Sole structures and articles of footwear having a lightweight midsole member with protective elements

• US 9,510,635 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Dojan, Frederick J., Holmes, Matthew J., Lindner, Troy C., Nethongkome, Benjamin, Thompson, Dolores S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kinsaul, Anna
• Assistant Examiner(s): Carter, Cameron A
• Application Number:
  US13/837,967
• Publication Number:
  US 20140259789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,362 Days
• Field of Search: 361/03, 361/02, 36/3.B, 36/71.R
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0018 made at least partially of flexible, bellow-like shaped material
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/04 Plastics, rubber or vulcanised fibre
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/122 characterised by the outsole or external layer
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/125 characterised by the midsole or middle layer
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/127 the midsole being multilayer
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/141 with a part of the sole being flexible, e.g. permitting articulation or torsion
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/16 Pieced soles with several layers of different material A43B13/12
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/181 Resiliency achieved by the structure of the sole
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/186 Differential cushioning region, e.g. cushioning located under the ball of the foot resilient heel not included in the sole A43B21/26; resilient supports for the heel of the foot A43B21/32
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/188 Differential cushioning regions
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/223 Profiled soles
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/26 projecting beyond the sole surface
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/1425 situated under the ball of the foot, i.e. the joint between the first metatarsal and first phalange
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/1435 situated under the joint between the fifth phalange and the fifth metatarsal bone
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/144 situated under the heel, i.e. the calcaneus bone
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/1445 situated under the midfoot, i.e. the second, third or fourth metatarsal
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/145 situated under the toes, i.e. the phalanges

Abstract

An article of footwear includes an upper and a sole structure engaged with the upper. The sole structure includes a polymeric foam member for supporting an entire plantar surface of a wearer'"'"'s foot, and this polymeric foam member is formed from a foam material having a density of less than 0.25 g/cm³. The foam material forms an exposed side surface of the sole structure. The sole structure further includes a protective member engaged with the polymeric foam member to cover at least 60% of a surface area of a bottom surface of the polymeric foam member. This protective member constitutes a web base surface with traction elements extending downward therefrom, and a thickness of a majority of the web base surface at locations between the traction elements is less than 2 mm thick.

Claims

1. An article of footwear, comprising:

an upper; and

a sole structure engaged with the upper, wherein the sole structure consists essentially of;

a polymeric foam member for supporting an entire plantar surface of a wearer'"'"'s foot, wherein the polymeric foam member is formed from a foam material having a density of less than 0.25 g/cm³, and wherein the foam material forms an exposed side surface of the sole structure, and a protective member engaged with the polymeric foam member to cover at least 80% of a surface area of a bottom surface of the polymeric foam member, wherein the protective member constitutes a web base surface with a plurality of traction elements extending downward from the web base surface, wherein a subset of the plurality of traction elements are positioned within a central area of the web base surface, wherein the web base surface is perforated in a forefoot area between some of the traction elements with a heel area being free of perforations, and wherein a thickness of a majority of the web base surface at locations between the plurality of traction elements is less than 2 mm thick;

wherein the exposed side surface of the foam material includes a first billows structure that extends around a rear heel area of the sole structure;

wherein the first billows structure is at least partially interrupted by a support system;

wherein the support system includes a plurality of angled support ribs that are angled such that an acute angle is formed between each of the ribs in the plurality of ribs and a longitudinal axis that extends from a toe end to the heel end of the article of footwear, the plurality of ribs extending between two non-adjacent billows of the first billows structure; and

wherein the exposed side surface of the foam material includes a second billows structure that extends along a lateral side of the sole structure.

2. An article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of at least 75% of the web base surface at locations between the plurality of traction elements is 1.5 mm or less.

3. An article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the protective member is a flexible sheet, and wherein at least a portion of the plurality of traction elements include a plurality of nubs arranged in a matrix pattern.

4. An article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the bottom surface of the polymeric foam member includes a first bulbous area extending outward from a base level of the bottom surface.

5. An article of footwear according to claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of traction elements include at least one nub arranged to engage the first bulbous area.

6. An article of footwear according to claim 5, wherein the first bulbous area is at a first metatarsal head support area of the polymeric foam member.

7. An article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the first billows structure and the second billows structure are completely separated from one another by a smooth area of the foam material.

8. An article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the support system includes at least one support rib integrally formed as part of the polymeric foam member.

9. An article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the support system is located at a medial heel side of the sole structure.

10. An article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of traction elements include a plurality of nubs arranged in a matrix pattern.

11. An article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the web base surface is not constant throughout the area of the protective member.

12. An article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of traction elements include a plurality of nubs arranged in a matrix pattern, and wherein at least some of the nubs are sized different from other nubs.

13. An article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the protective member is a flexible sheet and is the only protective member covering the polymeric foam member in the sole structure.

14. An article of footwear, comprising:

an upper; and

a sole structure engaged with the upper, wherein the sole structure consists essentially of;

a polymeric foam member for supporting an entire plantar surface of a wearer'"'"'s foot, wherein the polymeric foam member is formed from a foam material having a density of less than 0.25 g/cm³, and wherein the foam material forms an exposed side surface of the sole structure, and a protective member engaged with the polymeric foam member to cover at least 60% of a surface area of a bottom surface of the polymeric foam member, wherein the protective member constitutes a web base surface with a plurality of traction elements extending downward from the web base surface, wherein a subset of the plurality of traction elements are positioned within a central area of the web base surface, wherein the web base surface is perforated in a forefoot area between some of the traction elements with a heel area being free of perforations, and wherein a thickness of a majority of the web base surface at locations between the plurality of traction elements is less than 2 mm thick;

wherein the exposed side surface of the foam material includes a first billows structure that extends around a rear heel area of the sole structure;

wherein the first billows structure is at least partially interrupted by a support system;

wherein the support system includes a plurality of angled support ribs that are angled such that an acute angle is formed between each of the ribs in the plurality of ribs and a longitudinal axis that extends from a toe end to the heel end of the article of footwear, the plurality of ribs extending between two non-adjacent billows of the first billows structure; and

wherein the exposed side surface of the foam material includes a second billows structure that extends along a lateral side of the sole structure.

15. An article of footwear according to claim 14, wherein the bottom surface of the polymeric foam member includes a first bulbous area extending outward from a base level of the bottom surface, and wherein at least a portion of the plurality of traction elements include at least one nub arranged to engage the first bulbous area.

16. An article of footwear according to claim 14, wherein the protective member is a flexible sheet.