Abstract: A vacuum formed knit sole system for an article of footwear incorporating a knitted component is described. The article of footwear includes a knitted component including a lower portion forming the knit sole system and an upper portion forming a portion of the upper of the article of footwear. A method of vacuum forming the knitted component using an insert member to form the knit sole system is also described. The insert member can be used to form the shape of the knit outsole, including the shape of cleat members, as well as remain within the interior of the upper to reinforce the knit sole system.

Abstract: Method for producing a customized midsole and a customized cleat representation for an article of footwear comprising a knit outsole. The method includes obtaining information relating to a customized cleat arrangement in a knit outsole and other information relating to a midsole customized to the user's foot and having cleat reinforcements arranged to match the cleat arrangement on the knit outsole. The information is used to form an article of footwear including the customized knit outsole and the customized midsole.

Abstract: A material that includes at least one layer made of an auxetic structure and articles of footwear having soles comprising the materials. When the material is under tension, it expands in both the direction under tension and in the directional orthogonal to the direction under tension. The articles of footwear have soles that have at least one layer made of a material that has a pattern of apertures to provide the auxetic structure. The apertures are surrounded by sole portions that can rotate or pivot to change the size of the apertures.

Abstract: An article of footwear may include an outer member comprising a first ground engaging member extending substantially downward from the outer surface of an outer member. Ground engaging members may be auxetic structures that can increase their dimensions in a direction that is orthogonal to the direction of applied force or tension. The outer member may have a substantially uniform thickness. Ground engaging member shapes may include various polygonal features. The first ground engaging member may have a substantially three-pointed star-shaped pyramidal structure. The first ground engaging member may have three arm portions, a central region, a central tip, and an apex. The outer member may have an inner surface with apertures that correspond with the ground engaging members of the outer surface.

Abstract: An article of footwear including a sole system, including an upper and the sole system. The sole system includes a knitted component incorporating a one-piece knit outsole. The knit outsole has a ground-facing side, a top side, and a ground-engaging cleat member protruding from the ground-facing side of the knit outsole. The upper is connected at its bottom to the top side of the knit outsole.

Abstract: A sole structure includes a sole component, which has an inner surface and an outer surface opposite the inner surface. The sole component has a length and a thickness. The sole component includes a sole material, and the sole material has a density. At least one of the thickness or the density varies along the length of the sole component. The sole component defines a plurality of holes extending from at least one of the inner surface and the outer surface and arranged to form an auxetic structure. The auxetic structure is configured such that, when the sole component is tensioned in a first direction, the sole component expands in both the first direction and in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. A property of the auxetic structure varies as a function of the density or the thickness of the sole component.

Abstract: A sole for article of footwear includes a midsole component having an inner surface and an outer surface opposite the inner surface. A plurality of blind holes each extends from the outer surface toward the inner surface. The plurality of blind holes are arranged in an auxetic configuration in the outer surface. Each hole in the plurality of holes extends towards the inner surface. The plurality of blind holes is arranged in a pattern that provides a tunable performance characteristic. The patterns of blind holes vary between different regions of the midsole component to provide different types of responses in the different regions.

Abstract: A method for applying a thermoreactive seam tape to a seam is provided. The thermoreactive seam tape may be positioned adjacent to the seam, which may include a first fabric surface and an adjacent second fabric surface. The thermoreactive seam tape may include an interior planar surface that engages both the first fabric surface and the second fabric surface of the seam. The thermoreactive seam tape may further include an exterior surface opposite the interior surface, where the exterior surface is substantially non-planar with respect to the interior planar surface along a length of the thermoreactive seam tape. Heat and pressure may be applied to the thermoreactive seam tape, wherein the heat and the pressure facilitate adhesion of the thermoreactive seam tape to the first fabric surface and the second fabric surface of the seam.

Abstract: An article of footwear may include a sole structure comprising an outer member and a plurality of ground engaging members, including a first ground engaging member. The ground engaging members extend substantially downward from the outer surface of a sole structure. Ground engaging members, or cleats, may be auxetic structures that can increase their dimensions in a direction that is orthogonal to the direction of applied force or tension. The ground engaging members may comprise a series of faces joined along hinge portions that allow ground engaging members to flatten and expand significantly. The first ground engaging member may have a substantially three-pointed star-shaped pyramidal structure. The outer member may have a more elastic material than the material comprising the faces of ground engaging member. The outer member may have an inner surface with apertures that correspond with the ground engaging members of the outer surface.

