Nike, Inc.

Nike Innovate C.v.

Arick Auyang

Derek Houng

Jason R Meeker

Jeffrey S To

Eric A Schmalzer

Geoffrey A Weston

Jeremy L Connell

Page J Bailey

Matthew Temple

Gregory Ross Leedy

A cushioning article includes a bladder enclosing an interior cavity and retaining a gas in the interior cavity. A tensile component is disposed in the interior cavity and includes tensile layers and a plurality of tethers connecting the tensile layers. The tensile layers are connected to an inner surface of the bladder such that the tethers span across the interior cavity. The bladder has an inwardly-protruding bond that joins an inner surface of the bladder to the tensile component, protrudes inward into the interior cavity, and partially traverses the plurality of tethers such that the bladder is narrowed at the inwardly protruding bond and the gas in the interior cavity fluidly communicates across the inwardly-protruding bond. A method of manufacturing a cushioning article is disclosed.

Articulated cushioning article with tensile component and method of manufacturing a cushioning article

A strobel for an article of footwear comprises a polymeric bladder that defines an interior cavity. The polymeric bladder is configured to retain a fluid in the interior cavity. The polymeric bladder has a peripheral flange extending around at least a portion of a perimeter of the interior cavity. The peripheral flange defines a groove extending along the peripheral flange. The polymeric bladder may include a first polymeric sheet bonded to a second polymeric sheet at the peripheral flange and joined to the second polymeric sheet at a plurality of interior welds. Methods of manufacturing a strobel and manufacturing footwear are included.

Footwear strobel with bladder having grooved flange and method of manufacturing

An article of footwear includes a strobel that has a polymeric bladder defining an interior cavity and configured to retain a fluid in the interior cavity. The polymeric bladder has a peripheral flange extending around at least a portion of a perimeter of the interior cavity. A tensile component is disposed in the interior cavity. The tensile component is secured to opposing inner surfaces of the polymeric bladder. The peripheral flange defines a groove extending along the peripheral flange. The groove serves as a guide path for an operator or for a machine to follow when stitching or otherwise securing the strobel to the upper. A method of manufacturing footwear is included.

Footwear strobel with bladder and tensile component and method of manufacturing

An article of footwear includes a strobel that has a polymeric bladder defining an interior cavity and configured to retain a fluid in the interior cavity. The polymeric bladder has a peripheral flange extending around at least a portion of a perimeter of the interior cavity. A tensile component is disposed in the interior cavity and is secured to opposing inner surfaces of the polymeric bladder. The peripheral flange defines a groove extending along the peripheral flange. The strobel also includes a lasting component configured to extend along the peripheral flange around the at least a portion of the perimeter of the interior cavity. The lasting component is secured to the peripheral flange. A method of manufacturing footwear that includes the strobel is disclosed.

Footwear strobel with bladder and lasting component and method of manufacturing

An article such as an article of footwear includes a lacing system having two laces that are routed through lace-receiving passages in two distinct zones of a body of the article. A first lace can be routed through a first set of lace-receiving passages in a first zone, and a second lace can be routed through a second set of lace-receiving passages in a second zone. A method of lacing an article includes routing the first lace and the second lace through the lace-receiving passages of the respective zones.

Article with side lacing system and method of lacing an article

An article of footwear comprising a side lacing pattern features laces ending on the same side of the footwear with both lace ends exiting from the side of an intermediate row of the footwear. The lace travels in a single pass between the upper and lower rows of eyelets, beneath the outer surface of the upper such that the lacing uses each eyelet once without overlapping, using right angle turns at each eyelet within the lacing pattern.

Article with intermediate side lacing system and method of lacing an article

A lacing system of an article includes two laces that are routed through the article of footwear to provide two distinct fastening zones. A first lace can be routed through a first set of lace-receiving passages in a first fastening zone of a body of the article, and a second lace can be routed through a second fastening zone of the body. A method of lacing an article includes routing the first lace and the second lace through the lace-receiving passages of the respective zones.

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Portland, OR, United States of America

Arick Auyang