A bladder for an article of footwear extends from an anterior end to a posterior end and includes a first chamber disposed in an interior region of the bladder and a second chamber at least partially surrounding the first chamber. The first chamber includes a first interior void having a first pressure and the second chamber includes a second interior void having a second pressure. In some implementations, the second chamber includes a plurality of lobes arranged in series and each having a first end, a second end, and an intermediate portion disposed between the first end and the second end. Each lobe has a greater thickness at the intermediate portion than at the first end and the second end, such that each lobe tapers from the intermediate portion to the first end and the second end.

Disclosed is a sole for a running shoe having a midsole (1), the midsole (1) having a soft-elastic top layer (2) and a soft-elastic bottom layer (3), a flexurally elastic incompressible plate (4) being arranged in the vertical direction (V) between the top layer (2) and the bottom layer (3), and the bottom layer (3) having a plurality of channels (31a, 31a, 31b, 31c) extending in the transverse direction (Q), the channels (31a, 31b, 31c) of the bottom layer (3) being deformable vertically (V) and/or horizontally in the longitudinal direction (L) under the action of forces acting vertically (V) and/or in the longitudinal direction (L) and occurring during running.

Sole structures, foot support systems, articles of footwear, and/or other foot-receiving devices include: (a) a first footwear component having a ground-facing surface, wherein a forefoot portion of the ground-facing surface includes arched medial and lateral surfaces and (b) a second footwear component having an upper-facing surface, wherein a forefoot portion of the upper-facing surface includes arched medial and lateral surfaces that face (and optionally contact) the respective arched medial and lateral surfaces of the first footwear component. The first and second footwear components are movably engaged together such that: (a) the arched medial surface of the first footwear component moves with respect to and along the arched medial surface of the second footwear component and (b) the arched lateral surface of the first footwear component moves with respect to and along the arched lateral surface of the second footwear component.

A sole for an article of footwear includes a cored midsole defining a top surface, a bottom surface, and a perimeter surface extending from the top surface to the bottom surface. The cored midsole defines apertures extending diagonally from the top surface of the cored midsole to the bottom surface of the cored midsole.

A sole for a shoe includes a sole body extending longitudinally from a heel portion to a toe portion and a curved plate provided at the sole body and extending longitudinally along the sole body. A compressive rigidity of the sole body is lowest at a metatarsophalangeal joint position. The sole body includes a sole forefoot top part disposed above the curved plate at the forefoot portion and a sole forefoot bottom part disposed below the curved plate at the forefoot portion. The compressive rigidity of the sole body is relatively low at the sole forefoot bottom part.

A sole reference posture is determined such that a straight reference line connects a toe-tip position and a rearmost end position of a sole top surface, a path length measured along the sole top surface from the origin of the rearmost end position to the toe-tip position is L, an intersection point of a sole bottom surface and a line crossing a position of 0.45×L and orthogonal to the reference line is position C, and the sole is in contact with the ground at position C. In the reference posture, the sole bottom surface is separated from the ground at a heel portion and a toe portion, and an inequality θ≥5 is satisfied, wherein θ is an angle between a straight line connecting a heel central position of 0.15×L with a metatarsophalangeal joints position of 0.68×L and the ground.

Implementations disclosed herein provide for shoes including one or more wave cushions that provide temporary storage of the shoes’ impact energy with the ground and return of a portion of that energy to enhance a runner’s running economy. The wave cushions may include a pair of foundation layers, each with an engagement surface and a sinusoidal sectional profile. The sinusoidal sectional profiles are phase offset, and the elastic membrane is oriented between the engagement surfaces. The engagement surfaces together act as alternating matched pairs of actuators and cavities. Each actuator stretches a portion of the elastic membrane into a cavity when a runner’s weight is applied, converting the runner’s kinetic energy to potential energy stored in the stretched and deformed elastic membrane. As the runner’s weight is removed, the elastic membrane springs back into a substantially planar orientation, transferring the stored potential energy back to the runner as kinetic energy.

A mid-sole for shoes includes a body on which there is a lower portion for joining to a tread and an upper portion for supporting an insole. The upper portion includes a plurality of elastically compressible protrusions that protrude toward the outside of the body from a bottom surface of the upper portion.

An article of footwear is disclosed that includes a cinching apparatus that is configured to move the upper between an open position and a closed position. The cinching apparatus includes a spring pad with a first, second, and third portion. The third portion is elastic and configured to deform elastically from a first position toward a second position. The third portion is configured to move the first portion relative to the second portion generally in the longitudinal direction as the third portion deforms between the first position and the second position. Also, the cinching apparatus is configured to move the upper from the open position toward the closed position as the third portion of the spring pad moves from the first position toward the second position.

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.