Reebok International Limited

Paul Bates

Paul E Litchfield

William McInnis

David J Lacorazza

Paul M Davis

Kevin Leary

Michael Andrews

Todd D Ellis

Thomas Piacentini

Geoffrey Swales

An article of footwear includes an upper and a sole coupled to the upper. The sole includes a main body and a projection extending downwardly from the main body. The projection includes a projection assembly. The projection assembly includes a first pod and a second pod coupled to the first pod by a connecting tube.

Sole and article of footwear having a pod assembly

A sole for an article of footwear includes: a foam base; a lateral pod assembly having a plurality of pods fluidly connected in series disposed below the foam base, wherein the lateral pod assembly extends from a heel portion of the sole to a forefoot portion of the sole along a lateral side of the sole; and a medial pod assembly having a plurality of pods fluidly connected in series disposed below the foam base, wherein the medial pod assembly extends from a heel portion of the sole to a forefoot portion of the sole along a medial side of the sole, wherein a portion of the foam base extends between the lateral pod assembly and the medial pod assembly.

Shoe

An article of footwear with a sole and an upper. The upper includes an inner layer configured to receive a foot and an outer layer with a first portion more stretchable than a second portion. A strobel board is disposed above the sole and attached to the inner layer. An inflatable bladder is disposed between the inner layer and the outer layer and attached to both a medial side and a lateral side of the strobel board. The inflatable bladder extends across a throat region of the upper and is operatively coupled with an inflation mechanism and release mechanism configured to inflate and deflate the inflatable bladder. A saddle is disposed between the inflatable bladder and the outer layer in lateral and medial quarter regions of the upper, but not extending into the throat region. The first portion of the outer layer covers the inflatable bladder at the throat region.

Article of footwear having an upper with inflation system

Sole and article of footwear having a pod assemby

A shoe includes a sole for cushioning a heelstrike. The sole includes a midsole, an optional outsole, and a resilient cushioning device. The resilient cushioning device includes a bottom component, a top component sealingly attached to the bottom component, wherein the top component includes a corrugated sidewall. The resilient cushioning device is a closed system that contains a fluid, such as a gas either at atmospheric pressure or pressurized. The resilient cushioning device may have only one interior compartment or a series of compartments fluidly connected to one another. The resilient cushioning device is partially embedded within the midsole in a heel region of the sole, although at least a portion of the sidewall of the resilient cushioning device remains visible from the exterior of a shoe sole.

Resilient cushioning device for the heel portion of a sole

Portion of shoe sidewall

Growing community of inventors

Somerset, MA, United States of America

Paul Bates