Wolverine World Wide, Inc.

Warner Norcross & Judd Llp

Wolverine Wolrd Wide, Inc.

Wolverine Outdoors, Inc.

Gary J Banik

Martin W F Dean

Oliver J Gilbertson

Andrea Rinaldi

Charles C Willis

Lucio Bandini

John H Burch

Laura Bianchi

Martin LaBerge

Manon Belley

A method for manufacturing footwear including injection molding a polymeric material on a sheet of material in preselected locations and/or in a preselected pattern so that the polymeric material bonds to the sheet and forms a structural exoskeleton of an upper of the footwear. The upper can be joined with a sole. The polymeric material can be injection molded on the sheet while the sheet is in a planar or flat configuration, and subsequently, the sheet and bonded exoskeleton can be conformed to a three-dimensional configuration of an upper. Additional polymeric materials can be injected on the exoskeleton to reinforce certain areas of the same. The exoskeleton can define one or more holes through which the sheet is visible to form one or more aesthetic regions on the upper. An article of footwear constructed with the method is also provided.

Footwear and related method of manufacture

A footwear construction including a sole component and shock pods that absorb impact forces caused by activity. The sole component can be a midsole defining at least one shock pod hole that reduces in dimension from a midsole lower surface toward a midsole upper surface. A shock pod can be joined with the midsole, and extend from the lower surface toward the upper surface. The midsole can be constructed from a harder material than the material from which the shock pod is constructed. A outsole can be joined with the midsole so that a lower portion of the shock pod, for example a traction lug, extends through the outsole to form a ground contacting surface. The shock pod and the shock pod hole can be of corresponding frustoconical shapes. A method is provided including joining a shock pod with a midsole, and joining an outsole with the midsole.

Footwear construction and related method of manufacture

Footwear upper portion

Footwear upper

Footwear sole

Growing community of inventors

Boulder, CO, United States of America

Gary J Banik