Method Of Customizing Articles Of Footwear

• US 20170245585A1
• Filed: 02/26/2016
• Published: 08/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Cook, Christopher S., Kohatsu, Shane S., Schoolmeester, Bret, Rowe, Daniel T.
• Granted Patent: US 10,032,202 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/14 characterised by the constructive form
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/141 with a part of the sole being flexible, e.g. permitting articulation or torsion
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/181 Resiliency achieved by the structure of the sole
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/126 characterised by the shape or layout of the straps
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/26 adjustable as to length or size
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/14 with foot-supporting parts
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 1/02 Foot-measuring devices measuring the shape, pattern or size of the body for diagnostic purposes A61B5/103, e.g. measuring physical dimensions A61B5/107
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/00 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization

Abstract

A method of manufacturing articles of footwear that includes steps of providing articles to a customer, receiving evaluations of one or more structural characteristics of the articles and making new customized articles for the customer based on the evaluations of one or more structural characteristics. The method can be conducted as a cycle that is repeated each time the customer buys a new pair of footwear.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing articles of footwear, including steps of:

manufacturing a first article of footwear having a first sole with a structural characteristic having a first value;

selling the first article of footwear to a customer, the customer having customer identification information;

designating the first article of footwear as being owned by the customer having the customer identification information;

providing an evaluation system for evaluating one or more structural characteristics of the article of footwear;

receiving a customer-selected evaluation of the first value of the structural characteristic;

designating the customer-selected evaluation as being received from the customer having the customer identification information;

manufacturing a second article of footwear having a second sole with the structural characteristic having a second value that is different from the first value, wherein the second value of the structural characteristic is determined by the customer-selected evaluation of the first value of the structural characteristic in the first article of footwear;

selling the second article of footwear to the customer; and

designating the second article of footwear as being owned by the customer having customer identification information.

2. The method of manufacturing according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation system is configured to provide a user with a set of relative evaluation values for the structural characteristic.

3. The method of manufacturing according to claim 2, wherein the set of relative evaluation values comprise a scale of evaluation values.

4. The method of manufacturing according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation system is provided as an application running on a mobile computing device,

5. The method of manufacturing according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation system is provided as a web application.

6. The method of manufacturing according to claim 1, wherein the structural characteristic is shoe width.

7. The method of manufacturing according to claim 6, wherein the customer-selected evaluation indicates that the first value of the shoe width for the first article of footwear is too wide.

8. The method of manufacturing according to claim 6, wherein the customer-selected evaluation indicates that the first value of the shoe width for the first article of footwear is too narrow.

9. The method of manufacturing according to claim 6, wherein the method includes a step of 3D printing the second sole to have the second value of the shoe width.

10. The method of manufacturing according to claim 1, wherein the structural characteristic is arch height.

11. The method of manufacturing according to claim 10, wherein the customer-selected evaluation indicates that the first value of the arch height for the first article of footwear is too high.

12. The method of manufacturing according to claim 10, wherein the customer-selected evaluation indicates that the first value of the arch height for the first article of footwear is too low.

13. The method of manufacturing according to claim 10, wherein the method includes a step of 3D printing the second sole to have the second value of the arch height.

14. A method of manufacturing articles of footwear, including steps of:

manufacturing a first article of footwear having a first sole with a structural characteristic having a first value;

providing the first article of footwear to a customer, the customer having customer identification information;

designating the first article of footwear as being owned by the customer having the customer identification information;

providing an evaluation system for evaluating one or more structural characteristics of the article of footwear;

instructing the customer to wait at least a predetermined time period after receiving the first article of footwear before submitting any evaluations of the first article of footwear;

receiving a customer-selected evaluation of the first value of the structural characteristic, the customer-selected evaluation being received after the predetermined time period;

designating the customer-selected evaluation as being received from the customer having the customer identification information;

manufacturing a second article of footwear having a second sole with the structural characteristic having a second value that is different from the first value, wherein the second value of the structural characteristic is determined by the customer-selected evaluation of the first value of the structural characteristic in the first article of footwear;

providing the second article of footwear to the customer; and

designating the second article of footwear as being owned by the customer having customer identification information.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the predetermined time period is one day.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the predetermined time period is two weeks.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the structural characteristic is arch height.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the structural characteristic is width.

19. A method of manufacturing an article of footwear, including steps of:

assembling a first upper with a first sole so that the first upper is permanently joined with the first sole to form a first article of footwear, the first sole comprising a structural characteristic having a first value;

providing the first article of footwear to a customer, the customer having customer identification information;

designating the first article of footwear as being owned by the customer having the customer identification information;

providing an evaluation system for evaluating one or more structural characteristics of the article of footwear;

receiving a customer-selected evaluation of the first value of the structural characteristic;

designating the customer-selected evaluation as being received from the customer having the customer identification information;

assembling a second upper with a second sole so that the second upper is permanently joined with the second sole to form a second article of footwear, the second sole comprising a structural characteristic having a second value;

providing the second article of footwear to the customer; and

designating the second article of footwear as being owned by the customer having the customer identification information.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the first sole is lasted to the first upper and wherein the second sole is lasted to the second upper.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the structural characteristic is shoe width.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein the structural characteristic is arch height.

23. The method according to claim 19, wherein the structural characteristic is a full length cushioning level for a sole.