Articulated sole structure with rearwardly angled mediolateral midfoot sipes

An article of footwear, comprising:

• an upper;
• and
• a flexible midsole coupled to the upper, the midsole including a plurality of downwardly extending sipes, wherein
• the plurality of sipes includes a plurality of rearwardly-angled mediolateral sipes in a midfoot region, each of the rearwardly-angled mediolateral sipes extending across the entire width of the midsole from a medial edge of the midsole to a lateral edge of the midsole, and
• regions of the midsole above the rearwardly-angled mediolateral sipes have a thickness between 0 and 10 millimeters.

An articulated sole structure, comprising:

• a midsole, wherein
• the midsole includes a spanning portion extending longitudinally along the length of the midsole and transversely between the medial and lateral sides of the midsole,
• the midsole includes an articulated portion comprising a plurality of discrete sole elements extending downward from the spanning portion and defined by a plurality of sipes extending upward into the articulated portion,
• the plurality of sipes includes a plurality of curved rearwardly-angled mediolateral sipes in a midfoot region, each of the curved rearwardly-angled mediolateral sipes extending across the entire width of the sole structure from a medial edge of the sole structure to a lateral edge of the sole structure, and
• wherein each of the curved rearwardly-angled mediolateral sipes has an average angle, relative to a longitudinal axis of the midsole and in a rear lateral quadrant of an intersection with the longitudinal axis, between approximately 45 degrees and approximately 70 degrees.