Nike, Inc.

Nicole Mueller

Marci S DuChene

Tiffany J Berger

James C Meschter

Carl L Madore

Susanne Amalie Wolf-Hochdoerffer

Darien Curl

Ricardo Salinas, Jr

Emily Beth Dennison

Dick Lin

David Tu

Shoe upper

Cleat structures, e.g., for golf shoes, may include a flat and flexible interior surface and/or a generally disk-shaped perimeter area that includes features to promote in-molding of the cleat to a footwear sole component (e.g., to permanently engage the cleat with an outsole member). Such cleats may provide a flexible and comfortable base, including a low profile, e.g., to enable formation relatively thin and/or flexible footwear sole components. Footwear sole components and articles of footwear that include one or more in-molded cleat structures of this type also are described. Molds used for in-molding procedures and methods of using the molds to make articles with in-molded components (e.g., for making footwear sole structures including one or more in-molded cleats) also are described.

Cleats, cleated sole structures, molds, and molding methods for in-molding articles

Shoe outsole

An article of footwear with a detachable wrap is disclosed. The detachable wrap removably attaches to a lacing area of an upper and extends under the article of footwear through a channel in a midsole of the sole structure. The detachable wrap may change the appearance of the article of footwear and additionally provide support to a foot of the wearer.

Article of footwear with a detachable wrap

A sole structure can include one or more ridge tractions elements. The ridge traction elements can be separated by one or more flexure zones. The sole structure can also include other types of traction elements.

Sole structure and article of footwear including same

An article of footwear is disclosed that includes an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. The sole structure may include a flexible arch support adapted to provide support for a user's arch while permitting the arch to flex away from the user's foot. The flexible arch support may include a plurality of articulatable segments that, from a resting position, can rotate with respect to each other away from the user's foot, while resisting articulation in an opposite direction. The upper may include articulatable straps that secure the article of footwear to the user's foot while providing flexibility for foot bends or other movements.

Article of footwear with a flexible arch support

Portion of a shoe upper

Growing community of inventors

Portland, OR, United States of America

Nicole Mueller