# US 11,432,616 B2 · Method of customizing a sole structure of an article of footwear

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- Number: US 11,432,616 B2
- Document ID: US11432616B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/656,661
- Filed: 2019-10-18
- Published: 2020-02-13
- Granted: 2022-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2013-09-18
- Assignees: NIKE, Inc.
- Applicants: NIKE, Inc.
- Inventors: Tory M. Cross; Kevin W. Hoffer; David P. Jones; Patrick B. Kirschner; Elizabeth Langvin; James C. Meschter
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11432616B2

## CPC

- A43B 13/141: {with a part of the sole being flexible, e.g. permitting articulation or torsion}
- A43B 1/0009: {made at least partially of alveolar or honeycomb material}
- A43B 3/0073: {Y-shaped}
- A43B 5/06: Running shoes; Track shoes
- A43B 5/10: Tennis shoes
- A43B 13/04: Plastics, rubber or vulcanised fibre
- A43B 13/122: {characterised by the outsole or external layer}
- A43B 13/14: characterised by the constructive form
- A43B 13/181: {Resiliency achieved by the structure of the sole}
- 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)}
- A43B 13/187: {Resiliency achieved by the features of the material, e.g. foam, non liquid materials}
- A43B 13/188: {Differential cushioning regions}
- B29C 44/357: {Auxetic foams, i.e. material with negative Poisson ratio; anti rubber; dilatational; re-entrant}
- B29D 35/0063: {Moulds}
- B29D 35/122: {Soles}
- A43B: CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- B29D: PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE (making granules B29B9/00; making preforms B29B11/00)

## 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 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.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of customizing a sole structure of an article of footwear, the method comprising:
adjusting a flexibility of a sole component of the sole structure, the sole component having an inner surface and an outer surface, and wherein the outer surface is on an opposite side of the sole component from the inner surface;
wherein 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 including a blind-hole inner recess, the plurality of outer recesses including a blind-hole outer recess, and wherein the blind-hole inner recess is generally aligned with the blind hole outer recess along a vertical direction; and
wherein adjusting the flexibility of the sole component includes selectively cutting or removing material from an inner surface of one or both of the blind-hole inner recess and the blind-hole outer recess.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein selectively cutting or removing material from one or both of the blind-hole inner recess and the blind-hole outer recess includes increasing a depth of one or both of the blind-hole inner recess and the blind-hole outer recess.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein selectively cutting or removing material from one or both of the blind-hole inner recess and the blind-hole outer recess fluidly couples the blind-hole inner recess and the blind-hole outer recess.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein fluidly coupling the blind-hole inner recess and the blind-hole outer recess forms a through-hole aperture that is open through both the inner surface and the outer surface of the sole component.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein selectively cutting or removing material includes applying laser energy to the sole component.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein selectively cutting or removing material includes contacting the sole component with a hot-knife.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the blind-hole inner recess is spaced apart from the blind-hole outer recess by an interior region of the sole component, the interior region having a thickness that extends in the vertical direction between a first interior surface associated with the blind-hole inner recess and a second interior surface associated with the blind-hole outer recess; and
wherein selectively cutting or removing material includes decreasing the thickness of the interior region.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein providing the sole structure includes forming the sole structure having the plurality of inner recesses and the plurality of outer recesses via molding the sole component.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein molding the sole component includes:
selecting a first mold, wherein the first mold includes one or more first projections for forming the plurality of inner recesses, each having a first depth;
selecting a second mold, wherein the second mold includes one or more second projections for forming the plurality of outer recesses, each having a second depth;
wherein each height of the one or more first projections is less than a thickness of the portion of the sole component;
forming a first pattern of the inner recesses on the inner surface of the sole component;
wherein each height of the one or more second projections is less than the thickness of the portion of the sole component;
forming a second pattern of the outer recesses on the outer surface of the sole component;
removing the first mold from the sole component; and
removing the second mold from the sole component.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the blind-hole inner recess is three-pointed star-shaped with at least three inner arms, and the blind-hole outer recess is three-pointed star-shaped with at least three outer arms; and
wherein selectively cutting or removing material from one or both of the blind-hole inner recess and the blind-hole outer recess includes cutting or removing material from each of the three inner arms and/or each of the three outer arms.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the blind-hole inner recess is a first blind-hole inner recess and the blind-hole outer recess is a first blind-hole outer recess;
wherein the plurality of inner recesses further includes a second blind-hole inner recess, the plurality of outer recesses further includes a second blind-hole outer recess, and wherein the second blind-hole inner recess is generally aligned with the second blind hole outer recess along a vertical direction; and
wherein adjusting the flexibility of the sole component further includes selectively cutting or removing material from one or both of the second blind-hole inner recess and the second blind-hole outer recess.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the flexibility of the sole component is adjusted differently proximate the first blind-hole inner recess than proximate the second blind-hole inner recess.