 10 comprised of an abrasion-resistant flexible material. The separation line 11 between the two profiled sections 8, 10 extends diagonally rearward from the medial side of the shoe in front of the big toe ball area to the lateral side of the shoe in front of the small toe ball area.

Abstract: A shoe having an upper portion with a slit opening, through which an insert is placed or placeable into the shoe upper between its upper material and the lining portion, specifically intended for the purpose of rehabilitation, which shoe is designed such that it can be better adapted to various types of foot shapes.The shoe is intended to enable the plaster cast or other support cast, normally necessary in the healing process and employed for foot injuries or foot surgery, to be removed after a short time. This is achieved in preferred embodiments through use of at least one insert 6 of flexible material that has a plate-like configuration. At least one side of insert 6, and a facing inner surface of the shoe upper material coming into contact therewith, has a surface which provides that, at least between these two inner surfaces coming into contact, there is sufficient friction to cause insert 6 to be retained in place during the wearing of the shoe.

Abstract: According to the present invention, in a cross-country ski with a movable center section that is accomodated in a cut-out portion in the center of the ski and which can be moved out from the running surface or sole of the ski and retracted back into the running surface or sole of the ski, and which has on its running surface or sole an aggressive non-skid profile and/or covering that reacts with the surface of the snow, the moving center section (5) is configured as a spring part and is joined to the remaining portion of the body of the ski (1) at both its ends. The ski binding (10) for the toe of the shoe (40) is secured to the moving section (5) and is thus arranged higher relative to the surface (11) of the adjacent side portions (6,7) of the remaining body of the ski (1) when the center section (5) is not working against the surface of the snow.

Abstract: An athletic shoe system for running disciplines and a process for emitting and/or exchanging information concerning movement factors of running disciplines enabling the athlete to always be sufficiently informed regarding his/her training program that is in progress or completed. In particular, in an area of the sole that is less stressed during use, at least one free space is provided where a transmitter is housed which, via a sensor provided in the sole, can emit at least one output signal. In accordance with preferred embodiments, a transmitter in a first shoe of a pair of shoes receives the signals from the sensor and transmits emissions in correspondence with their receipt. The transmitted emissions are received by a remote receiver, that is linked with a computer, and the remote receiver receives the transmitted emissions directly from the transmitter of the first shoe and indirectly via a receiver and transmitter of a second shoe of the pair.

Abstract: A racket, especially a tennis racket, having a frame surrounding a stringed hitting area, the frame being formed with a shaft on which a grip sleeve is mounted.

Abstract: Athletic shoe sole having cleats with exchangeable gripping elements designed such that the threaded mounting studs for gripping elements are firmly anchored to the sole, and that the associated caps of the gripping elements can be detached therefrom without damage or destruction to the threaded studs. This is achieved in that each threaded stud (2) and the screw-on cap (5, 5a) is in the shape of a cone whose broad base faces the shoe sole (1). The thread is a single or multiple thread (4) having only partial turns of screw threads. Finally, run-on surfaces (12, 13) effective during screw-on of lock elements (10, 11) of the cap are less inclined relative to the plane of the sole (1) than the flank surfaces that act as locking surfaces (14, 15) which are also inclined.

Abstract: An athletic shoe sole with cleats having exchangeable gripping elements designed in such a way that the gripping elements can easily be exchanged without incurring diminished stability or premature wear to the shoe sole. To this end, stud-shaped holding elements (2) are provided with a flange (3) with which they are molded into the shoe sole 1. Shoe sole (1) itself, or a portion associated therewith, forms coaxially to the stud-like holding elements (2), a minimum of one raised area (28) which surrounds at least one recess (25) between these raised areas (28) and stud shaped holding elements (2). Finally, the respective recesses (25) are engaged correspondingly shaped projecting elements (26) of the gripping elements or the gripping element components, respectively, which are in the form of caps (9).

Abstract: Athletic shoe sole with cleats having exchangeble grip elements that are snap-locked to a mounting stud. The grip element can easily be inserted and removed again, without impairment of shoe sole stability or danger of damage thereto, by the provision of interactive engagement formations, comprised of a minimum of one raised area 16, 17, 26 and a complementary recessed area 19, 28, that have at least one inclined surface that produces a relative axial shifting between the gripping element and mounting stud when the gripping element is rotated about its longitudinal axis. Preferably, the raised areas 16, 17, 26 are arranged such that, in the snap-locked condition, they do not have operative contact with the recessed areas 19, 28, but can be brought into operative contact by rotating grip element 11 around its longitudinal axis x, and thereafter the grip element 11 can be pressed out over the catch point of the snap-lock device or snap-lock devices 8, 12 to release the grip element from the mounting stud.