Method of customizing articles of footwear

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11093989-B2
Application number	US-201816018878-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2018
Priority date	Feb 26, 2016
Publication date	Aug 17, 2021
Grant date	Aug 17, 2021

Abstract

A method of manufacturing articles of footwear that includes steps of providing articles to a customer, receiving evaluations of one or more structural characteristics of the articles and making new customized articles for the customer based on the evaluations of one or more structural characteristics. The method can be conducted as a cycle that is repeated each time the customer buys a new pair of footwear.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing customized articles of footwear using a customization cycle, comprising:
storing information relating to a first article of footwear in a manner to associate the first article of footwear: (a) with a user and (b) with a first specific iteration of a customization cycle associated with the user;
transmitting data to a computing system of the user for: (a) generating an evaluation system for evaluating one or more structural characteristics of the first article of footwear, wherein the first article of footwear includes a first sole with a first structural characteristic having a first value, and (b) requesting input from the user through the computing system including a user evaluation of the first structural characteristic;
receiving a user-selected evaluation of the first value of the first structural characteristic;
storing the user-selected evaluation of the first value of the first structural characteristic in a manner to associate the user-selected evaluation: (a) as being received from the user and as relating to the first article of footwear and (b) as relating to the first specific iteration of the customization cycle;
receiving an order from the user for new shoes;
in response to receipt of the order, manufacturing a second article of footwear customized for the user, the second article of footwear having a second sole with the first structural characteristic having a second value that is different from the first value, wherein the second value of the first structural characteristic is determined based on the user-selected evaluation of the first value of the first structural characteristic in the first article of footwear;
selling the second article of footwear to the user; and
designating the second article of footwear as being owned by the user including storing information relating to the second article of footwear in a manner to associate the second article of footwear: (a) with the user and (b) with a second specific iteration of the customization cycle associated with the user.

2. The method of manufacturing according to claim 1 , wherein the evaluation system is configured to provide the user with a set of relative evaluation values for the first structural characteristic.

3. The method of manufacturing according to claim 2 , wherein the set of relative evaluation values comprise a scale of evaluation values.

4. The method of manufacturing according to claim 1 , wherein the evaluation system is provided as an application running on a mobile computing device.

5. The method of manufacturing according to claim 1 , wherein the evaluation system is provided as a web application.

6. The method of manufacturing according to claim 1 , wherein the first structural characteristic is shoe width.

7. The method of manufacturing according to claim 6 , wherein the user-selected evaluation indicates that the first value of the shoe width for the first article of footwear is too wide, and wherein the step of manufacturing the second article of footwear includes manufacturing the second sole to have a smaller width than the shoe width of the first sole.

8. The method of manufacturing according to claim 6 , wherein the user-selected evaluation indicates that the first value of the shoe width for the first article of footwear is too narrow, and wherein the step of manufacturing the second article of footwear includes manufacturing the second sole to have a larger width than the shoe width of the first sole.

9. The method of manufacturing according to claim 6 , wherein the step of manufacturing the second article of footwear includes 3D printing the second sole to have a different shoe width from the shoe width of the first sole.

10. The method of manufacturing according to claim 1 , wherein the first structural characteristic is arch height.

11. The method of manufacturing according to claim 10 , wherein the user-selected evaluation indicates that the first value of the arch height for the first article of footwear is too high, and wherein the step of manufacturing the second article of footwear includes manufacturing the second sole to have a lower arch height than the arch height of the first sole.

12. The method of manufacturing according to claim 10 , wherein the user-selected evaluation indicates that the first value of the arch height for the first article of footwear is too low, and wherein the step of manufacturing the second article of footwear includes manufacturing the second sole to have a higher arch height than the arch height of the first sole.

13. The method of manufacturing according to claim 10 , wherein the step of manufacturing the second article of footwear includes 3D printing the second sole to have a different arch height from the arch height of the first sole.

14. The method of manufacturing according to claim 1 , further comprising:
instructing the user to wait at least a predetermined time period after receiving the first article of footwear before submitting any evaluations of the first article of footwear,
wherein the user-selected evaluation of the first value of the first structural characteristic is received after the predetermined time period.

15. The method of manufacturing according to claim 14 , wherein the predetermined time period is two weeks.

16. The method of manufacturing according to claim 1 , wherein the step of manufacturing the second article of footwear includes lasting the second sole to a second upper.

17. The method of manufacturing according to claim 1 , wherein the step of transmitting data to the computing system of the user includes requesting input from the user through the computing system including a user evaluation of a second structural characteristic of the first article of footwear, wherein the step of receiving the user-selected evaluation includes receiving a user-selected evaluation of the second structural characteristic, wherein the step of manufacturing the second article of footwear includes forming the second article of footwear with the second structural characteristic different from the second structural characteristic of the first article of footwear, and wherein the second structural characteristic of the second article of footwear is determined based on the user-selected evaluation of the second structural characteristic in the first article of footwear.

18. The method of manufacturing according to claim 17 , wherein the first structural characteristic is arch height and the second structural characteristic is shoe width.

19. The method of manufacturing according to claim 1 , wherein the evaluation system is configured to accept user-selected evaluations of plural evaluation values, wherein the plural evaluation values includes two or more evaluation values selected from the group of: footwear arch height, footwear width, forefoot cushioning, heel cushioning, and stability and wherein storing information relating to the first article of footwear and the second article of footwear includes storing information relating to the plural evaluation values associated with each of the first specific iteration and the second specific iteration of the customization cycle.

20. The method of manufacturing according to claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a user-selected evaluation of the second value of the first structural characteristic;
storing the user-selected evaluation of the second value of the first structural characteristic in a manner to associate the user-selected evaluation of the second value: (a)

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Cook Christopher S
• Kohatsu Shane S
• Schoolmeester Bret
• Rowe Daniel T

Classifications

• A43B13/14

  characterised by the constructive form · CPC title

• A43B13/181

  Resiliency achieved by the structure of the sole · CPC title

• A43B13/141

  with a part of the sole being flexible, e.g. permitting articulation or torsion · CPC title

• A43B7/14

  with foot-supporting parts · CPC title

• A43B3/126

  characterised by the shape or layout of the straps · CPC title