Support plates, and footwear soles and articles of footwear containing the same. The support plate generally may provide one or more of heel cushioning, arch support in a midfoot region of the support plate, and integral medial and lateral legs extending from the midfoot region of the support plate towards an anterior end of the support plate. An article of footwear may include a support plate at least partially embedded within a sole assembly, such as a midsole thereof. The support plate may be configured to provide energy return and arch support to a wearer of the article of footwear. The support plate may include a domed structure with radially extending arms extending from a central heel portion, where the domed structure provides heel cushioning to the wearer when a force is transmitted through the midsole to the domed structure.

An article of footwear includes a sole structure providing lateral roll control structure. The sole structure includes a sole component having a continuous slit located in a central region of the sole component and progressing in a longitudinal direction of the sole component. The slit forms a laterally extending portion(s) that extends from a medial side of the sole component to a lateral side of the sole structure, a distal end of the laterally extending portion being attached to an opposing surface of an adjacent component, and a medially extending portion(s) that extends from a lateral side of the sole component to a medial side of the sole structure, a distal end of the medially extending portion being attached to the opposing surface of the adjacent component, the laterally extending portion(s) and the medially extending portion(s) alternating in a longitudinal direction of the sole component.

A sole structure may include multiple macrolayers. Each of those macrolayers may include a spring plate and a layer of damping material. Macrolayers may be bonded or otherwise fixed relative to one another and provide constrained layer damping in response to impact forces occurring as a result of activity of a wearer of an article of footwear incorporating the sole structure.

An article of footwear including an upper and a sole assembly secured to the upper and including a support assembly having an upper member and a lower member spaced from the upper member. A first layer is positioned beneath and in contact with the upper member and has a wave shaped profile with a plurality of first wave crests and first wave troughs. A second layer is positioned above the lower member and has a wave shaped profile with a plurality of second wave crests and second wave troughs.

A sole structure for an article of footwear includes an upper element, a lower element positioned below the upper element and a flexure element. The flexure element may be joined to one of the upper element and the lower element. The flexure element may be configured for slidingly contacting the other of the upper element and the lower element when a vertical compressive load is applied to the upper element. A second flexure element may be provided that extends from the upper element toward the lower element (or vice versa). An article of footwear having the sole structure attached to an upper is also provided.

The present invention relates to shoe, in particular a sports shoe. The shoe includes a sole plate having in a forefoot area a plurality of leaf spring elements, wherein the sole plate and the plurality of leaf spring elements are manufactured as a single piece. Each of the plurality of leaf spring elements has one free end not connected with the sole plate.

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.

An article of footwear has a plate with an extension portion that enables traction and durability functions to be achieved while providing a greater surface area for forward propulsion. Specifically, a sole structure for an article of footwear has a plate with a heel portion, a midfoot portion, a forefoot portion, and an extension portion. The heel portion, the midfoot portion, and the forefoot portion correspond with a heel region, a midfoot region, and a forefoot region, respectively, of the article of footwear. The extension portion of the plate extends from the forefoot portion forward to a distal end.

The present invention relates to a damping system for an article including a rigid support having at least one reception face extending along a plane, and a spring blade including a first end and a second end. A first means of assembling the article includes a first end with the rigid support. The blade extends along the rigid support on a convex path so that said second end is put in contact with said reception face and is able to move in said plane during compression and/or relaxation of said blade.

An article of footwear includes an upper and a sole structure coupled to the upper. The sole structure defines a ground engaging surface and includes a cushion member and a rigid plate. The cushion member defines a bottom surface that forms a first portion of the ground engaging surface. The rigid plate includes a first segment positioned between the upper and the bottom surface of the cushion member, and a second segment that extends outward from the first segment. The second segment curves to extend along a lateral surface of the cushion member such that the second segment defines a first portion of an outermost lateral surface of the sole structure.