Sole structure for article of footwear

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025143410-A1
Application number	US-202519016490-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 10, 2025
Priority date	Jan 3, 2020
Publication date	May 8, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A sole structure for an article of footwear includes an interior cushioning arrangement extending between an anterior end and a posterior end. The sole structure also includes a forefoot cushioning element extending from the anterior end to a first end and including a first material, and. The sole structure further includes a heel cushioning element extending from the posterior end to a second end and including a second material. The first end of the forefoot cushioning element and the second end of the heel cushioning element overlap one another. The sole structure also includes an outsole including an outer shell extending between the first end at the anterior end and the second end at the posterior end, the outer shell including a ground-engaging element and a peripheral wall configured to extend from the ground-engaging element toward an upper of the article of footwear along a perimeter of the outer shell.

First claim

1 . A sole structure for an article of footwear, the sole structure comprising:
an interior cushioning arrangement extending between an anterior end, which includes a forward-most point of the sole structure, and a posterior end, which includes a rearward-most point of the sole structure, the interior cushioning arrangement including (i) a forefoot cushioning element extending from the anterior end to a first end and including a first material, and (ii) a heel cushioning element extending from the posterior end to a second end and including a second material, the first end of the forefoot cushioning element and the second end of the heel cushioning element overlapping one another; and an outsole including an outer shell extending between the first end at the anterior end and the second end at the posterior end, the outer shell including a ground-engaging element and a peripheral wall configured to extend from the ground-engaging element toward an upper of the article of footwear along a perimeter of the outer shell.

2 . The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the first material has a first durometer, wherein the second material has a second durometer, and wherein the second durometer is less than the first durometer.

3 . The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the interior cushioning arrangement includes a first surface having a first portion formed by the forefoot cushioning element and a second portion formed by the heel cushioning element, wherein the forefoot cushioning element and the heel cushioning element form a continuous surface of the interior cushioning arrangement.

4 . The sole structure of claim 1 , further comprising a plate disposed adjacent to a first surface of the interior cushioning arrangement having a first portion formed by the forefoot cushioning element and a second portion formed by the heel cushioning element.

5 . The sole structure of claim 4 , wherein the plate is disposed within a socket formed in the first surface of the interior cushioning arrangement.

6 . The sole structure of claim 4 , further comprising an upper cushioning element disposed on an opposite side of the plate than the interior cushioning arrangement and including a third material.

7 . The sole structure of claim 6 , wherein the first material has a first durometer, wherein the second material has a second durometer, and wherein the third material has a third durometer, wherein the second durometer is less than the first durometer, and wherein the third durometer is greater than the first durometer and the second durometer.

8 . The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the outer shell is formed of a fourth material and defines a receptacle, and wherein the interior cushioning arrangement is at least partially received within the receptacle.

9 . The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the first material is a first foamed elastomer and the second material is a second foamed elastomer.

10 . The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the first end includes a first beveled surface and the second end includes a second beveled surface, the first beveled surface mating with the second beveled surface.

11 . A sole structure for an article of footwear, the sole structure comprising:
a forefoot cushioning element continuously extending from a first distal end to a first proximal end and including a first material having a first durometer, the first proximal end including a first beveled engagement surface; a heel cushioning element continuously extending from a second distal end to a second proximal end and including a second material having a second durometer, the second proximal end including a second beveled engagement surface opposing the first beveled engagement surface of the forefoot cushioning element; and an outsole including: an outer shell including a ground-engaging element and a peripheral wall configured to extend from the ground-engaging element toward an upper of the article of footwear along a perimeter of the outer shell.

12 . The sole structure of claim 11 , wherein the second durometer is less than the first durometer.

13 . The sole structure of claim 11 , wherein the forefoot cushioning element and the heel cushioning element cooperate to form a first surface having a first portion formed by the forefoot cushioning element and a second portion formed by the heel cushioning element.

14 . The sole structure of claim 13 , further comprising a plate disposed adjacent to the first surface.

15 . The sole structure of claim 14 , wherein the plate is disposed within a socket formed in the first surface.

16 . The sole structure of claim 14 , further comprising an upper cushioning element disposed on an opposite side of the plate than the forefoot cushioning element and the heel cushioning element, and including a third material having a third durometer.

17 . The sole structure of claim 16 , wherein the third durometer is greater than the first durometer and the second durometer.

18 . The sole structure of claim 11 , wherein the outer shell is formed of a fourth material and defining a receptacle, the forefoot cushioning element and the heel cushioning element at least partially received within the receptacle.

19 . The sole structure of claim 11 , wherein the first material is a first foamed elastomer and the second material is a second foamed elastomer.

20 . The sole structure of claim 11 , wherein the first beveled engagement surface includes a first plurality of engagement features and the second beveled engagement surface includes a second plurality of engagement features configured to mate with the first plurality of engagement features.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Chen Yuchung K
• Thompson Dolores S
• Troufanov Nikita A

Classifications

• A43B13/04

  Plastics, rubber or vulcanised fibre · CPC title

• A43B13/37

  Sole and heel units · CPC title

• A43B13/16 Primary

  Pieced soles (with several layers of different material A43B13/12) · CPC title

• B29D35/142

  Soles · CPC title

• A43B13/127

  the midsole being multilayer · CPC title