Lululemon Athletica Canada, Inc.

Christopher Ka-Yin Lam

Mark Arthur Oleson

Michael Andrew Notrica

Donald Taylor Johnston

Michael Steszyn

Peter Andrew Hudson

George Alan Robusti

Joseph Simon Blecha

Heather Patricia Pieraldi

Damon Clegg

Jorge Rojas

Kenneth Todd Craig

Brittany Autumn Woodward

Peter Rueegger

Franklin Grant Kovach

Grant F Kovach

Simon Markus Luthi

A segmented sole for an article of footwear comprises a forefoot region, a heel region, and a segmentation zone disposed between the forefoot and heel region. The segmentation zone includes a plurality of segments separated from each other and from the forefoot and heel by a plurality of sipes, cuts, or gaps. The segmented sole produces bending along a segmentation axis disposed along an arch of a wearer of an article of footwear including the sole, allowing for arch support and natural foot movement.

Segmented sole for footwear

An article of footwear may include an outsole having an opening extending from a top face of the outsole to a ground-contacting face of the outsole, and a traction member disposed within the opening in the outsole. The traction member has a protruding portion and flange portion extending from an upper end of the protruding portion. The flange portion is secured to the top face of the outsole.

Outsoles having traction inserts

An upper of an article of footwear comprises a plurality of stretch zones each having a respective stretching capability. Suitable example stretch zones may include four-way stretch zones, two-way stretch zones, and/or lock-out zones. In some examples, an upper having a plurality of stretch zones comprises a single continuous piece of material configured to have regions of different stretching capability. The single piece of material may comprise a layered material having two stretchable outer layers, wherein a plurality of stretch zones of the piece of material are defined by corresponding intermediate layers disposed at selected locations between the outer layers. Examples of intermediate layers providing two-way stretch, four-way stretch, and little or no stretch are disclosed.

Footwear upper comprising stretch zones

A dual-layered midsole for footwear includes an internal midsole layer and an external midsole layer, which are coupled to and separated by a Strobel board. The internal midsole layer may compress and expand with the movement of a wearer of an article of footwear including the dual-layered midsole, while the external midsole may provide stability and cushion for the wearer. Materials selected for the internal and external midsole layers may provide tuned viscoelastic properties to different areas of the midsole as a function of midsole layer thickness at each sole area.

Dual-layered midsole

Socks including targeted cushioning zones include various knitted materials disposed within areas of the foot which experience specific conditions during running. Areas of the sock which include cushioning pods correspond to areas of the foot which experience pressure loading. Areas of the sock which include mesh correspond to areas of the foot which produce sweat. Areas of the sock which include ribbing and/or cushioning pods correspond to areas of the foot which have sensitive skin.

Socks having targeted cushioning zones

Socks or stockings including integrated gripping systems include gripping material disposed on external surfaces of a sole of the sock and gripping material disposed on internal surfaces of the sock. In some examples, the integrated gripping systems comprise a first set of gripping dots comprising gripping material applied to external surfaces of the sole of the sock and a second set of gripping dots comprising gripping material applied to internal surfaces of the sole of the sock. In some examples, the integrated gripping systems comprise a knitted fabric including gripping yarn, which includes knitted gripping portions disposed on internal surfaces of the sock and external surfaces of the sock.

Socks having integrated gripping systems

Pair of shoe soles

Shoe

Growing community of inventors

Portland, OR, United States of America

Christopher Ka-Yin Lam