A sole structure for articles of footwear and a method of manufacturing them comprising at least one polymeric foamed component expanded through supercritical fluid (SCF) expansion of a shaped pre-expanded polymeric material. The polymeric foamed component may include apertures situated and fashioned in the formation of the pre-expanded polymeric material to promote uniform expansion and optimal curing conditions during the SCF expansion process. At least one polymeric foamed component having one set of physical properties that may be bound to or assembled in conjunction with one or more sole components having the same or another set of physical properties.

A sole structure for an article of footwear is provided. The sole structure includes an outsole having a ground-engaging surface and an upper surface formed on an opposite side of the outsole than the ground-engaging surface. A first cushion is disposed proximate to a medial side of the sole structure and includes a first fluid-filled chamber attached to the upper surface of the outsole and a second fluid-filled chamber attached to the first fluid-filled chamber and disposed between the first fluid-filled chamber and the upper. A second cushion is disposed proximate to a lateral side of the sole structure and includes a third fluid-filled chamber attached to the upper surface of the outsole and a fourth fluid-filled chamber attached to the third fluid-filled chamber and disposed between the third fluid-filled chamber and the upper. The second cushion is fluidly isolated from the first cushion.

An article of footwear is provided having an elevated plate structure incorporated in the sole structure and optionally including a fluid-filled chamber. The elevated plate structure can include an upper plate and a plurality of legs extending downward toward the outsole. End portions of the legs can engage an upper region of the outsole. The elevated plate structure can form a cage region that can optionally include a fluid-filled chamber substantially disposed therein. The elevated plate structure can further include a lower plate disposed at an upper region of the outsole, which can form a lower portion of the cage region. Portions of the legs can be integrated with impact-attenuating members in the heel region in various configurations and can provide features for the impact-attenuating members, such as support, impact-attenuation and adjustable impact-attenuation features.

A sole plate for an article of footwear comprises a plate body having a first side, a second side, an outer perimeter, at least one opening extending through the plate body from the first side to the second side, and an inner perimeter bounding the at least one opening. The plate body is biased to a first orientation of the inner perimeter relative to the outer perimeter. The plate body inverts at the inner perimeter relative to the outer perimeter under a dynamic load applied to the second side. The plate body resiliently returns to the first orientation upon removal of the dynamic load. A sole structure and an article of footwear including the sole plate are disclosed. A method of manufacturing an article of footwear with the sole plate is disclosed.

A futuristic shoe with true energy return based on enhanced heel-lift, optimized shoe springs (40% reduction in maximum foot impact), practical precise automatic electronic gear changers, novel powerful shoe impact chargers, improved pulley electronic actuators, novel low-impact much stronger springs (featuring the novel use materials such as Kevlar, Spectra Shield, and fiberglass), novel remarkably stronger, more flexible, and tougher structures, and multiple designs for enhanced heel-lift and to prevent excessive toe sink. These designs require linkages and two improved hingesone with enhanced natural hinges and a second with tied cogged hinges. There is a rotating-arms enhanced optimal spring, which when combined with the tied cogged hinges, results in optimal foldable arrays for deployment in outer spaceand which gives a smart energy return knee brace. These novel capabilities promise a wide range of additional applications such as robotics, prosthetics, orthotics, springs, aerospace, automobiles, body armor, and earthquake retrofitting.

An article of footwear may incorporate a chamber with an outer barrier and a tether element. The barrier may be formed from a polymer material that defines an interior cavity, and tether element may be located within the interior cavity and joined to opposite sides of the barrier. Upon pressurization of the chamber, the tether element may extend across the interior cavity and be placed in tension by the outward force of a pressurized fluid within the interior cavity. The tether element may have a variety of configurations. For example, the tether element may have a diagonal orientation, or different tether elements may have different lengths. A tether element may also have plates or tie pieces secured to opposite sides of the chamber, with one or more tethers extending between. Also, the tether element may include one of more sheets that extend across the interior cavity.

Footwear articles for walking are provided. In one example, a footwear article may include a midsole with a lower surface of constant curvature extending from a heel of the midsole to a toe of the midsole, wherein the lower surface maintains the constant curvature throughout a stance phase of a walking gait. In this way, a smooth step-to-step transition and a smaller range of oscillation of the center of mass of the wearer is achieved, and energy expenditure during walking is reduced. In turn, a wearer of the footwear article may smoothly walk for extended periods of time with reduced fatigue.

A sole structure is configured such that in a state where a ground surface of an outsole is in contact with the ground surface, when a planta support surface of a deformable part receives a load of a human body, the deformable part is flexurally deformed downward while being supported on a fixed end functioning as a supporting point, thereby allowing the planta support surface to be inclined downward such that a free end of the deformable part moves downward.

A shock absorbing member includes: support members spaced apart from each other; and a connection member laid across, and connecting together, the support members. Each of the support members includes: an inner wall capable of elastically deforming by external force in a vertical direction; and a first tube and a second tube each provided to one of an outer wall and the inner wall. While inserted through the first and second tubes of the support members, the connection member is integrally formed in a closed shape with ends of the connection member having no seams.

A plurality of orthotic systems are provided. One bi-layer system is constructed from a single sheet of fabric that is molded into two layers. One tri-layer system includes a base layer; a mid-layer; and an upper layer. The upper layer is joined to the mid-layer and the mid-layer is joined to the base layer. The coupling of the base layer, the mid-layer and the upper layer create a rear spring section, a mid-spring section and a front spring section in which the upper layer is suspended over the mid-layer and the heel portion is suspended on the proximal heel end of the base layer.