Article of footwear with sipes

• US 8,186,079 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2009
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Carboy, Shawn G., Hope, Anthony, Jarvis, Kelly B., Sowers, Sarah E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patterson, Marie
• Application Number:
  US12/620,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20100281714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 36/25.R, 361/02, 36/31, 36/59.C, D2951-960
• US Class Current: 36/59.C
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/14 characterised by the constructive form
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/223 Profiled soles

Abstract

A sole structure for an article of footwear is disclosed. The sole structure includes an outsole and a midsole. The outsole includes a tread pattern with a nonlinear configuration. A plurality of sipes are provided on the outsole and the midsole. The plurality of sipes have a nonlinear configuration that is substantially similar to the nonlinear configuration of the tread pattern.

Claims

1. An article of footwear, comprising:

a sole structure including a midsole and an outsole;

the outsole including a tread pattern including a plurality of ridges extending continuously between a medial side of the sole structure and a lateral side of the sole structure, the tread pattern having a first nonlinear configuration;

a sipe disposed on the sole structure and extending continuously between the medial side of the sole structure and the lateral side of the sole structure, the sipe having a second nonlinear configuration; and

wherein the second nonlinear configuration of the sipe corresponds to the first nonlinear configuration of the tread pattern.

2. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the sole structure includes a plurality of sipes and wherein each sipe of the plurality of sipes has the second nonlinear configuration.

3. The article of footwear according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of sipes comprises eight sipes.

4. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the first nonlinear configuration is a triangular wave configuration.

5. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the first nonlinear configuration is a herringbone configuration.

6. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the first nonlinear configuration is a square wave configuration.

7. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the first nonlinear configuration is an irregular configuration.

8. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the first nonlinear configuration is an asymmetric configuration.

9. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the sipe includes a midsole sipe portion that is associated with the midsole.

10. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the sipe is located adjacent to the ridges of the tread pattern and the sipe has a shape corresponding to a shape of the ridges.

11. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of ridges extend continuously between a medial edge of the sole structure and a lateral edge of the sole structure and the sipe extends continuously between the medial edge of the sole structure and the lateral edge of the sole structure.

12. An article of footwear, comprising:

a sole structure including a midsole and an outsole;

the outsole including a tread pattern comprising a tread element, the tread element having a nonlinear configuration;

a sipe disposed adjacent to the tread element;

the tread element comprising a first tread segment oriented in a first direction and a second tread segment oriented in a second direction that is different from the first direction; and

wherein the sipe has a first sipe segment that is oriented in the first direction and wherein the sipe has a second sipe segment that is oriented in the second direction;

wherein the sipe includes a midsole sipe portion that is associated with the midsole.

13. The article of footwear according to claim 12, wherein the sole structure includes a plurality of sipes and wherein each sipe of the plurality of sipes has a first sipe segment oriented in the first direction and a second sipe segment oriented in the second direction.

14. The article of footwear according to claim 12, wherein the sipe includes an outsole sipe portion that is associated with the outsole.

15. The article of footwear according to claim 12, wherein the sipe divides the outsole into a first outsole portion and a second outsole portion.

16. The article of footwear according to claim 12, wherein the sole structure includes a first sipe in a forefoot portion of the sole structure and a second sipe in a midfoot portion of the sole structure.

17. The article of footwear according to claim 16, wherein the height of the midsole varies between the forefoot portion and the midfoot portion and wherein the first sipe and the second sipe are spaced apart from an upper surface of the midsole by a substantially similar amount.

18. An article of footwear, comprising:

a sole structure including a midsole and an outsole;

the outsole including a first tread pattern associated with a forefoot portion of the outsole, the first tread pattern having a first nonlinear configuration;

the outsole including a second tread pattern associated with a midfoot portion of the outsole, the second tread pattern having a second nonlinear configuration that is different than the first nonlinear configuration;

a first sipe disposed in the forefoot portion of the outsole and a second sipe disposed in the midfoot portion of the outsole; and

wherein the first sipe has the first nonlinear configuration and wherein the second sipe has the second nonlinear configuration;

wherein a height of the midsole varies between the forefoot portion and the midfoot portion and wherein the first sipe and the second sipe are spaced apart from an upper surface of the midsole by a substantially similar amount.

19. The article of footwear according to claim 18, wherein at least one of the first sipe and the second sipe includes a midsole sipe portion that is associated with the midsole.

20. The article of footwear according to claim 18, wherein outsole includes a third tread pattern associated with a third portion of the outsole, the third tread pattern having a third nonlinear configuration that is different from the first nonlinear configuration and the second nonlinear configuration.

21. The article of footwear according to claim 20, wherein the sole structure includes a third sipe disposed in the third portion and wherein the third sipe has the third nonlinear configuration.

22. The article of footwear according to claim 21, wherein the third portion is an arch portion of the outsole.

23. The article of footwear according to claim 18, wherein the forefoot portion includes two or more sipes and wherein the two or more sipes have the first nonlinear configuration.