A method of manufacturing footwear and an article of footwear having a tapered heel in part defining an impact point associated with a padded impact zone which first strikes a surface upon a foot plant and a plate embedded within a sole of the article such that the plate supports the heel of the sole from flexing or collapsing. The impact point is part of an impact area (F) positioned adjacent an ankle pivot axis of the wearer's ankle, and in one aspect is positioned at or slightly posterior the ankle pivot axis. In one aspect the method includes configuring a sole of the footwear based on an ankle pivot characteristic or balance pivot characteristic of a wearer in a custom manufacture or based on the same of a typical or an ordinary wearer in a non-custom manufacture.

A sole structure for an article of footwear is provided. The sole structure includes an outsole having a ground-engaging surface and an upper surface formed on an opposite side of the outsole than the ground-engaging surface. A first cushion is disposed proximate to a medial side of the sole structure and includes a first fluid-filled chamber attached to the upper surface of the outsole and a second fluid-filled chamber attached to the first fluid-filled chamber and disposed between the first fluid-filled chamber and the upper. A second cushion is disposed proximate to a lateral side of the sole structure and includes a third fluid-filled chamber attached to the upper surface of the outsole and a fourth fluid-filled chamber attached to the third fluid-filled chamber and disposed between the third fluid-filled chamber and the upper. The second cushion is fluidly isolated from the first cushion.

An athletic shoe includes an upper section, an athletic specific bottom section, and an athletic positioning sole. The athletic positioning sole has a geometric shape that, when the athletic shoe is worn on a foot of an athletic and the athlete is standing, positions a heel of the foot above the toes of the foot and positions an outer edge of the foot above an inner edge of the foot.

An apparatus includes a heel section, a mid-foot section, and a toe section. The heel section, the mid-foot section, and the toe section collectively have a geometric shape having a first slope of a polarity along an inner edge of the apparatus from the toe section to the heel section and a second slope of the polarity along the inner edge of the apparatus to an outer edge of the apparatus at the toe section.

A dual-hardness outsole includes a front section, a middle section, and a rear section, at least the middle section of the outsole including a wedge having a bottom surface which extends below another bottom surface of at least one of the front and rear sections such that the wedge carries more weight than the other bottom surface. The outsole comprises a hard portion and a soft portion that are secured to each other and together form the wedge, a cross-sectional profile of the hard and soft density portions being such that a center portion of the wedge is softer than opposite lateral portions thereof.

A sole structure for an article of footwear comprises a base component and a wedge component. The base component has a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region, and includes a forward base portion and a rearward base portion. The forward base portion of the base component includes a forward lateral flange and a forward medial flange. The wedge component extends from the midfoot region to the heel region and includes a forward portion having a rearward medial flange and a rearward lateral flange. The forward lateral flange of the base component abuts the rearward lateral flange of the wedge component. The forward medial flange of the base component abuts the rearward medial flange of the wedge component.

A method for coupling a non-trimmed sole and an upper for making a shoe, which includes the steps of providing a non-trimmed sole having a flat and/or sheet-like shape and provided with a first surface, adapted during use to face towards the upper, wherein the non-trimmed sole includes a central part or impression and an edge portion which is extended outward starting from a peripheral portion of the impression, positioning the sole in a position below the upper, moving the non-trimmed sole so to enclose at least part of the upper, constraining the non-trimmed sole and at least part of the upper so as to obtain the shoe; shoe obtainable by such method.

Disclosed are systems, methods, procedures and devices incorporating a variety of impact absorbing structures (IAS) and/or buckling structure arrays into shoes, sneakers and/or other footwear, which can greatly enhance wearer comfort, improve shoe durability, improve athletic performance, reduce cost of manufacture and/or minimize impact forces to the foot, legs and/or lower body. Included herein are various types of footwear, foot coverings, lower extremity garments and related orthopedic sleeves and/or orthotics.

A pair of shoes that includes a left foot shoe and a right foot shoe. Each of the shoes include an upper shoe portion and a sole coupled to the upper shoe portion. The sole provides an athletic positioning of a left big toe area of the left shoe at a lower position than a left heel area of the left shoe and at a lower position than an outer small toe area of the left shoe and wherein, from an inner edge to an outer edge of the left shoe, the left heel area has substantially no slope.

A sole structure for an article of footwear is provided. The sole structure includes an outsole having a ground-engaging surface and an upper surface formed on an opposite side of the outsole than the ground-engaging surface. A first cushion is disposed proximate to a medial side of the sole structure and includes a first fluid-filled chamber attached to the upper surface of the outsole and a second fluid-filled chamber attached to the first fluid-filled chamber and disposed between the first fluid-filled chamber and the upper. A second cushion is disposed proximate to a lateral side of the sole structure and includes a third fluid-filled chamber attached to the upper surface of the outsole and a fourth fluid-filled chamber attached to the third fluid-filled chamber and disposed between the third fluid-filled chamber and the upper. The second cushion is fluidly isolated from the first cushion.