Nike, Inc.

David L Vattes

Jeffrey L Johnson

Ross A McLaughlin

Toren P Orzeck

Stephen M Vincent

Donald M Remlinger

Dong Fong Chang

A method of making an article of footwear includes the steps of constructing an upper having an inner surface material and an outer surface material which define an upper formation cavity, disposing the upper on a mold core, positioning the mold core and the upper in a base portion of a mold such that the upper formation cavity is accessible from above when the mold cavity is open, pouring a plastic foam material into the upper formation cavity of the upper, closing a top portion of the mold onto the base portion of the mold to thereby sealingly close the mold and the upper formation cavity, curing the plastic foam material within the upper formation cavity of the upper to form a molded article of footwear upper, and opening the top portion of the mold and removing the article of footwear upper. The preferred method of the present invention further includes, prior to the steps of pouring the foam and closing the top portion of the mold, positioning a preformed sole unit on the top portion of the mold, integrally joining the preformed sole unit with the molded article of footwear upper during the curing process of the foam material, and then removing the molded article of footwear from the mold.

Method of making footwear with a pourable foam

The present invention is directed to a method of manufacturing a midsole for a shoe and the structure of the resulting midsole. The midsole includes a core of a first plastic material and a peripheral wrap of a second plastic material. The wrap has an outer peripheral surface comprising at least a portion of an outer peripheral surface of the midsole. The method includes the steps of molding a peripheral wrap from a sheet stock of the first plastic material by applying compressive forces on the sheet stock in a direction which is substantially perpendicular with the outer surface of the sheet stock, placing the wrap around the inner peripheral surface of a mold which approximates the shape of the midsole, and pouring the first plastic material in the mold.

Method of manufacturing a midsole for a shoe and construction therefor

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Beaverton, OR, United States of America

David L Vattes