Converse Inc.

Nike, Inc.

Stephen N Bruno

Craig Wojcieszak

Sean Michael McDowell

Bryan Paul Cioffi

Foot support systems (and articles of footwear including them) include a midfoot flex component, such as a bi-stable spring element, that moves the article of footwear/sole structure/foot support component/midfoot flex component between an open position/foot insertion or removal configuration and a closed position/foot supporting configuration and vice versa.

Articles of footwear transitional between a foot insertion or removal configuration and a foot supporting configuration

A component, for example, a shoe foxing, may have one or more regions with embedded particles and one or more regions without embedded particles. The one or more regions without embedded particles may comprise one or more outer surfaces of the component. The component may be formed by heating and pressing material sections in a mold. The component may be formed by extrusion. One or more of the material sections may lack embedded particles.

Components with embedded particles and methods of making same

Shoe

Foot support systems (and articles of footwear including them) include a midfoot flex component, such as a bi-stable spring element, that moves the article of footwear/sole structure/ foot support component/midfoot flex component between an open position/foot insertion or removal configuration and a closed position/foot supporting configuration and vice versa.

A shoe with a three-dimensional (3-D) surface texture created using rapid manufacturing techniques is provided. A plurality of 3-D surface texture options is presented on a user interface; each of the options is associated with one of a plurality of 3-D surface textures to be applied to a portion of a shoe. A selection of a 3-D surface texture is received and is used in part to generate a design file. The design file is used to instruct a rapid manufacturing device to manufacture the portion of the shoe comprised of the 3-D surface texture using a rapid manufacturing technique.

Growing community of inventors

Wellesley, MA, United States of America

Stephen N Bruno