A flexible hinged cleat for a shoe includes a base, a hinge section and a traction section formed as a one-piece mechanism. The flexible hinged cleat is capable of flexing upwardly or downwardly, depending on the direction of the applied force. The hinge section is configured such that the traction section is hinged for rotation relative to a generally fixed axis. Multiple flexible hinged cleats may be molded as parts of a strip and subsequently sandwiched between the outsole and midsole of a shoe.