US 12,008,617 B2Granted

Systems for producing articles of footwear having customized stability

AssigneeNIKE, Inc.

InventorsChristopher S. Cook, Shane S. Kohatsu, Bret Schoolmeester, Daniel T. Rowe

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Abstract

The disclosed systems provide ways to manufacture a style of an article of footwear in bulk, while providing customization for heel stability for individual customers. Moreover, the disclosed systems provide ways to customize articles of footwear for a customer on an ongoing basis, such that the heel stability of the articles of footwear is refined until a tailored fit is achieved for the same customer. Generally, the process may include providing a user/customer with an article of footwear, getting evaluation information about the stability of the article of footwear from a survey (e.g., asking the user to rate the stability of the article of footwear in a smartphone app), modifying the next article of footwear provided to the user/customer according to the evaluation information, and iterating through this process to give the user an article optimized for stability.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system for manufacturing sole members for articles of footwear having customized heel stability, comprising:

a computing system that receives input data including a user evaluation of heel stability of a first article of footwear, the first article of footwear having a first sole structure with a forefoot region, a heel region opposite the forefoot region, and a midfoot region disposed between the forefoot region and the heel region, wherein the first article of footwear has a first heel stiffness profile, wherein the computing system stores information relating to the first article of footwear in a manner to associate the first article of footwear:
(a) with a user and (b) with a first specific iteration of a customization cycle associated with the user, and wherein the computing system further stores the users evaluation of the heel stability of the first article of footwear in a manner to associate the user evaluation, (a) as being received from the user and as relating to the first article of footwear and (b) as relating to the first specific iteration of the customization cycle;
a cutting device controllable to cut apertures or grooves in a material for a footwear sole member;
and
a midsole for a second article of footwear, the second article of footwear having a second sole structure with a forefoot region, a heel region opposite the forefoot region, and a midfoot region disposed between the forefoot region and the heel region, wherein the cutting device is controllable to cut apertures or grooves in the midsole based on the user evaluation of the heel stability of the first article of footwear to thereby provide the second sole structure for the second article of footwear with a second heel stiffness profile that is different from the first heel stiffness profile, and
wherein the computing system further stores information relating to the second article of footwear in a manner to associate the second article of footwear, (a) with the user and (b) with a second specific iteration of the customization cycle associated with the user.

3 more elements

A system for manufacturing sole members for articles of footwear having customized heel stability, comprising:

a data transmission system for transmitting data to a user including data for generating an evaluation system on the user's computing system, wherein the evaluation system allows the user to input data evaluating a heel stability of a first article of footwear, the first article of footwear having a first sole structure with a forefoot region, a heel region opposite the forefoot region, and a midfoot region disposed between the forefoot region and the heel region, wherein the first article of footwear has a first heel stiffness profile;
a computing system that receives input data including a user evaluation of the heel stability of the first article of footwear;
a cutting device controllable to cut apertures or grooves in a midsole for a second article of footwear, the second article of footwear having a second sole structure with a forefoot region, a heel region opposite the forefoot region, and a midfoot region disposed between the forefoot region and the heel region, wherein the cutting device is controllable to cut apertures or grooves in the midsole based on the user evaluation of the heel stability of the first article of footwear to thereby provide the second sole structure of the second article of footwear with a second heel stiffness profile that is different from the first heel stiffness profile,
wherein the computing system stores information relating to the first article of footwear in a manner to associate the first article of footwear:
(a) with the user and (b) with a first specific iteration of a customization cycle associated with the user,
wherein the computing system further stores the user evaluation of the heel stability of the first article of footwear in a manner to associate the user evaluation:
(a) as being received from the user and as relating to the first article of footwear and (b) as relating to the first specific iteration of the customization cycle, and
wherein the computing system further stores information relating to the second article of footwear in a manner to associate the second article of footwear:
(a) with the user and (b) with a second specific iteration of the customization cycle associated with the user.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/677,515Filed 22 Feb 2022 · continuation
Priority: 26 Feb 2016
Published: US 2022/0172268 A12 Jun 2022
Granted: 11 Jun 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

G06Q 30/0621
Electronic shopping [e-shopping]: by configuring or customising goods or services
A43B 7/144
Characterised by the location under the foot: situated under the heel, i.e. the calcaneus bone
A43B 13/026
Characterised by the material: composites, e.g. carbon fibre or aramid fibre; the sole, one or more sole layers or sole part being made of a composite
A43B 13/04
Characterised by the material: plastics, rubber or vulcanised fibre

Family

Application15/055,086Parent of this continuation · filed 26 Feb 2016
Application16/774,868Parent of this continuation · filed 28 Jan 2020
US 10,582,740 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 10 Mar 2020
US 2022/0172268 A1Pre-grant publication · published 2 Jun 2022
US 11,288,724 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2017/0245588 A1Published application
US 2020/0163410 A1Published application
US 12,008,617 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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