Abstract: An article of footwear and a method of manufacturing the article of footwear are disclosed. The footwear may include an upper and a sole structure. The upper incorporates a textile element with edges that are joined together to define at least a portion of a void for receiving a foot. The textile element may have a first area with a first property and a second area with a second property. Various warp or weft knitting processes, including flat knitting, may be utilized to form the textile element.

Abstract: A layered engagement structure includes a first layer with a multiple of openings, the first layer at least partially corresponds to a shape of a foot sole and a multiple of columns, each of the multiple of columns correspond with one of the multiple of openings in the first layer to extend at least partially therein.

Abstract: An article of footwear may include a sole and a stability element. The sole may have a receiving channel extending from a sole bottom surface toward a sole top surface. The receiving channel may have a first groove at an outer perimeter of the receiving channel and a second groove at an inner perimeter of the receiving channel. The stability element may have a first tongue protruding from an outer perimeter of a body of the stability element and a second tongue protruding from an inner perimeter of the body of the stability element. In an exemplary aspect, the first groove of the receiving channel is configured to receive the first tongue of the stability element, and the second groove of the receiving channel is configured to receive the second tongue of the stability element as the stability element is maintained, at least in part, within the receiving channel.

Abstract: An article of footwear and a method of manufacturing the article of footwear are disclosed. The footwear may include an upper and a sole structure. The upper incorporates a textile element with edges that are joined together to define at least a portion of a void for receiving a foot. The textile element may have apertures formed by omitting stitches and non-textile elements on the lateral side and in the heel area. Various warp or weft knitting processes, including flat knitting, may be utilized to form the textile element.

Abstract: An article of footwear and a method of manufacturing the article of footwear are disclosed. The footwear may include an upper and a sole structure. The upper incorporates a textile element with edges that are joined together to define at least a portion of a void for receiving a foot. The textile element may comprise one or more of an inner layer, outer layer, or intermediate layer of the upper. Various warp or weft knitting processes, including flat knitting, may be utilized to form the textile element.

Abstract: An upper for an article of footwear comprises one or more tactile-feedback members. The tactile-feedback members include a first ridge and a second ridge formed in one or more textile elements of the upper. The first ridge and the second ridge protrude from an outward-facing surface of the textile elements and away from the inward-facing surface of the textile elements and extend toward a midfoot region of the upper from a rear-foot region. The first ridge and the second ridge further comprise an arch shape, and the first ridge is superior to the second ridge. The upper may further include other tactile-feedback members, including a finger pad on the heel side of the upper, the finger pad comprising a non-textile material, and a forefoot grip extending over at least a portion of the superior surface of the upper in the forefoot region.

Abstract: A structure including hard bone portion extending to a sole side face outer side at a time of pressure reception, and elastic soft skin portion provided at an outer side of the hard bone portion, absorbs impact at a time of landing and the like, where at least part of the hard bone portion is along sole side face, and the elastic soft skin portion have a structure wherein at a time of pressure reception, the hard bone portion undergoes bending deformation in a vertical section to extend to the sole lateral side, and by receiving the deformation, the elastic soft skin portion undergoes elastic deformation to bulge to the sole lateral side to absorb a received pressure load, thereafter, with decompression, the elastic soft skin portion undergoes elastic deformation to contract to the sole inner side, and with this, the hard bone portion is restored to an initial state.

Abstract: A sole structure for a sport shoe can increase accelerating force during activities and achieve quick movements. A sole assembly 1 for an indoor shoe includes a sole body 2 formed of a soft elastic member and a plate-like member or planar sheet member 3 that is disposed at a position under the first to fourth distal phalanx DP1-DP4 of the wearer's foot on a foot sole contact surface 2A of the sole body 2, and that has a higher hardness than that of the sole body 2. The plate-like member 3 extends arcuately substantially in the foot width direction along the toes of the wearer's foot and has a narrow part 3C of a short length in the foot length direction, or a spacing gap, at a region between the first toe and the second toe.

Abstract: A shoe including a sole having specific characteristics, namely a width, a length, a thickness and a front/rear profile, where the sole is made with materials having a certain type of deformation and lateral reinforcements emerging from the sole and surrounding the upper that are suitable for significantly increasing both performance, such as speed and reduced fatigue, and user comfort, such as reduced impact on knees, back, leg muscles, of the shoe, which are particularly suited for use when jogging or walking on uneven outdoor surfaces, as well as for jogging or walking on roads. Furthermore, the characteristics of the sole, such as the spike surface and deformation when contacting the ground, improve safety for a user by providing enhanced grip on sloping terrain as well as on snow-covered or wet terrain.

