Systems and methods for manufacturing an article of footwear

A method of manufacturing a foam component of a sole structure, the method comprising:

• positioning a preformed component within a cavity of an autoclave,
• heating the preformed component to be at or above a glass transition temperature of a material of the preformed component;
• pressurizing the autoclave;
• injecting a blowing agent into the cavity of the autoclave, the blowing agent becoming a supercritical fluid that saturates the preformed component;
• and
• dropping the pressure within the cavity of the autoclave to cause nucleation of the supercritical fluid within the preformed component, and to expand and crystallize the material of the preformed component to form a desired final shape of the foam component,
• wherein a density of the foam component averages less than 0.13 g/cm3 and has a variance of less than or equal to approximately 15%, and
• wherein a shore C hardness of the foam component is less than about 45.

An article of footwear, comprising:

• an upper;
• and
• a midsole coupled to the upper,
• wherein at least one of the upper and the midsole includes a supercritical foam made of a thermoplastic polymer that has a density that averages less than approximately 0.13 g/cm3, a variance of less than or equal to approximately 15%, and a shore C hardness less than about 45.