Nike, Inc.

Nike Innovate C.v.

Timothy J Smith

Giovanni Adami

Sergio Cavaliere

Thomas J Rushbrook

Sam Amis

James Molyneux

John Hurd

Stephen J Hipp

Jessica Green

Christianna Wincek

Yuchung K Chen

Oliver McLachlan

Perry W Auger

Oliver Mclachlan

Tetsuya T Minami

Doug D Wilken

Mirko Bianconi

Meng-Chun Hu

I-Hsien Tseng

Joël Ryp Greenspan

Denis Schiller

Andrew Caine

Caleb W Dyer

Brian D Baker

Jeremy L Connell

Michael S Amos

Scott Ryan Berggren

Krissy Yetman

Alison Sheets-Singer

Ruzica Krstic

Daniel William Peter

Stuart Reinhardt

Federico Zecchetto

Frederico Zecchetto

Thomas Marchesini

Renato Michielon

Pierangelo Pini

Nicolas Menenghini

Thomas J Rusbrook

Daniel W Peter

Stephen Hipp

Scott Berggren

A method of manufacturing an article of footwear includes perforating a midsole body of a sole structure to form perforations through the midsole body, wherein the midsole body has perforated holes established by the perforations. The method includes disposing each of a plurality of proprioceptive elements of the sole structure in a different one of the perforated holes as an integral portion of the midsole body surrounded by the perforations. Each central axis of the plurality of proprioceptive elements disposed in a medial sidewall portion of the midsole body and a lateral sidewall portion of the midsole body is angled relative to a vertical axis of the midsole body and is configured to align with a direction of a lateral loading force on the midsole body at a location of the respective proprioceptive element.

Sole structure with proprioceptive elements and method of manufacturing a sole structure

A sole structure for an article of footwear comprises a midsole body having a proximal surface and a distal surface. Proprioceptive elements may extend in holes in the midsole body. The midsole body has an interior portion having a first density and an outer skin covering the interior portion. The outer skin has a second density that is greater than the first density, extends along each of the holes from the proximal surface to the distal surface, and forms a cylinder around each of the perforated holes. The midsole body has a greater compressive stiffness under loading along each central axis than under loading transverse or oblique to each central axis. A first set of proprioceptive elements have a third density different from a fourth density of a second set.

A sole structure for an article of footwear includes a first plate extending from a forefoot region of the sole structure to a heel region of the sole structure. The first plate has a first surface and a second surface formed on an opposite side of the first plate than the first surface. The sole structure further includes a second plate extending from the forefoot region to the heel region. The second plate has a third surface opposing the second surface of the first plate and a fourth surface disposed on an opposite side of the second plate than the third surface. The third surface is spaced apart from the second surface to define a cavity between the first plate and the second plate that extends from a medial side of the sole structure to a lateral side of the sole structure between the forefoot region and the heel region.

Sole structure for article of footwear

Processes and systems for thermoforming articles of wear are disclosed. The process can include utilizing a negative pressure generation system to seal an article in a forming material thereby compressing the forming material onto the outer surface of the article. The process can also include exposing the sealed article to an increased temperature followed by exposure to a decrease temperature, while maintaining the compressive force of the forming material on the outer surface of the article. A positive pressure can also be applied to the sealed article while undergoing the heating and/or cooling steps, which can facilitate the removal of bubbles from the article during thermoforming as well as apply additional compressive force to the outer surface of the article.

Articles of wear and processes for making the same

A sole structure for an article of footwear comprises a midsole body having a proximal surface and a distal surface. The sole structure includes an outsole having a proximal surface and a distal surface, wherein the proximal surface of the outsole is secured to the distal surface of the midsole body. The outsole includes external flex grooves at the distal surface of the outsole, and the midsole body includes internal flex grooves at the proximal surface of the midsole body. The internal flex grooves overlie and are aligned with the external flex grooves such that the sole structure articulates at the external flex grooves both in dorsiflexion and in plantarflexion.

A method of manufacturing an article of footwear includes forming a midsole body such that the midsole body has annular holes in a proximal surface of the midsole body, annular recesses in a distal surface of the midsole body, and a plurality of proprioceptive elements. Each annular recess encircles a respective different one of the annular holes from below and extends beyond a lowest extent of the respective different one of the annular holes toward the proximal surface. Each proprioceptive element is centered in a different one of the annular holes.

Articles of wear having one or more textiles that include a low processing temperature polymeric composition and a high processing temperature polymeric composition, and methods of manufacturing the same are disclosed. The low processing temperature polymeric composition and the high processing temperature polymeric composition can be selectively incorporated into a textile to provide one or more structural properties and/or other advantageous properties to the article. The textile can be thermoformed to impart such structural and/or other advantageous properties to the article of wear. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.

Knit textiles and uppers, and processes for making the same

An upper for an article of footwear includes a carcass layer including an interior liner defining an interior void of the upper and an exterior liner joined to the interior liner to define a plurality of resilient pads protruding from an exterior surface of the upper. In some examples, the upper includes an outer shell attached to the exterior liner of the carcass layer and including a plurality of openings each configured to receive a respective one of the resilient pads therethrough. Here, each of the resilient pads includes a distal end surface defining a first portion of a ball control surface and the outer shell defines a second portion of the ball control surface. In some implementations, each of the resilient pads includes a compressible material enclosed between the interior liner and the exterior liner. Optionally, each of the resilient pads includes a tensile element disposed therein.

Upper for article of footwear

Textiles and articles, and processes for making the same

A sole structure for an article of footwear comprises a midsole body having a proximal surface and a distal surface. Proprioceptive elements may extend in the hole in the midsole body, and translate toward the proximal surface in the holes upon a force directed along a central axis of the hole at a distal end of the proprioceptive elements. In various embodiments, the holes may angle relative to vertical from the proximal surface to the distal surface, the holes may be defined by perforations and the proprioceptive elements may be integral portions of the midsole body, or the midsole body may have a plurality of annular holes at the proximal surface, and a plurality of annular recesses in the distal surface, and a plurality of proprioceptive elements, each centered in a different annular hole of the plurality of annular holes. Methods of manufacturing articles of footwear are described.

Growing community of inventors

Portland, OR, United States of America

Timothy J Smith