A sole structure for a footwear article includes a system of support structures. Each support structure includes a tubular body with an inwardly curving wall, which compresses under load to attenuate a force or impact and returns to a resting state when the load is removed.

Shoes have an upper which is highly breathable and made of air-permeable materials. A barrier is attached to the sole with a water-tight bond and circumscribes the shoes. The barrier is impermeable to wind and water. Optionally, the barrier is present only in a front section of the shoes, in which case the barrier terminal ends are bonded to to an outer surface of the shoe. The barrier extends upwardly from the sole about 0.5-6 inches. The barrier may be curved such that it extends over a front section of the shoe, optionally following the shape of the upper. The barrier provides significant protection from wind and water, but does not greatly impair breathability of the upper.

An article of footwear includes an upper and a sole coupled to the upper. The article of footwear includes an inflation system. The inflation system includes an inflatable bladder, a pump in fluid communication with the bladder, and a control circuitry operatively linked to the pump. The pump adjusts the air pressure of the inflatable bladder. The control circuitry receives a command signal from a remote device, and upon receipt of the command signal, the control circuitry transmits an actuation signal to the pump to adjust the air pressure of the inflatable bladder.

A sole structure including a first layer and a second layer is disclosed. The first layer includes a set of apertures arranged in an auxetic configuration that permits the first layer to exhibit a first auxetic behavior. The second layer includes a set of projections arranged in an auxetic configuration that permits the second layer to exhibit a second auxetic behavior. The first layer and the second layer may be joined together in a manner that allows the first auxetic behavior to occur independently of the second auxetic behavior.

A sole structure for an article of footwear comprises a sole plate including a foot support portion with a foot-facing surface and a ground-facing surface. An opening extends through the foot support portion from the foot-facing surface to the ground-facing surface. The sole plate includes a bridge portion underlying the opening and secured to the foot support portion fore and aft of the opening. The sole structure includes a piston that has a body and a support arm extending transversely from the body. The body extends through the opening. The support arm is supported on the bridge portion, trapped below the ground-facing surface by the foot support portion, and extends under the ground-facing surface at medial and lateral sides of the opening.

A shock absorber includes a three-dimensional structure composed of a unit structure repeatedly, regularly and continuously arranged in at least one direction, the unit structure being a three-dimensional shape formed by a wall having an external shape defined by a pair of parallel planes or curved surfaces. In the shock absorber, a differently shaped portion which does not correspond to the wall defining the unit structure is locally provided in a shock absorbing region which is a region in which the three-dimensional structure has the unit structure disposed.

A shock absorber includes a three-dimensional structure composed of a unit structure repeatedly, regularly and continuously arranged in at least one direction, the unit structure being a three-dimensional shape formed by a wall having an external shape defined by a pair of parallel planes or curved surfaces. When the unit structure occupies a cuboidal space representing a unit space and defined by mutually orthogonal three sides having a first side extending in an axial direction in which the shock absorber exhibits a shock absorbing function as the shock absorber receives a load and second and third sides each extending from one end of the first side in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction, and the first side has a length L1 and a longer one of the second and third sides has a length L2, the shock absorber satisfies 1.1≤L1/L2≤4.0.

A prosthetic foot cover device is described. The prosthetic foot cover may include a lattice framework formed to resemble a human foot. The lattice framework has a plurality of lattice cells to form the lattice framework. The prosthetic foot cover may have an inner cavity formed in the lattice framework which is sized and shaped to contain a prosthetic foot, and the inner cavity has an opening to receive the prosthetic foot. The prosthetic foot may have a foot pad that is an outer membrane layer and is joined with a portion of the lattice framework to support a portion of the lattice foot framework.

A prosthetic foot cover device with a pressure chamber is described. The prosthetic foot cover may include a lattice framework formed to replace a human foot. An open cavity may be formed in the lattice framework, which is sized and shaped to contain a prosthetic foot. A pressure chamber may be disposed in the lattice framework. A first one-way check valve is provided for the pressure chamber to allow air to be expelled from the pressure chamber and to generate a negative pressure within the pressure chamber as an amputee uses the prosthetic foot and the lattice framework. A remnant limb socket may be connected to the pressure chamber. A negative pressure may be developed in the remnant limb socket as air is pulled from the remnant limb socket into the pressure chamber. A method for additive manufacture of a prosthetic foot cover device is also described.