Abstract: A reinforcement component for an article of footwear is formed by a folded knit element. The knit element includes a plurality of strap members that are separated by slits when the knit element is in a contracted position. In an expanded position, the slits become openings between the plurality of strap members. The knit element has an upper portion that is folded over a lower portion so that ends of the plurality of strap members are brought together and a plurality of loops are formed along a top of the folded knit element. The folded knit element forms the reinforcement component and the plurality of loops are configured to receive a lace. Forces applied to the reinforcement component by the lace are distributed through the plurality of strap members across the upper of the article of footwear.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a midsole includes placing first and second preforms into a midsole recess of a mold, with first and second portions of the mold defining a first overflow chamber connected to the first recess; closing the mold by positioning the first and second portions in contact with one another; heating the mold for a predetermined period of time at a predetermined temperature such that the first and second preforms melt and bond together to form a midsole, with a portion of each of the first and second preforms flowing into the first overflow chamber to form a first overflow portion; removing the midsole from the mold; allowing the midsole to expand; and cutting away the first overflow portion.

Abstract: An upper portion of a footwear is detachably attached, the attached upper portion is sufficiently prevented from being removed, and the footwear can be thinner. To attach an upper portion (5) on an outsole portion (3), a plurality of insertion pieces (15) made of a material having elasticity is formed on a periphery of the upper portion (5). A locking hole (19) is formed on each of the insertion pieces (15). Insertion holes (21) are formed on the outsole portion (3) at a position of each of the insertion pieces (15) in a state that the upper portion (5) is attached so that the insertion pieces (15) is inserted into and penetrated through the insertion holes (21). Locking protrusions (31) are formed on the outsole portion (3) to lock the locking hole (19) in this state.

Abstract: An assembly includes a shoe and a device connected with the shoe to support the ankle, wherein the device includes a shaped piece which surrounds the ankle at least at the rear and is formed corresponding to the malleoli of the ankle. A shaped piece and a shoe suitable for use in the assembly and a set of the shaped piece and a fixing element for attachment to a shoe are also described.

Abstract: The present invention is footwear having opposing wedge shaped configurations in the bottom of the front sole section and the back sole section which provide rotation of the front sole section and the back sole section in opposite directions when weight is applied. The present invention is also footwear convex shaped in the longitudinal direction with a split sole having opposing wedge shaped configurations in the bottom of the front sole section and the back sole section that provide rotation of the front sole section and the back sole section in opposite directions when weight is applied. The invention further includes footwear having at least one pair of wedges on the outsole which provide footwear having improved arch support. The invention is also footwear with a flexible, elastic, member between the front sole section and the back sole section of the sole.

Abstract: An upper for an article of footwear may have material layers and a plurality of strand segments. The material layers are located adjacent to each other and in an overlapping configuration, and the material layers are located in a lace region and a lower region of the upper. The strand segments extend from the lace region to the lower region. The strand segments may be located and secured between the material layers in the lace region and the lower region. The strand segments may form both an exterior surface of the upper and an opposite interior surface of the upper in an area between the lace region and the lower region. The material layers may define an opening between the lace region and the lower region, and the strand segments extend across the opening.

Abstract: An outsole includes: a plate-like base; a plurality of first cleats protruding in the downward direction from the base to form the tread surface, wherein the plurality of first cleats are arranged in the longitudinal direction and in the transverse direction; and a concave surface recessed in the downward direction on the upper surface of each of the first cleats, wherein: the lower surface of the midsole includes a convex surface formed by a surface of a convex portion protruding in the downward direction from a base of the midsole; the concave surface and the convex surface are in contact with, and attached to, each other; and a distance from the tread surface in each of the first cleats to a top of the convex surface is greater than a thickness of the base.

Abstract: An article of footwear includes an upper and a sole structure with a sole member. The sole member can be manufactured using a system that modifies the forefoot cushioning of the sole member over a series of footwear purchases. The modifications can be configured to correspond to a customer's evaluation of the forefoot cushioning previously purchased. The sole member can include a set of apertures or incisions that are formed along various surfaces of the sole member to adjust the cushioning characteristics of the sole member.

Abstract: Flip flop sandals with a barrier around a perimeter of a sole. The barrier forms a continuous loop, thereby protecting the feet from wind and water in all directions. The flip flops comprise a medial strap, a lateral strap and a toe strap attached to the sole at locations interior to the barrier. The barrier protects the feet from water splashes, puddles, wet grass and wind. The barrier height can be in the range of 0.5-4 inches or 0.7-3 inches. Alternatively, the barrier height can be at least 40% or ½ a length of the toe strap. The barrier can be made of closed cell foam or plastic film. The attachment between the sole and barrier can be water tight.

Abstract: An article of footwear is disclosed having at least one elongated heel support member. The elongated heel support member may be angled and extend from a heel region to a midfoot region, in order to disperse forces applied by a wearer's heel during movement. The heel system may include two heel support members, each associated with a side of the article of footwear. The article of footwear may also include a series of ribs in the midfoot region, which may abut a front edge of the heel support members. Finally, the article of footwear may include asymmetric side flaps extending downward from an upper plate so as to overlap a midsole.

Abstract: An article of footwear includes a sole structure that has a heel portion with a rear, a lateral side, and a medial side. The article of footwear includes a heel extender that has a rear segment disposed at the rear of the heel portion, a lateral arm disposed at the lateral side of the heel portion, and a medial arm disposed at the medial side of the heel portion. The heel extender has a protuberance that establishes a rearmost extent of the article of footwear. The sole structure has a first hardness and the protuberance has a second hardness greater than the first hardness.