Article of footwear and methods of making same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9433256-B2
Application number	US-83246410-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 8, 2010
Priority date	Jul 21, 2009
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

An article of footwear with an undulating sole provides a different and unique ride and/or feel to the article of footwear while also providing adequate cushioning and support to an article of footwear. The sole has an undulating shape that may be substantially similar to a sine wave with a series of alternating peaks and troughs.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sole for an article of footwear, comprising:
an undulating foam midsole having a heel portion, a forefoot portion, a medial sidewall and a lateral sidewall,
wherein the midsole is sinusoidal along at least a portion of a length of the midsole such that a plurality of spaced apart peaks extend across an entire width of the midsole from the medial sidewall to the lateral sidewall and a plurality of spaced apart troughs extend across the entire width of the midsole from the medial sidewall to the lateral sidewall,
wherein more than one peak of the plurality of peaks have a greater height at the medial and lateral sidewalls of the midsole than in an area between the medial and lateral sidewalls,
wherein more than one peak of the plurality of peaks have a gap devoid of material disposed directly below each of the peaks, wherein the gaps each extend across the entire width of the midsole,
wherein at least one trough of the plurality of troughs has a gap devoid of material disposed directly above the at least one trough, wherein the at least one gap extends across the entire width of the midsole,
wherein at least a portion of an outer face of a trough of the plurality of troughs along at least one of the medial sidewall and the lateral sidewall is nonplanar to an apex of a directly adjacent peak of the plurality of peaks, and
wherein the midsole extends across an entire width of the sole; and
a plate disposed on the midsole, wherein at least one apex of a peak of the plurality of peaks extends above a bottom surface of the plate and contacts both a medial side surface and a lateral side surface of the plate.

2. The sole of claim 1 , wherein the lateral sidewall is sinusoidal.

3. The sole of claim 1 , wherein the midsole is sinusoidal along the entire length of the midsole.

4. The sole of claim 1 , wherein the midsole is sinusoidal along the length of the heel portion of the midsole.

5. The sole of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of peaks of the lateral sidewall have rounded top surfaces.

6. The sole of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of peaks of the lateral sidewall have flat top surfaces.

7. The sole of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of peaks of the lateral sidewall have pointed top surfaces.

8. The sole of claim 1 , wherein the midsole includes a top surface shaped to receive an upper of an article of footwear, and wherein the plurality of peaks of the lateral sidewall have rounded top surfaces.

9. The sole of claim 1 , further comprising an outsole coupled to the midsole.

10. The sole of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the outer face of a trough of the plurality of troughs comprises a first plane and a second plane angled with respect to the first plane, and wherein the outer face transitions from the first plane to the second plane in an area between a bottom surface of the midsole and a top surface of the midsole.

11. A sole for an article of footwear, comprising:
an undulating foam midsole having a top surface, a bottom surface, a medial sidewall, and a lateral sidewall, wherein the midsole extends across an entire width of the sole between the medial sidewall and the lateral sidewall,
wherein the midsole undulates to define a plurality of spaced apart gaps in the top surface extending entirely across the midsole from the medial sidewall to the lateral sidewall,
wherein a plurality of spaced apart gaps in the bottom surface extend entirely across the midsole from the medial sidewall to the lateral sidewall,
wherein a plurality of peaks disposed directly above respective ones of the gaps in the bottom surface have a greater height at the medial and lateral sidewalls of the midsole than in an area between the medial and lateral sidewalls,
and wherein at least a portion of an outer face of a trough along at least one of the medial sidewall and the lateral sidewall is nonplanar to an apex of a directly adjacent peak of the plurality of peaks; and
a plate disposed on a portion of the top surface of the midsole, wherein at least one apex of a peak of the plurality of peaks extends above a bottom surface of the plate and contacts both a medial side surface and a lateral side surface of the plate.

12. The sole of claim 11 , wherein each of a plurality of top surface gaps is disposed between directly adjacent bottom surface gaps.

13. The sole of claim 11 , wherein the top surface gaps are evenly spaced apart.

14. The sole of claim 11 , wherein the bottom surface gaps are evenly spaced apart.

15. The sole of claim 11 , wherein each peak of the lateral sidewall is disposed between directly adjacent top surface gaps.

16. The sole of claim 15 , wherein the peaks of the lateral sidewall have rounded top surfaces.

17. The sole of claim 15 , wherein the peaks of the lateral sidewall have flat top surfaces.

18. The sole of claim 15 , wherein the peaks of the lateral sidewall have pointed top surfaces.

19. The sole of claim 11 , wherein the midsole extends along an entire length of the sole.

20. The sole of claim 11 , further comprising an outsole coupled to the midsole.

21. The sole of claim 11 , wherein the portion of the outer face of a trough of the plurality of troughs comprises a first plane and a second plane angled with respect to the first plane, and wherein the outer face transitions from the first plane to the second plane in an area between the bottom surface of the midsole and the top surface of the midsole.

22. An article of footwear, comprising:
an upper;
an undulating foam midsole disposed below the upper such that a gap is disposed between the midsole and the upper, the midsole having a heel portion, a forefoot portion, a medial sidewall and a lateral sidewall,
wherein the midsole is sinusoidal along a length of the midsole such that there are a plurality of spaced apart peaks and a plurality of spaced apart troughs extending across an entire width of the midsole,
wherein more than one peak of the plurality of peaks have a greater height at the medial and lateral sidewalls of the midsole than in an area between the medial and lateral sidewalls,
wherein more than one peak of the plurality of peaks have a gap devoid of material disposed directly below the peak, wherein the gaps each extend across the entire width of the midsole,
wherein at least one trough of the plurality of troughs has a gap devoid of material disposed directly above the at least one trough, wherein the at least one gap extends across the entire width of the midsole,
wherein at least a portion of an outer face of a trough of the plurality of troughs along at least one of the medial sidewall and the lateral sidewall is nonplanar to an apex of a directly adjacent peak of the plurality of peaks, and
wherein the midsole extends across an entire width of the article of footwear between the medial sidewall and the lateral sidewall; and
a plate disposed intermediate to the upper and the midsole, wherein at least one apex of a peak of the plurality of peaks extends above a bottom surface of the plate and contacts both a medial side surface and a lateral side surface of the plate.

23. The article of footwear of claim 22 , wherein more than one gap of the plurality of gaps are disposed between the midsole and the upper.

24. The article of footwear of claim 22 , wherein at least a portion of a gap of the plurality of gaps is disposed intermediate to the midsole and the plate.

25. The article of footwear of claim 2

Assignees

• Callahan Erica
• Montross Matthew
• Hardigan Henry
• Vestuti Ricardo
• Reebok Int Ltd

Inventors

• Callahan Erica
• Montross Matthew
• Hardigan Henry
• Vestuti Ricardo

Classifications

• A43B13/187 Primary

  Resiliency achieved by the features of the material, e.g. foam, non liquid materials · CPC title

• A43B13/181

  Resiliency achieved by the structure of the sole · CPC title

• A43B3/0068

  V-shaped · CPC title

• A43B13/14

  characterised by the constructive form · CPC title

• A43B3/0057

  S-shaped · CPC title