A footwear item includes an insole, an outsole, and a midsole. The insole includes an insole top surface, an insole bottom surface, and an insole sidewall. The outsole includes an outsole top surface and an outsole bottom surface. The midsole is positioned between the insole and the outsole. The midsole is configured to nest onto the top surface of the outsole. In at least the heel region, the midsole includes a strobel upper surface and a strobel sidewall configured to nestingly receive a heel region of the insole. In addition, an interface between the strobel upper surface and the strobel sidewall includes a fillet region configured to support and reduce lateral-medial movement of the insole relative to the midsole.

Method of making a wavy wood element (B) from a wood element (A), wherein the method comprises at least steps (H1) to (H4): (H1) providing a wood element (A), which comprises fibers and lignin on or between said fibers; (H2) heating the wood element (A) to a temperature which is sufficient to soften or melt at least a part of the lignin; (H3) deforming the wood element heated in step (H2) such that a wavy wood element (B) is formed; (H4) cooling the wood element deformed in step (H3); characterized in that the deforming in step (H3) is performed such that the ratio of the wave height to the thickness of the wavy wood element (B) equals or is more than 2:1; wherein the term thickness signifies the shortest distance between an upper side and the respective lower side of the wavy wood element (B), and the term wave height signifies the shortest distance between two imaginary planes which run in parallel to one another between which the wavy wood element (B) may be arranged such that the waves are positioned between said planes; and wherein the wood element (A) consists of unglued wood or unglued wood fibers.

Method of making a wavy wood element (B) from a wood element (A), wherein the method comprises at least steps (H1) to (H4): (H1) providing a wood element (A), which comprises fibers and lignin on or between said fibers; (H2) heating the wood element (A) to a temperature which is sufficient to soften or melt at least a part of the lignin; (H3) deforming the wood element heated in step (H2) such that a wavy wood element (B) is formed; (H4) cooling the wood element deformed in step (H3); characterized in that the deforming in step (H3) is performed such that the ratio of the wave height to the thickness of the wavy wood element (B) equals or is more than 2:1; wherein the term thickness signifies the shortest distance between an upper side and the respective lower side of the wavy wood element (B), and the term wave height signifies the shortest distance between two imaginary planes which run in parallel to one another between which the wavy wood element (B) may be arranged such that the waves are positioned between said planes; and wherein the wood element (A) consists of unglued wood or unglued wood fibers.

A process for fabricating shoes having an outer cork sole insert includes processing raw cork into sheets of predetermined thickness, adhering a thin fabric sheet to one side of the intermediate cork sheets, cutting out cork/fabric sole inserts and placing them into an injection mold, and cycling the plastic injection mold so as to form a cork insert into the plastic sole.

A process for fabricating shoes having an outer cork sole insert includes processing raw cork into sheets of predetermined thickness, adhering a thin fabric sheet to one side of the intermediate cork sheets, cutting out cork/fabric sole inserts and placing them into an injection mold, and cycling the plastic injection mold so as to form a cork insert into the plastic sole.