Article of footwear with extended plate for toe-off

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12349760-B2
Application number	US-202217957248-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2022
Priority date	Dec 3, 2021
Publication date	Jul 8, 2025
Grant date	Jul 8, 2025

Abstract

An article of footwear includes an upper and a sole structure. The sole structure includes a plate that has a heel portion, a midfoot portion, a forefoot portion, and an extension portion. The extension portion extends forward of the forefoot portion and forward of a foremost extent of upper. The plate includes a first plate layer establishing an outer surface of the plate and extending in each of the heel portion, the midfoot portion, the forefoot portion, and the extension portion, and a second plate layer interfacing with the first plate layer and extending in the forefoot portion and the extension portion. A bending stiffness of the second plate layer is greater than a bending stiffness of the first plate layer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An article of footwear comprising:
an upper; and
a sole structure including:
a plate having a heel portion, a midfoot portion, a forefoot portion, and an extension portion, the extension portion extending forward of the forefoot portion and forward of a foremost extent of upper;

wherein the plate includes a first plate layer extending in each of the heel portion, the midfoot portion, the forefoot portion, and the extension portion, and a second plate layer interfacing with the first plate layer and extending in the forefoot portion and the extension portion;
wherein a bending stiffness of the second plate layer is greater than a bending stiffness of the first plate layer;
wherein the first plate layer defines a recess in a ground-facing surface of the first plate layer such that the first plate layer is thinner at the recess than rearward of the recess;
wherein the second plate layer is nested in the recess of the first plate layer;
wherein the recess has a perimeter with a closed shape entirely on the ground-facing surface of the first plate layer, the second plate layer has a perimeter with a closed shape that matches the closed shape of the perimeter of the first plate layer;
wherein the first plate layer extends transversely outward of the second plate layer at a medial side of the recess and at a lateral side of the recess, and extends forward of the second plate layer forward of the recess and rearward of the second plate layer rearward of the recess; and
wherein the ground-facing surface of the first plate layer and the ground-facing surface of the second plate layer together define a ground-facing surface of the plate.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the ground-facing surface of the second plate layer is flush with the ground-facing surface of the first plate layer both forward of the recess and rearward of the recess.

3. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the first plate layer is a first material, and the second plate layer is a second material different than the first material.

4. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the plate is flatter in the extension portion than in the forefoot portion.

5. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein a curvature of the plate along a longitudinal midline of the plate is greater in the forefoot portion than in the extension portion.

6. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein, when the sole structure is positioned such that both a heel region of the sole structure and a forefoot region of the sole structure engage a horizontal ground plane, a ground-contact surface of the sole structure underlying the extension portion of the plate has a curvature in a forward direction of the article of footwear greater than a curvature of the extension portion in the forward direction of the article of footwear.

7. The article of footwear of claim 6 , wherein a ratio of a length of the extension portion along a longitudinal midline of the plate to a length of the plate along the longitudinal midline of the plate is from 0.25 to 0.35.

8. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein a foot-facing surface of the plate in the midfoot portion includes upwardly-extending and transversely-elongated protrusions for torsional rigidity.

9. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the sole structure includes:
a forefoot midsole layer secured to the ground-facing surface of the plate at the forefoot portion of the plate; and
a heel midsole layer secured to the ground-facing surface of the plate at the heel portion of the plate and spaced apart from the forefoot midsole layer so that the ground-facing surface of the plate at the midfoot portion of the plate is exposed between the forefoot midsole layer and the heel midsole layer.

10. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the plate defines a through hole extending through the plate from a foot-facing surface of the plate to the ground-facing surface of the plate at the heel portion of the plate.

11. The article of footwear of claim 10 , wherein the sole structure further includes a midsole layer underlying the plate at the through hole such that the midsole layer spans across the through hole.

12. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the sole structure further includes a bladder defining a sealed, fluid-filled chamber underlying the forefoot portion of the plate.

13. The article of footwear of claim 12 , wherein the sole structure further includes a midsole layer underlying the plate; and wherein the midsole layer is disposed between the plate and the bladder.

14. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the sole structure further includes a toe support extending over a foot-facing surface of the extension portion and having a wall extending upward along the foremost extent of the upper.

15. The article of footwear of claim 1 , further comprising:
a strobel that includes:
a bladder that defines a sealed, fluid-filled chamber in a forefoot region of the article of footwear, the bladder overlying the plate.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Frank Nick S
• Mervar Robert
• Neumann Iv Kort W
• Savage Rachel M
• Tegenkamp Matthew
• Westphal Jenni
• Youngs Bryan K

Classifications

• A43B13/42

  Filling materials located between the insole and outer sole; Stiffening materials · CPC title

• A43B13/37

  Sole and heel units · CPC title

• A43B13/122

  characterised by the outsole or external layer · CPC title

• A43B13/20

  Pneumatic soles {filled with a compressible fluid, e.g. air, gas (inflatable linings for skiboots A43B5/0407)} · CPC title

• A43B13/184

  the structure protruding from the outsole · CPC title