A process and system allow for rapid customization and fabrication of the midsole layer of a shoe for the mass manufacturing of shoes with custom midsoles. A partially manufactured shoe is made, a style is selected by the wearer, and a custom midsole is rapidly designed, and incorporated in the partially manufactured shoe style selected by the wearer. Also, in some shoes, reorganization relocates the midsole to the interior of the shoe during manufacturing.

Physical foaming a footwear component with a single-phase solution of a polymeric composition and a supercritical fluid is provided. The method include temperature conditioning a mold and then engaging the mold with a robot that conveys the mold to a press. At the press a gas counter pressure is applied to a cavity of the mold before injecting a single-phase solution of a polymeric composition and a supercritical fluid into the cavity of the mold. The process continues with releasing the gas counter pressure from the cavity of the mold and then removing the footwear component from the cavity of the mold. The parameters of the method are configured for the formation of the footwear component in an automated manner.

Physical foaming a footwear component with a single-phase solution of a polymeric composition and a supercritical fluid is provided. The method include temperature conditioning a mold and then engaging the mold with a robot that conveys the mold to a press. At the press a gas counter pressure is applied to a cavity of the mold before injecting a single-phase solution of a polymeric composition and a supercritical fluid into the cavity of the mold. The process continues with releasing the gas counter pressure from the cavity of the mold and then removing the footwear component from the cavity of the mold. The parameters of the method are configured for the formation of the footwear component in an automated manner.

A system including an injector, a press, and a robotic conveyance is used to form a physically foamed article of footwear component from a single-phase solution of a polymeric composition and a supercritical fluid. The parameters and features of the system are configured for the formation of the footwear component in an automated manner with enhanced throughput by the system.

A system including an injector, a press, and a robotic conveyance is used to form a physically foamed article of footwear component from a single-phase solution of a polymeric composition and a supercritical fluid. The parameters and features of the system are configured for the formation of the footwear component in an automated manner with enhanced throughput by the system.

A custom footwear sole component may have an upper surface conforming to a lower surface of an underfoot component. A method of making the custom sole component includes detecting a shape of a lower surface of the underfoot component. An upper surface of the sole component may be designed that has an upper surface conforming to the detected shape of the lower surface of the underfoot component. The sole-component upper-surface design may conform to three-dimensional geometrical surface data describing an as-worn shape of the lower surface of the underfoot component. Portions of the upper surface of the sole component may extend beyond an upper surface of the underfoot component to form with the underfoot component a combined continuous upper surface. The designed sole component and custom footwear may then be manufactured.

A custom footwear sole component may have an upper surface conforming to a lower surface of an underfoot component. A method of making the custom sole component includes detecting a shape of a lower surface of the underfoot component. An upper surface of the sole component may be designed that has an upper surface conforming to the detected shape of the lower surface of the underfoot component. The sole-component upper-surface design may conform to three-dimensional geometrical surface data describing an as-worn shape of the lower surface of the underfoot component. Portions of the upper surface of the sole component may extend beyond an upper surface of the underfoot component to form with the underfoot component a combined continuous upper surface. The designed sole component and custom footwear may then be manufactured.

An article of footwear includes an upper and a sole coupled to the upper, where the sole includes dispensed components having a non-hollow spiral geometry. The spiral dispensed components may be dispensed onto the upper and may extend vertically from the upper with layers of the spiral geometry stacked on top of each other. The spiral dispensed components are disposed adjacent to each other along lateral and longitudinal directions of the sole.

An article of footwear includes an upper and a sole coupled to the upper, where the sole includes dispensed components having a non-hollow spiral geometry. The spiral dispensed components may be dispensed onto the upper and may extend vertically from the upper with layers of the spiral geometry stacked on top of each other. The spiral dispensed components are disposed adjacent to each other along lateral and longitudinal directions of the sole.

Physical foaming a footwear component with a single-phase solution of a polymeric composition and a supercritical fluid is provided. The method include temperature conditioning a mold and then engaging the mold with a robot that conveys the mold to a press. At the press a gas counter pressure is applied to a cavity of the mold before injecting a single-phase solution of a polymeric composition and a supercritical fluid into the cavity of the mold. The process continues with releasing the gas counter pressure from the cavity of the mold and then removing the footwear component from the cavity of the mold. The parameters of the method are configured for the formation of the footwear component in an automated manner.