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 shoe sole (1) comprising an outsole (3), an insole (2) and a midsole (5) which extends between the insole (2) and the outsole (3), the midsole (5) being composed of a plurality of bars (6) which are substantially transversal and are aligned substantially longitudinally over the length of the sole, the insole (2) and the bars are composed of an elastomeric material.

An article of footwear has an upper, an outsole attached to the upper, and a midsole. The outsole includes a ground-engaging surface and an inner surface disposed on opposite sides. The midsole has a footbed and a bottom surface disposed on opposite sides. The bottom surface opposes the inner surface to define a cavity therebetween. The article of footwear also includes a first series of projections extending into the cavity from one of the inner surface and the bottom surface in a first direction toward the other of the inner surface and the bottom surface. The article of footwear also includes a second series of projection extending into the cavity from one of the inner surface and the bottom surface in the first direction toward the other of the inner surface and the bottom surface. The article of footwear also includes a quantity of particulate matter disposed within the cavity.

A sole structure may have a tiered plate assembly including a first plate and a second plate. The first plate may extend from a forefoot region of the sole structure to a heel region of the sole structure. Stated differently, the first plate may be a full-length plate that extends the full length of the sole structure. The second plate may be joined with the first plate in a midfoot region of the sole structure and at a rear of a heel region of the sole structure, and may diverge from the first plate between the midfoot region and the rear of the heel region to define a first heel gap between the first plate and the second plate in the heel region. Heel cushioning units may be stacked in the heel region, with a first heel cushioning unit disposed in the first heel gap.

A shoe includes an outsole having a heel region, a midfoot region, a metatarsal region, and a toe region. The heel region extends longitudinally from the heel end to the midfoot region, the midfoot region extends longitudinally from the heel region to the metatarsal region, and the toe region extends longitudinally from the toe end to the metatarsal region. The outsole has a medial side region, central region, and a lateral side region. A bottom surface of the outsole defines a concavity extending longitudinally from within the heel region to at least within a portion of the midfoot region. The concavity extends laterally within the central region. The concavity has a width at its widest point that is at least between 50% and 80% the width of the outsole at that point.

A device configured to surround a portion of a foot-receiving cavity at a heel region of an article of footwear comprises a control bar having a center segment, a first side arm extending from the center segment, and a second side arm spaced from the first side arm and extending from the center segment. The control bar may include a series of slats. A base supports the control bar and is connected to the first side arm and the second side arm. The control bar is biased to an unstressed position with the center segment a first distance from the base, and elastically bends under an applied force to a loaded position with the center segment a second distance from the base less than the first distance. The device stores potential energy that returns the control bar to the unloaded position upon removal of the applied load.

An article of footwear includes an upper defining a foot-receiving cavity with a heel region, and a heel support device extending around the rear of a heel region from a lateral side to a medial side. The heel support device may include a plurality of slats and a base, the plurality of slats providing a progressive gradient of lengths and/or widths, and/or one or more pegs extending from the device for attachment to a footwear upper, and/or an elongated tip that may be disposed in a cavity of an extension of a heel collar of the upper.

In certain aspects, the inventive subject matter is directed to production of constructs of footwear and components thereof by jet extrusion. The inventive subject matter contemplates novel processes for making such constructs using jets or streams of materials that solidify as fibers, and which form into two- or three-dimensional webs as they are collected. The webs may be in the nature of films, membranes, or mats. In some embodiments, the inventive subject matter generally relates to nonwoven textiles consisting of webs of superfine fibers, i.e., fibers with diameters in nanoscale or micronscale ranges.

A tensioning system for use with an article of footwear includes a pulley assembly. The pulley assembly may include a first disc and a second disc connected by a central shaft. A tensioning element can be engaged around the central shaft. A ring element can be used to prevent the tensioning element from disengaging the pulley when there is slack in the tensioning element. The tensioning element may provide support to various regions of the article of footwear or may be used to close the throat of the article of footwear.

The disclosed embodiments relate to portions of an article of footwear formed from an extruded member. In certain embodiments, a sole or portion of a sole can be formed from one or more extruded members. In certain embodiments, the extruded member can be a single, continuous piece of solid material. In certain embodiments, a sole for an article of footwear can be fashioned from an extruded member formed in a controlled geometric pattern. In certain embodiments, the sole can include one or more layers.