Nike, Inc.

Kristina L S Kurcinka

Leo S Chang

Jeffrey S To

Jun Peng

An article of footwear includes an outsole, an upper secured to the outsole and defining a foot-receiving cavity and an ankle opening, and a unitary, full-length midsole having a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region, and configured to be removably inserted into the foot-receiving cavity through the ankle opening. The midsole includes a first cushioning body having a first hardness and a second cushioning body having a second hardness greater than the first hardness. The midsole has a lateral side, a medial side, a forwardmost extent disposed in the forefoot region, and a rearmost extent disposed in the heel region. The second cushioning body includes a lateral segment that extends through the lateral side in the forefoot region, and a portion of the lateral segment of the second cushioning body is closer to the forwardmost extent than to the midfoot region.

Drop-in unitary footwear sole with first and second cushioning bodies of differing hardness

A lace guide for an article of footwear comprises a base, a body protruding from the base, and an enlarged head at a distal end of the body. The body, the base, and the enlarged head define an external channel that extends at least partially around the body to receive and retain a lace. The base may be a heel counter, and the lace guide and the heel counter may be an integral, one-piece component. Alternatively, the base of the lace guide may be a wing extending along a side of the upper, or may be secured to a footwear upper.

Lace guide for an article of footwear

A sole structure for an article of footwear includes a unitary sole with a first cushioning body having a first hardness and a second cushioning having a second hardness greater than the first hardness. Both the first and the second cushioning bodies are exposed at a periphery of the sole. The second cushioning body may have a wedge surface that interfaces with a lateral extremity of the first cushioning body and angles laterally outward toward a lateral side exterior surface of the sole from a lower extent to an upper extent of the wedge surface. The second cushioning body may underlie the first cushioning body in a portion of a forefoot region of the sole such that the first cushioning body establishes a foot-facing exterior surface and the second cushioning body establishes a ground-facing exterior surface of the sole where the first cushioning body overlies the second cushioning body.

Growing community of inventors

Portland, OR, United States of America

Kristina L S Kurcinka