An article of footwear is disclosed that includes a sole structure having a bladder element. The bladder element includes multiple fluid-filled tubes that are substantially decoupled from one another along their respective lengths. The tubes extend lengthwise at least partially from a lateral extremity of the sole structure to a medial extremity of the sole structure. A method of manufacturing a sole structure of an article of footwear includes forming a bladder element with multiple tubes substantially decoupled from one another along their respective lengths. The method includes positioning the bladder element so that the tubes extend lengthwise at least partially from a lateral extremity of the sole structure to a medial extremity of the sole structure.

A midsole for an article of footwear including a three dimensional mesh including interconnected unit cells and methods of making the same. The interconnected unit cells each include a plurality of struts defining a three dimensional shape. The interconnected unit cells are connected at nodes having a valence number defined by the number of struts connected at that node. The valence number of the nodes may vary to provide customized characteristics to zones or portions of the midsole. The plurality of interconnected unit cells may be organized in a warped cubic lattice structure. The warped cubic lattice structure and the size/shape of interconnected unit cells may vary to provide customized characteristics to zones or portions of the midsole. The three dimensional mesh may be customized based on a biometric data profile for an individual, or group of individuals. The midsole may be manufactured using an additive manufacturing process.

A midsole for an article of footwear including a three-dimensional mesh including interconnected unit cells and methods of making the same. The interconnected unit cells each include a plurality of struts defining a three-dimensional shape. The interconnected unit cells are connected at nodes having a valence number defined by the number of struts connected at that node. The valence number of the nodes may vary to provide customized characteristics to zones or portions of the midsole. The plurality of interconnected unit cells may be organized in a warped cubic lattice structure. The warped cubic lattice structure and the size/shape of interconnected unit cells may vary to provide customized characteristics to zones or portions of the midsole. The three-dimensional mesh may be customized based on a biometric data profile for an individual, or group of individuals. The midsole may be manufactured using an additive manufacturing process.

A separable footwear article comprising an outsole oriented at a bottom of the footwear and configured for ground contact, the outsole comprising a first material, an upper portion comprising a second material different from the first material, and a welt positioned between the outsole and the upper. The welt is releasably coupled to the outsole with a first thread using a first stitching technique, and releasably coupled to the upper portion with a second thread using a second stitching technique. The outsole, the upper portion, and the welt are configured to be separated upon receipt of a pulling force upon the first thread and the second thread sufficient to remove the first thread and the second thread from the footwear article.

A footwear outsole created partially from a preferred recycled rubber consisting of a rubber powder of a high surface to area to volume ratio. The recycled rubber is created via a fully mechanical process and devulcanized without the use of chemicals. When mixed and re-vulcanized into new rubber, the surface area to volume ratio of the recycled rubber particles produce a rubber that mixes well with virgin rubber and results in a compound with excellent physical parameters. The recycled rubber powder has rubber particles that are preferably of a size between 250 and 1000 micrometers. Consumer products such as footwear outsoles, produced using the preferred recycled rubber mixed with virgin rubber display excellent physical properties for the intended use of footwear outsoles.

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 foam article, such as a cushioning element for an article of footwear, apparel or sporting equipment is provided that comprises a foam component, such as a midsole, having a number of beneficial physical characteristics. The cushioning element is a low-density foamed component with a surface skin that encases the remaining foam volume. The cushioning element has a number of foam volumes, arranged to achieve a more consistent foam component. Additionally, the cushioning element includes a series of concentric ridges extending radially outwardly from injection gate vestige locations, and a number of striation bands near the perimeter of the cushioning element. The location of the gate vestiges can be beneficially arranged to produce intersecting flow boundaries that are located away from key strain areas of the cushioning element. The cushioning element is more environmentally-friendly, requiring less energy to produce while still providing acceptable energy return and low density.

A recycling method includes providing an EVA insole residual product including an EVA foam material, a film, and a cloth material, placing the EVA insole residual product into an oven, heating the EVA insole residual product to a temperature of 13025 C., and detaching the cloth material from the EVA foam material. The film includes an EVA, and a tackifier. The EVA of the film has a mass proportion of 85-95%. The tackifier has a mass proportion of 5-15%. An antioxidant is appended into the film and has a mass proportion of 0.1% of the total mass of the EVA and the tackifier. After the cloth material is detached from the EVA foam material, the EVA foam material and the film are crushed and kneaded and are recycled.

A method of reclaiming used tennis balls and transforming the material reclaimed from the tennis balls into soles for footwear. This multi-step process requires acquiring used tennis balls, grinding the tennis balls into ground rubber bits (usable elements) and tennis ball fuzz (unusable elements). The rubber and fuzz are passed through a screen which allows the rubber bits to exit the screen but retains the fuzz. The rubber is then mixed with an H.sub.2O and Polyurethane mixture to form a rubber mixture. This mixture is then pressed to a desired thickness in a hydraulic press, cured, and then cut out into a desired shoe sole shape and size which can be used to manufacture footwear.

The present disclosure provides a recyclable golf shoe. The golf shoe may comprise an upper comprising a mesh layer and a sole assembly connected to the upper. The sole assembly comprises a first plurality of foam layers in a rearfoot region of the golf shoe, a second plurality of foam layers extending between the rearfoot region of the golf shoe and a forefoot region of the golf shoe, and a support positioned adjacent to the second plurality of foam layers. The second plurality of foam layers is positioned between the first plurality of foam layers and the support. The mesh layer, the first and/or second plurality of foam layers, and the support may comprise one or more recyclable polyethylene terephthalate (PET) materials.