TREAD WEAR INDICATORS FOR OUTSOLES OF FOOTWEAR

• Main Authors: PETERSEN, ROBERT N, SMITH, STEVEN A
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 26.07.2018
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F,C08G; CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON; FOOTWEAR; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; HUMAN NECESSITIES; METALLURGY; ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; WORKING-UP

A polymeric outsole for an article of footwear comprises: an outsole body and a tread pattern that comprises a plurality of cleats and channels between the cleats; and one or more tread ribs projecting from the outsole body. The tread ribs project a first distance from the outsole body that is shorter than a second distance that the cleats of the tread pattern project from the outsole body. The tread ribs are effective as wear indicators to indicate remaining useful life of the cleats. During a first duration of wear, the tread ribs are not in contact with a ground surface while the cleats are in contact with the ground surface, and during a second duration of wear, both the tread ribs and the cleats are in contact with the ground surface.