An article of footwear may include an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. The sole structure includes a midsole, an outsole secured to the midsole, and one or more plates positioned within the midsole. Each of the plates has a downwardly-facing concave side and an upwardly-facing concave side. The downwardly-concave side may be positioned on a medial side (or a lateral side) of the footwear, and the upwardly-concave side may be positioned on the lateral side (or the medial side) of the footwear. The undulating medio-lateral configuration of each plate may increase the overall support provided to a wearer's foot during a side-to-side or banking movement.

A Strobel Insole of fully recyclable stitch-bonded fabric for use in construction of a shoe using the California Slip Last construction method. The stitch-bonded fabric is substantially 100% polyester stitched with two different yarns in different patterns. One side of the stitch-bonded fabric is subject to abrasion to break filaments of a relatively low denier stitching yarn to yield a soft brushed surface. A method of insole fabric production is also provided.

A Strobel Insole of fully recyclable stitch-bonded fabric for use in construction of a shoe using the California Slip Last construction method. The stitch-bonded fabric is substantially 100% polyester stitched with two different yarns in different patterns. One side of the stitch-bonded fabric is subject to abrasion to break filaments of a relatively low denier stitching yarn to yield a soft brushed surface. A method of insole fabric production is also provided.

A plate for an article of footwear includes a substrate, a first strand portion attached to the substrate via first stitching, and a second strand portion disposed on the first layer. The first strand portion includes first segments that each extend between two different locations along the substrate to form a first layer on the substrate. The second strand portion includes second segments that each extend between two different locations along the substrate to form a second layer on the first layer.

A plate for an article of footwear includes a substrate, a first strand portion attached to the substrate via first stitching, and a second strand portion disposed on the first layer. The first strand portion includes first segments that each extend between two different locations along the substrate to form a first layer on the substrate. The second strand portion includes second segments that each extend between two different locations along the substrate to form a second layer on the first layer.

A method for forming a plate includes attaching a first strand portion to a flexible substrate to form a first layer on the substrate and positioning a second strand portion on the first layer to form a second layer on the first layer in a plurality of discrete regions on the substrate. The method also includes positioning a plurality of traction elements into corresponding cavities formed into a first mold surface and positioning the substrate on the first mold surface to change a shape of the substrate. At least one of heat and pressure is applied to the first strand portion, the second strand portion, the substrate, and the traction elements to conform the substrate to the shape of the first mold surface and form the traction elements into the substrate at each of the discrete regions. The method also includes incorporating the substrate into an article of footwear.

A method for forming a plate includes attaching a first strand portion to a flexible substrate to form a first layer on the substrate and positioning a second strand portion on the first layer to form a second layer on the first layer in a plurality of discrete regions on the substrate. The method also includes positioning a plurality of traction elements into corresponding cavities formed into a first mold surface and positioning the substrate on the first mold surface to change a shape of the substrate. At least one of heat and pressure is applied to the first strand portion, the second strand portion, the substrate, and the traction elements to conform the substrate to the shape of the first mold surface and form the traction elements into the substrate at each of the discrete regions. The method also includes incorporating the substrate into an article of footwear.

The invention relates to a method for producing a shoe (1), in particular a sports shoe. In order to be able to produce the shoe economically and in the process to achieve a particularly good wearing comfort, the invention provides the steps of: a) Producing a shoe upper (2), wherein the shoe upper (2) has an upper region (3) that covers the upper region of the wearer's foot and a lower region (4) that encloses the sole of the wearer's foot; b) Producing a sole part (5), wherein the sole part (5) has a bottom region (6) and a lateral wall region (7), wherein the bottom region (6) and the wall region (7) delimit an upwardly open receiving space (8) for bulk material (9); c) Filling the receiving space (8) with a bulk material (9), wherein the bulk material consists at least in part, preferably entirely, of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE); d) Fastening the shoe upper (2) to the sole part (5) such that the lower region (4) of the shoe upper (2) comes to rest on the bulk material (9).

A foaming thermoplastic polyurethane resin is a reaction product of a polyisocyanate component containing a bis(isocyanatomethyl)cyclohexane and a polyol component. In a peak of chromatogram obtained by measurement of the foaming thermoplastic polyurethane resin with gel permeation chromatography, the area of a high molecular weight component having a weight average molecular weight of 400,000 or more with respect to the total area of the peak is 25% or more and 60% or less.

A method of forming a plate for an article of footwear is disclosed. The method includes applying a first strand portion to a base layer including positioning adjacent segments of the first strand portion to form a first layer on the base layer. The adjacent segments of the first strand portion having a greater density across a width of the plate between a medial side and a lateral side at a midfoot region of the plate than at a forefoot region of the plate and at a heel region of the plate. The method also includes applying at least one of heat and pressure to the first strand portion and to the base layer to conform the first strand portion and the base layer to a predetermined shape.