Abstract: A plant shoe and a method of use thereof to be worn on the plant foot of a placekicker wearing a kicking shoe having a total sole thickness s on his kicking foot, wherein the plant shoe includes a main sole, a filler sole adjacent said main sole, wherein the main sole and the filler sole together have a thickness greater than s, and a plurality of cleats positioned on an underside of either the main sole or the filler sole for engaging the playing surface. In one embodiment the cleats are positioned on the underside of the main sole and in an alternate embodiment, the main sole is positioned between a shoe upper and the filler sole and the cleats are positioned on the underside of the filler sole.

Abstract: An athletic shoe designed for kicker's kicking footballs from the ground having a toe portion that extends upwardly with respect to the horizontal plane formed by the heel and instep of the shoe. The toe has a kicking surface that is substantially flat and perpendicular to the horizontal plane of the heel and instep. Furthermore, the kicking surface is as wide as the widest part of the kicker's foot so that slight misalignment to the left or right of center of the kicker's foot with respect to the ball does not substantially affect kicking accuracy. A shank can be provided on the sole and substantially aligned with the kicking surface to prevent toe and ankle breakdown during kicking. Additionally, a last for forming the kicking shoe having the upwardly extending toe area and substantially flat kicking surface at the frontmost part of the toe area. The last also is as wide at the toe area as the widest part of the shoe.

Abstract: A football kicking shoe is provided having a sole with the toe portion extending angularly downward with respect to the substantially flat instep and heel portion of the sole. The sole is sufficiently flexible so that when worn by a punter the sole will lie flat against the ground due to the pressure of the weight of the wearer and when the foot is raised, the toe portion of the sole will extend downwardly so as to present the upper surface of the shoe for contact with the football. The heel portion of the upper of the shoe has a convave cutout so as to permit the toes to be depressed without muscular effort on the part of the wearer of the shoe.