Sole structure for a deconstructable footwear article
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsSean Lu, Darryl Matthews, William Moroski, Danielle L. Taylor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This disclosure relates to a sole structure for an article of footwear. Components of the sole structure—e.g., a midsole core, a midsole carrier, and an outsole—may be secured to one another using one or more cables. The sole structure may likewise be secured to other elements of the article of footwear using the one or more cables. Thus, the article of footwear, including the sole structure, may be constructed without the use of an adhesive and may be easily disassembled, improving recyclability.
Claims20
A footwear article comprising:
- an upper at least partially enclosing a foot-receiving cavity;
- a sole coupled to the upper, the sole comprising:
- a midsole carrier component comprising:
- a superior surface facing towards the foot-receiving cavity;
- an inferior surface facing away from the foot-receiving cavity;
- a through hole extending from the superior surface to the inferior surface;
- an outsole component having a portion positioned adjacent the superior surface and comprising a traction lug positioned in the through hole and protruding away from the foot-receiving cavity and beyond the inferior surface;
- and
- a midsole core component adjacent the portion of the outsole component and the superior surface, the portion of the outsole component being positioned between the superior surface and the midsole core component.
A method comprising:
- positioning an outsole component adjacent to a superior surface of a midsole carrier component, the outsole component comprising a traction lug;
- inserting the traction lug through a through hole of the midsole carrier component, wherein the traction lug protrudes beyond an inferior surface of the midsole carrier component;
- stacking a midsole core component atop the outsole component such that the outsole component is positioned between the midsole carrier component and the midsole core component;
- and
- threading a cable through a first set of through holes in the midsole core component and a second set of through holes in the midsole carrier component.
A footwear article comprising:
- an upper at least partially enclosing a foot-receiving cavity;
- and
- a sole coupled to the upper, the sole comprising:
- a midsole carrier component comprising a superior surface, wherein the superior surface faces towards the foot-receiving cavity;
- a midsole core component arranged between the superior surface of the midsole carrier component and the foot-receiving cavity;
- and
- a cable extending through, and attaching, at least the midsole core component and the midsole carrier component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.