Does the Golf Shoe of the Future Include a Sensor, a Controller, and an Active-Response Element? Acushnet May Think So…

December 28, 2007July 9, 2018 admin 624 Views

Until recently golf shoes were not considered high-tech, but that is rapidly changing. For instance, on Christmas day Acushnet was granted a fascinating golf shoe patent that may give us a look at the future of golf shoes. Can you imagine a shoe that automatically knows when you are walking and when you are hitting, then adjusts the shoe accordingly? Amazing, right!

So amazing in fact that you may not believe that the invention disclosed in USPN 7310895 titled “Shoe with Sensors, Controller and Active-Response Elements and Method for Use Thereof” can actually be implemented in a consumer product. The patent describes the invention as:

Active-response golf shoes are disclosed. The golf shoes include at least one sensor, a controller, and at least one active-response element. The sensor and controller operate to rapidly determine if a golfer is walking or swinging a golf club. Once this determination is made the controller and active-response element rapidly change the shoe’s characteristics. If the controller determines that the golfer is walking, the shoe provides a soft and flexible walking platform. If the controller determines that the golfer is swinging, the shoe morphs or changes automatically to provide a stable hitting platform. The controller senses various predetermined conditions such as pressure under the ball of the user’s foot to determine whether the golfer is walking or swinging. The active-response elements may be a sole adjuster, a lace adjuster, and/or an upper adjuster. Methods of determining the golfer’s type of movement are also disclosed.

Check out these figures from the patent.

I would love to get my hands on a pair of these shoes!

David Dawsey – The Golf Patent Lawyer