Nike, Inc.

Nike International Ltd.

Nike Innovate C.v.

Thomas Berend

Tinker L Hatfield

Thomas C Foxen

Mark J Smith

Jeffrey C Spanks

Tony H Le

Sam Fisher

Jared M Kilmer

Anthony Carl Dean

Shane S Kohatsu

Kenneth Link

Ryan R Larson

Dov Michael Lashmore

Paul James Francis

Randall S Wolfe

Troy C Lindner

Douglas Alan Beye

Anthony P Daversa

Bruce J Kilgore

Tobie D Hatfield

Patricia Louise Smaldone

Bret P Liebeno

Kevin J Rucier

Lawrence P Eisenbach

Chun-Chuan Lai

Christopher Simon Cook

Aaron Alexander Cooper

Scott C Holt

Ciro Fusco

Troy C Linder

Paul J Francis

Dylan S Vanatta

Bret Liebeno

Anthony Daversa

A shoe having a shoe upper including multiple welds in selected locations on the shoe upper. The welds may be selectively located on the upper to provide structure and support to the specific portions of a shoe upper.

Shoe upper having multiple weld zones

Sole structures for articles of footwear (e.g., outsole components) have one or more of: a base plate having a V-shaped support structure with lateral and medial support members extending forward from a base support area located in a heel or rear midfoot area of the outsole component; a base plate having a matrix structure with recesses or openings formed between rib elements that make up the matrix structure; and/or a base plate having a rear heel support. The base plates may be made, at least in part, as unitary, one-piece constructions, using selective laser sintering or other three-dimensional printing and/or rapid manufacturing additive fabrication techniques.

Cleated footwear

A last assembly includes a plurality of retractable pins and a plurality of vacuum holes, both acting to hold footwear segments to the last assembly to facilitate manufacturing of, or modification to, an article of footwear. A method of making or modifying an article of footwear includes placing footwear segments on the last assembly by associating an extension portion of at least one footwear segment with the retractable pins, modifying the footwear segments and then removing the extension portion.

Last with retractable pins

Method of making an article of footwear with a last having retractable pins

Articles of footwear, including athletic footwear, include: (A) an upper; (B) a rear heel strap member engaged with or integrally formed with the upper and including: (i) a rear heel element, (ii) a lateral side strap element, and (iii) a medial side strap element; (C) a first strap member extending along the medial side of the upper, wherein the first strap member includes at least one structure for engaging a lace; (D) a second strap member extending along the lateral side of the upper, wherein the second strap member includes at least two structures for engaging the lace; (E) a tensioning system for engaging the medial side strap element with the first strap member; (F) another tensioning system for engaging the lateral side strap element with the second strap member; and (G) a sole structure.

Articles of footwear

A flexible manufacturing system can be used to fuse different layers of material together for forming an article of footwear. The system includes a base portion, an intermediate member and an upper member. The intermediate member includes a flexible membrane. The intermediate member can be sealed with the base portion and a vacuum can be provided to pull the flexible membrane over layers of material placed on the base portion. The upper member can be sealed against the intermediate member so that external pressure can be applied to the flexible membrane. The intermediate member and the upper member can be moved independently.

System and method for applying heat and pressure to three-dimensional articles

A method and system for making uppers for articles of footwear is disclosed. The system comprises a last assembly as well as a pressing system for forming uppers with the last assembly. The last assembly includes a last member and a base member. The last member is inverted so that the bottom surface of the last member is oriented away from the base member.

Bottom-down last for 3D forming

An article of footwear is disclosed that includes an upper and a midsole. A first midsole impact force attenuation structure or system is arranged at least within the toe region of the midsole. A second midsole impact force attenuation structure or system is arranged at least within the heel region of the midsole, such that the second midsole impact force attenuation structure or system includes a molded heel region member extending from a lateral side of the article of footwear to a medial side; the heel region member having a hollow central region defined by a first radius of curvature in a direction toward the toe region and a second radius of curvature in a direction toward the heel region. The first radius of curvature is different from the second radius of curvature. The heel region member may be in an asymmetrical stiffness construction.

Article of footwear with a midsole structure

Cleat structures, e.g., for football shoes, may include: (a) a cleat base; (b) a cleat free end; and (c) a concave side edge and at least two additional side edges extending between the cleat base and the cleat free end. Such cleats may be incorporated into sole structures (e.g., outsole components) that have one or more of: a base plate having a V-shaped support structure with lateral and medial support members extending forward from a base support area located in a heel or rear midfoot area of the outsole component; a base plate having a matrix structure with recesses or openings formed between rib elements that make up the matrix structure; and/or a base plate having a rear heel support. The cleats and base plates may be made, at least in part, as unitary, one-piece constructions, using selective laser sintering or other three-dimensional printing and/or rapid manufacturing additive fabrication techniques.

Articles of footwear, including athletic footwear, include cleat structures, strapping systems, sole structures, and/or improved natural motion characteristics are described. Also, methods for making such articles of footwear (and particularly sole structures for articles of footwear) are described.

Growing community of inventors

Beaverton, OR, United States of America

Thomas Berend