Article of footwear with weight-activated cinching apparatus

An article of footwear configured to be worn on a foot of a wearer, the article of footwear including a forefoot region and a heel region, the article of footwear defining a longitudinal direction that extends generally between the forefoot region and the heel region, the article of footwear comprising:

• an upper having a closed position and an open position;
• a cinching apparatus configured to move the upper between the closed position and the open position, the cinching apparatus including:
• a base;
• and
• a spring pad having a heel portion, a forefoot portion, and an intermediate portion that is disposed between the heel portion and the forefoot portion, the forefoot portion being fixed in position relative to the base, the intermediate portion having a first position where the spring pad is at least partially curved in the direction of the upper and the intermediate portion being configured to move from the first position toward a second position where the spring pad is substantially flat when a load is applied to the intermediate portion and to automatically return to the first position when the load is removed from the intermediate portion;
• wherein the heel portion is configured to slide along the base in the longitudinal direction as the intermediate portion moves between the first position and the second position;
• wherein as the intermediate portion moves between the first position and the second position, the cinching apparatus causes the upper to move between the open position and the closed position.

An article of footwear configured to be worn on a foot of a wearer, the article of footwear comprising:

• an upper having a closed position and an open position;
• a securement device attached to the upper and configured to move the upper between the closed position and the open position;
• and
• a sole structure that includes:
• a base with a first side and a second side, the first side being opposite the second side, the second side including a rail with a groove, the base including an opening and a latch;
• an abutment member that is received within the groove, the abutment member configured to slide along the rail within the groove;
• a spring pad that is supported by the first side of the base, the spring pad being elastic and bendable, the spring pad having a first portion, a second portion that contacts the base, and a third portion disposed between the first portion and the second portion, the spring pad configured to elastically bend between a first position where the third portion of the spring pad is at least partially curved in a direction away from the base when unloaded and a second position where the spring pad is substantially flat when loaded, and the second portion maintains contact with the base and slides across the base generally in the longitudinal direction as the third portion moves between the first position and the second position;
• a first attachment at which the spring pad and the base are fixed together;
• a second attachment at which the spring pad and the abutment member are fixed through the opening in the base, a distance between the first attachment and the second attachment varying as the third portion of the spring pad moves between the first position and the second position, the second attachment configured to move within the opening as the third portion of the spring pad moves between the first position and the second position, the spring pad configured to slide the abutment member along the rail as the third portion of the spring pad moves between the first position and the second position;
• a shuttle that engages the securement device and that is received within the groove, the shuttle configured to slide along the rail within the groove, the shuttle having a retained position and a released position, the shuttle being latched to the latch of the base in the retained position, the shuttle configured to move relative to the base along the groove in the released position;
• and
• a biasing member that is connected to the second attachment and the shuttle, the biasing member biasing the shuttle toward the released position;
• wherein the spring pad is configured to elastically flatten from the first position toward the second position in response to a load applied by the wearer, causing the abutment member to slide and release the shuttle from the retained position to the released position, which allows the shuttle to pull the securement device to move the upper from the open position toward the closed position;
• and
• wherein the spring pad is configured to automatically return to the first position and to move the upper from the closed position toward the open position when the load applied by the wearer is removed.