Nike, Inc.

The Burton Corporation

Under Armour, Inc.

Black Diamond Equipment, Ltd. Inc.

Nikem Inc.

Steven C McDonald

Bradley S Long

Tinker L Hatfield

Joel L Passke

David M Forland

David J Dodge

Paul T Maravetz

Michael A Aveni

Tobie D Hatfield

Jeremy L Connell

David Dombrow

Jason M Quintana

Patricia Louise Smaldone

Allen W Van Noy

James D Laughlin

David Narajowski

Stephen D Pelletier, Jr

Jake Burton Carpenter

Frank Phillips

Jordan Margid

Franklin S Phillips

Thomas M McGann

Yanlong Gu

An article of footwear is disclosed that includes an upper, an outsole, and a midsole. The upper is configured to receive a foot, and the outsole is secured to the upper. The outsole defines a plurality of apertures extending entirely through the outsole. In addition, the outsole has a ground-engaging surface positioned at a first elevation. The midsole is positionable such that a lower surface of the midsole extends into the apertures of the outsole and is exposed by the apertures.

Article of footwear with outsole web and midsole protrusions

Shoe sole

An article of footwear for snowboarding includes a tongue with adjustable stiffness. The tongue includes a flexible intermediate portion and the flexibility of the intermediate portion can be controlled by a tension control system. As the tension control system applies increased tension to the tongue, the flexibility of the intermediate portion is decreased, which increases the overall stiffness of the tongue.

Article with adjustable stiffness tongue

An article of footwear with heel webbing is disclosed. The article of footwear includes an elastic member along a heel portion. The elastic member is associated with a heel protector. The heel protector is attached to the outsole of the article of footwear at one end and to a portion of the elastic member at another end.

Article of footwear with expandable heel portion

Portion of a shoe

Shoe

An article of footwear is disclosed that includes an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. The sole structure includes a connecting portion positioned adjacent the upper and extending along a longitudinal length of the upper. A plurality of discrete sole elements extend downward from the connecting portion. The sole elements define a lower surface, and the sole elements are separated by a plurality of sipes that extend upward from the lower surface and into the sole structure. An outsole may be located within the sipes or grooves and extend between the sole elements, with a lower portion of the outsole extending beyond the lower surface of the sole elements.

Article of footwear with an articulated sole structure

An article of footwear is disclosed that includes an upper, an outsole, and a midsole. The upper is configured to receive a foot, and the outsole is secured to the upper. The outsole defines a plurality of apertures extending entirely through the outsole. In addition, the outsole has a ground-engaging surface positioned at a first elevation. The midsole is separate from the upper and the outsole. The midsole is also positionable within the upper such that a lower surface of the midsole extends into the apertures of the outsole and is exposed by the apertures. The lower surface is at a second elevation, the first elevation being less than the second elevation.

Article of footwear with a removable midsole element

An article of footwear for receiving a foot of a wearer. The footwear includes an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. The footwear also includes a heel strap having a U-shaped configuration with a pair of end areas and a central area. The end areas are secured to at least one of the upper and the sole structure, and the central area is unsecured to the upper and the sole structure. At least one of the upper and the sole structure define a foot-supporting surface with a raised periphery in at least a heel region of the footwear, and the central area of the heel strap is a contoured area that lays adjacent the raised periphery in the heel region. The strap may be separated from the foot-supporting surface and placed around a heel of the foot.

Article of footwear incorporating a heel strap system

A system is provided for automatically activating a boot-mountable highback between a walk mode and a ride position. In the walk mode, the highback is unrestrained, permitting the boot to flex freely, and consequently allowing the rider to walk comfortably. In the ride position, the highback is tilted toward the toe portion of a boot and prevented from movement in the heel direction beyond a preselected forward lean position, so that leg movement in the heel direction is transmitted through the highback into a gliding board. The highback is adjusted between the walk mode and the ride position simply by stepping into or out of a binding attached to a snowboard. Activation and deactivation of the highback may be achieved through direct or indirect interaction with a board-mounted actuator that may be attached to the binding. A forward lean adjuster may be provided that allows a rider to preselect the amount of forward lean attained when the highback is activated into the ride position.

Active highback system for a snowboard boot

Growing community of inventors

Portland, OR, United States of America

Steven C McDonald