Abstract: An article of footwear has an auxetic sole structure formed from members surrounding apertures. The members may have a trapezoidal geometry. Adjoining members are hingedly connected, so that they can rotate with respect to each other in the plane of the sole structure. The rotation allows the auxetic sole structure to expand when tension is applied.

Abstract: An article of footwear includes a sole structure with a midsole component and an inner sole component. The midsole component includes holes arranged in an auxetic configuration. The midsole component and the inner sole component may have a different density. The midsole component and the inner sole component may have a different compressibility.

Abstract: An article of footwear includes a sole structure with a midsole component. The midsole component includes a plurality of holes arranged in an auxetic configuration. The plurality of holes includes through holes and blind holes.

Abstract: A method of customizing the sole structure of an article of footwear includes providing a sole structure with a sole component having an inner surface and an opposite-facing outer surface. The sole component includes a plurality of inner recesses extending from the inner surface and a plurality of outer recesses extending from the outer surface, the plurality of inner recesses include a blind-hole inner recess, the plurality of outer recesses include a blind-hole outer recess, and the blind-hole inner recess is generally aligned with the blind hole outer recess along a vertical direction. The plurality of inner recesses and the plurality of outer recesses provide the sole component with an auxetic structure. The method further includes adjusting the flexibility of the sole component by selectively cutting or removing material from one or both of the blind-hole inner recess and the blind-hole outer recess.

Abstract: Woven products using combined materials are provided. An intermittent weaving splicer terminates and combines materials having different functional and/or aesthetic properties to create woven products that reflect the different properties of the combined material. Further, a dynamic tensioner variably adjusts tension on the combined materials based on the different properties of the combined material.

Abstract: The present disclosure, in one aspect, provides an upper for an article of footwear. The upper may include a knitted component. The knitted component may include a knit element, a first tensile strand with an exposed first end, and a second tensile strand with an exposed second end. The first tensile strand may be at least partially inlaid within the knit element, the second tensile strand may be at least partially inlaid within the knit element, and the exposed first end of the first tensile element may be secured to the exposed second end of the second tensile element.

Abstract: A material that includes at least one layer made of an auxetic structure and articles of footwear having soles comprising the materials. When the material is under tension, it expands in both the direction under tension and in the directional orthogonal to the direction under tension. The articles of footwear have soles that have at least one layer made of a material that has a pattern of sole elements with apertures. The sole elements have may rotate with respect to each other when the sole is under lateral or longitudinal tension, thus increasing the lateral and longitudinal dimensions of the sole. One or more auxetic or flat liners may be used to prevent entry of debris into the apertures.

Abstract: An article of footwear includes a sole structure with a midsole component and an inner sole component. The midsole component includes holes arranged in an auxetic configuration. The midsole component and the inner sole component may have a different density. The midsole component and the inner sole component may have a different compressibility.

Abstract: An article of footwear has an auxetic sole structure formed from members surrounding apertures. The members may have a trapezoidal geometry. Adjoining members are hingedly connected, so that they can rotate with respect to each other in the plane of the sole structure. The rotation allows the auxetic sole structure to expand when tension is applied.

Abstract: A material that includes at least one layer made of an auxetic structure and articles of footwear having soles comprising the materials. The articles of footwear have sole components that have at least one layer made of a material that has a pattern of geometrical patterns. The geometrical patterns have hinged portions that rotate with respect to each other when the sole is under lateral or longitudinal tension, thus increasing the lateral and longitudinal dimensions of the sole. The sole component may include a pattern of recesses with varying depths, sizes, and shapes disposed along the inner surface as well as the outer surface of the sole component.

Abstract: An article of footwear includes a sole structure with a midsole component. The midsole component includes a plurality of holes arranged in an auxetic configuration. The plurality of holes includes through holes and blind holes. The blind holes surround the through holes.