High resiliency foams are provided as well as articles and components formed therefrom. In various aspects, resin compositions are provided including a compatibilized polymer blend of a first ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer and an olefinic thermoplastic elastomer. In some aspects, the resin compositions can include about 65 parts per hundred resin to about 100 parts per hundred resin of the compatibilized polymer blend, about 0 to about 20 parts per hundred resin of a second ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer; about 0.1 parts per hundred resin to about 5 parts per hundred resin of zinc oxide; about 1 parts per hundred resin to about 10 parts per hundred resin of calcium carbonate; about 1 parts per hundred resin to about 10 parts per hundred resin of a chemical blowing agent; and about 0.1 parts per hundred resin to about 1.5 parts per hundred resin of a crosslinking agent.

Low-profile dance shoes and associated methods of manufacture are disclosed herein. One aspect of the invention is directed toward a dance shoe that includes an integrated heel member that provides increased support, stability, and shock-absorption for the dancer. The dance shoe can further include a support member configured to provide lateral support to the foot and/or ankle, and a shock-absorption member.

Described are soles for a shoe, in particular for a sports shoe, with a midsole. The midsole includes a first sole region, which includes particle foam. The midsole further includes a deformation region within the midsole, wherein the deformation region has a volume greater than that of a single expanded particle and is positioned so that it allows a sideward deformation of the material of the first sole region under a pressure load on the sole.

An article of footwear includes a sole structure including a chamber for receiving a pressurized fluid, the chamber having a top portion, a bottom portion, and side portions around a periphery of the chamber. The sole structure also includes a central structure located in a central portion of the chamber between opposing side portions of the chamber, such that the chamber is devoid of additional structures in a surrounding region around the central structure and extending from the central structure to the side portions of the chamber. On all sides of the central structure, a dimension of the surrounding region between the central structure and the nearest side portion is one third or more of a span across the chamber between opposing side portions.

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 forefoot region of the plate than at a midfoot 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.

A shoe for golf including an upper, a midsole, and an outsole arranged to form an enclosure adapted to receive a foot of a wearer, and a toe area disposed at a front of the shoe and adapted to house toes of the wearer, where the toe area has an oblique shape delimited by an outer radius of the outsole of greater than zero.

A shoe insole includes a semi-rigid shell for providing a wearer with extended comfort. The semi-rigid shell includes a notch which is located on the outward side of the wearer's foot and accommodates pronation of the foot during use. Additionally, the semi-rigid shell includes an extended side portion which is located opposite of the notch side on an inner side of the wearer's foot. The semi-rigid shell is shorter in length than the length of a shoe sole and slightly shorter in width and may be combined with an insole comfort cover to provide cushion between the wearer's foot and the semi-rigid shell.

A damping sole includes support zones with a main surface that have a relative stiffness or hardness lower than that of the other zones, the support zones being positioned under the load-bearing protuberances of the foot. The support zones are delimited by oblique lateral faces that are inclined towards the lower main surface of the sole at an inclination angle (A) and are disposed such that, at rest, they come to bear obliquely against the peripheral surface of the dermal part of the corresponding load-bearing protuberance of the foot. In this way, a compromise is reached between the need for impact damping and the need for foot stability in a shoe, while ensuring satisfactory comfort.

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.