Articles of footwear including a midsole having a winding wrapped around at least a portion of the midsole. A midsole may include a core and a winding wrapped around the core to form a plurality of loops. Each loop of the winding may include a portion extending across a top surface of the core and a portion extending across a bottom surface of the core. The loops of the winding may protrude from the top surface of the core and/or the bottom surface of the core. Methods of making a midsole having a winding are also discussed.

A footwear sole structure includes a midsole having a ground-facing surface with a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region. The midsole defines downwardly-extending protrusions at the ground-facing surface distributed over the midfoot region and the heel region, each of the downwardly-extending protrusions having a convex outer surface. A height of the midsole is greatest at the midfoot region. The sole structure may also include an outsole covering at least a portion of the ground-facing surface of the midsole, and a height of the sole structure may be greatest at the midfoot region.

An adjustable multiple bladder system for an article of footwear is disclosed. The bladder system includes an outer bladder that may be inflated using an external pump. A valve member is disposed within the outer bladder and divides the outer bladder into two distinct inflation chambers. The inflation chambers may be inflated separately.

The present invention relates to a high heel for women, and particularly, to a high heel which not only prevents weight from being concentrated to the toe when worn but also absorbs shock to achieve walking comfort, and in which stress is provided to the arch of the sole to prevent deformation of the toes and exercise the Achilles' tendon such that joints are protected and the posture is corrected thereby preventing damage to the spine. To this end, a protrusion part 1 is formed at a part to support a back end of the arching of the sole, and an inclined surface 2 inclined downward from a back end of the protrusion part 1, which positions the heel of the sole to an end part of the high heel such that the Achilles' tendon can be exercised while walking.

A method for inflating a chamber in an article composed at least partially of polymer layers, such as thermoplastic layers. The method can allow for forming an aperture in a polymer layer, inflating a chamber or volume in fluid communication with the aperture, and then welding or sealing the chamber so that the inflation fluid is substantially retained in the chamber and/or does not escape via the aperture. In various aspects, the formation of the aperture, inflation of the chamber, and sealing of the chamber or aperture can be performed by a single tool and/or based on a single registration of the thermoplastic article with a tool. In some aspects, formation of the aperture is enabled in part by using a punch with a cupped surface that allows the top layer of a thermoplastic article to be breached without forming a hole in at least one lower layer.

A walking-assisted air-jet insole includes an insole base. A plurality of pressed-air outlet units that can generate airflow based on stepping pressure are provided on the insole base; the pressed-air outlet unit includes a cavity for retaining air. An upper part of the insole base is provided with an upper air hole that communicates with the cavity, and a lower part of the insole base is provided with an air sac part that is elastically deformed and restored based on the stepping pressure. A volume of the cavity can be changed based on the elastic deformation and restoration of the air sac part. A lower end of the air sac part is provided with a convex column that moves up and down based on the stepping pressure. The cavity includes an upper cavity portion and a lower cavity portion from top to bottom.

In a sole for a flexible shoe having a soft-elastic midsole which comes in contact with the ground at least partially during running, which has laterally open, trough-shaped elements which project downwards towards the ground and which are aligned transversely to the longitudinal direction thereof, a midsole is divided into a medial and a lateral part by a longitudinal slot extending from the heel into the ball region. The midsole can have an edge strip which bridges the trough-shaped elements in each case. The midsole is covered by an incompressible but elastically resilient plate framed by the edge strip and that the trough-shaped elements are deformable as far as closure of the lateral openings thereof in the region of the edge strip under the action of forces acting vertically and/or in the longitudinal direction which occur during running.

A sole structure for an article of footwear comprises a midsole including a polymeric bladder element enclosing a fluid-filled interior cavity, a first outsole component secured to a bottom surface and to a side surface of the polymeric bladder element, and a second outsole component. The first outsole component includes a first base, and a wall integral with the first base. The second outsole component includes a second base secured to the first base, and a wall integral with the second base and secured to the outer surface of the wall of the first outsole component. A method of manufacturing the article of footwear includes thermoforming the bladder element and the first outsole component, and securing the second outsole component to the first outsole component.

A sole structure includes a heel region, a forefoot region, and a midfoot region disposed between the heel and forefoot regions. The sole structure also includes a first fluid-filled segment disposed within the forefoot region and includes a first portion extending continuously from a medial side of the sole structure to a lateral side of the sole structure. The sole structure also includes a second fluid-filled segment disposed between the heel region and the first fluid-filled segment and includes a first portion extending continuously between the medial side and the lateral side. The sole structure also includes a third fluid-filled segment disposed between the first fluid-filled segment and the second fluid-filled segment and includes a first portion extending along one of the medial side and the lateral side and a second portion extending from the first portion toward the other one of the medial side and the lateral side.

A sole structure for an article of footwear having an upper includes a heel region, a forefoot region, and a mid-foot region disposed between the heel region and the forefoot region. The sole structure also includes a fluid-filled chamber including a first barrier layer cooperating with a second barrier layer to define a fluid-filled segment extending along a medial side of the sole structure within the heel region, a second fluid-filled segment extending along a lateral side of the sole structure within the heel region, and a web area disposed between and connecting the first fluid-filled segment and the second fluid-filled segment. The first barrier layer is attached to the second barrier layer within the web area.