Nike, Inc.

Michael Hochdoerffer

Estelle Maranan

Jason Carter Mayden

Christopher J Lyke

Jun Peng

Atikom Tappatarnpornsuk

Justin R Taylor

Clara Ho

Stanley Chen

An upper shell panel may be placed between first and second sections of a mold. The first section may include one or more expansion cavities and the second section may include one or more pour cavities. A foam-producing chemical mixture may be delivered into the one or more pour cavities and the mold may be closed. The delivered foam-producing chemical mixture may be allowed to expand within the closed mold and to force regions of the upper shell panel into the one or more expansion cavities. The upper shell panel may then be removed from the mold subsequent to the expansion of the delivered mixture.

Footwear upper components having contoured foam regions and methods of forming such components

A first portion of a midsole formed of a first material has a recess in a top surface thereof, and a first aperture positioned within the recess and extending therethrough. The first portion is placed in a recess in a bottom plate of a second mold assembly. A middle plate with a second aperture extending therethrough is placed in contact with the bottom plate. A second material is inserted through the second aperture such that it fills the recess and the first aperture in the first portion to form a second portion of the midsole. A top plate of the second mold assembly is positioned in contact with the middle plate so as to close the second mold assembly. The second mold assembly is subjected to heat and pressure such that the second portion cures and bonds to the first portion of the midsole.

Method of forming midsole of two materials

A method of forming a midsole includes the steps of placing a first mold member and a second mold member in contact with one another, injecting a first material into the first mold member to form first and second portions of a midsole preform, positioning the first and second portions in a third mold member of a second mold assembly; placing a second material in the third mold member; placing the third mold member and a fourth mold member in contact with one another, subjecting the second material and the first and second portions to heat to form a midsole preform, placing the midsole preform in a fifth mold member, placing the fifth mold member and a sixth mold member in contact with one another; and subjecting the midsole preform to heat and pressure to form a midsole.

Method of manufacturing sole assembly for article of footwear

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Portland, OR, United States of America

Michael Hochdoerffer