Nike, Inc.

Nike Innovate C.v.

Gordon A Valiant

Sergio G Lozano

Robert Michael Lyden

Robert J Lucas

David M Forland

Thomas A McMahon

Michael T Donaghu

Lester Q Lee

Thomas McGuirk

Bruce J Kilgore

Kevin W Hoffer

John Hurd

Thomas G Bell

Troy C Lindner

Pamela Susan Greene

Joel L Passke

Geng Luo

John C Tawney

Jay T Worobets

Michael D Martindale

Leslie Barnes

Dustin Hatfield

Perry W Auger

Tony A Bignell

Stephen M Vincent

Mark Cartier

Joel I Passke

A pair of sole plates for a complementary pair of articles of footwear may generally include a first article with a first sole plate and a second article with a second sole plate, where the first sole plate is asymmetrical with respect to the second sole plate. The first sole plate includes a first groove that extends along a first lateral side of the first sole plate, and the second sole plate includes a second groove that extends along a second medial side of the second sole plate. The asymmetry of first sole plate with respect to second sole plate may improve performance, flexibility, and agility during running and in particular, during athletic events along a curved track.

Articles of footwear with asymmetrical segmented plates

An article of footwear is disclosed having an upper, a foot-supporting member, and a sole structure. The foot-supporting member includes a heel region located at a greater elevation than a forefoot region, thereby defining a recess under the heel region. The sole structure includes a midsole that forms a protrusion on the interior of the footwear. The protrusion mates with the recess to provide support for the heel region. The foot-supporting member may also incorporate pronation control characteristics, including a downward cant from a medial to a lateral side of the foot-supporting member and a region of reduced support generally underlying the first metatarsal. To further reduce the rate of pronation, the sole structure includes a region in the rear-lateral corner that is more compressible than other areas of the sole structure.

Footwear with removable foot-supporting member

An article of footwear having a sole structure that includes one or more support elements formed of a resilient, compressible material is disclosed. The lower surface of a support element located in the back-lateral corner of the sole structure includes a downward bevel in the lateral-to-medial direction and back-to-front direction. In addition to the downward bevel on the lower surface of the support element, a base plate and outsole include corresponding bevels. Cooperatively, the bevels reduce the rate of pronation in a foot of a wearer.

Footwear midsole with compressible element in lateral heel area

An athletic shoe has a sole with a rearfoot strike zone segmented from the remaining heel area by a line of flexion which permits articulation of the strike zone during initial heel strike of a runner. The line of flexion is located to delimit a rearfoot strike zone reflecting the heel to toe running style of the majority of the running population. In addition to allowing articulation of the rearfoot strike zone about the line of flexion, the sole incorporates cushioning elements, including a resilient gas filled bladder, to provide differential cushioning characteristics in different parts of the heel, to attenuate force applications and shock associated with heel strike, without degrading footwear stability during subsequent phases of the running cycle. The line of flexion may be formed by various means including a deep groove, a line of relatively flexible midsole material, and a relatively flexible portion of a segmented fluid bladder.

Athletic shoe with rearfoot strike zone

An improved last, and article of footwear derived therefrom, for providing improved function, fit, and comfort for use in various athletic activities, and in particular for running. The last has dimensions defined by a plurality of cross-sectional contours extending from proximate a proximal end of the heel portion to proximate a distal end of the forefoot portion. The last dimensions are in accordance with or proportional to the plurality of cross-sectional contours shown in FIGS. 13-97. The last is characterized by a natural shape to the top of the cone or island and an enlarged toe box.

Last for an article of footwear and footwear made therefrom

An athletic shoe has a sole with a rearfoot strike zone segmented from the remaining heel area by a line of flexion which permits articulation of the strike zone during initial heel strike of a runner. The line of flexion is located to delimit a rearfoot strike zone reflecting the heel to toe running style of the majority of the running population. In addition to allowing articulation of the rearfoot strike zone about the line of flexion, the sole incorporates cushioning elements, including a resilient gas filled bladder, to provide differential cushioning characteristics in different parts of the heel, to attenuate force applications and shock associated with heel strike, without degrading footwear stability during subsequent phases of the running cycle. The line of flexion may be formed by various ways including a deep groove, a line of relatively flexible midsole material, and a relatively flexible portion of a segmented fluid bladder.

The invention is directed to a midsole for a shoe including one or more foam columns disposed between an upper and a lower plate. One or more elastomeric foam elements are disposed between the upper and lower plates. The foam elements are made of a material such as microcellular polyurethane-elastomer based on a polyester-alcohol and naphthalene-diisocyanate (NDI). In one embodiment, the foam, elements have the shape of hollow cylindrical columns, and may include grooves formed on the exterior surface. One or more elastic rings are disposed about the columns and are removably disposable in the grooves, allowing the stiffness of the columns to be adjusted. In a further embodiment, inflatable gas bladders are disposed in the hollow regions. The heights of the gas bladders may be less than the heights of the columns such that when the midsole is compressed, the wearer experiences a first stiffness corresponding to compression of the columns alone, and a second stiffness corresponding to compression of both the columns and the bladders. Alternatively, the bladders may be inflated so as to cause the columns to be stretched, even when no load is applied. Since the level of inflation of the bladders may be adjusted, the overall stiffness of the midsole may be tuned to the individual requirements of the wearer.

Shoe with an improved midsole

The invention is directed to a midsole for a shoe including one or more foam columns disposed between an upper and a lower plate. One or more elastomeric foam elements are disposed between the upper and lower plates. The foam elements are made of a material such as microcellular polyurethane-elastomer based on a polyester-alcohol and naphthalene-disocyanate (NDI). In one embodiment, the foam elements have the shape of hollow cylindrical columns, and may include grooves formed on the exterior surface. One or more elastic rings are disposed about the columns and are removably disposable in the grooves, allowing the stiffness of the columns to be adjusted. In a further embodiment, inflatable gas bladders are disposed in the hollow regions. The heights of the gas bladders may be less than the heights of the columns such that when the midsole is compressed, the wearer experiences a first stiffness corresponding to compression of the columns alone, and a second stiffness corresponding to compression of both the columns and the bladders. Alternatively, the bladders may be inflated so as to cause the columns to be stretched, even when no load is applied. Since the level of inflation of the bladders may be adjusted, the overall stiffness of the midsole may be tuned to the individual requirements of the wearer.

There is disclosed an athletic shoe having grooves in a ground engaging surface of a sole formed concentrically about a pivot point in the ball portion and having traction projections in the form of bristles or columns embedded in the bottom of the grooves. Free ends of the traction projections protrude from the ground engaging surface whereby forces on the free ends of the traction projections perpendicular to the grooves, as when a player is accelerating, causes the projections to bend against the side walls of the grooves which thus support the projections against further bending with the free ends of the projections protruding from the outsole to provide traction. Forces on the free ends of the projections tangentially to the grooves, as when a player pivots, cause the projections to bend into or lay down in the grooves and thus offer little or no traction. The ground engaging surface of the sole is formed of a material having a low coefficient of friction so that the sole can move or pivot relatively freely once the projections have bent into the grooves.

Athletic shoe with bendable traction projections

Growing community of inventors

Beaverton, OR, United States of America

Gordon A Valiant