Described are methods for manufacturing a plastic component, in particular a cushioning element for sports apparel, a plastic component manufactured with such methods, for example a sole or a part of a sole for a shoe, and a shoe with such a sole. The method for the manufacture of a plastic component includes loading a mold with a first material includes particles of an expanded material and fusing the surfaces of the particles by supplying energy. The energy is supplied in the form of at least one electromagnetic field.

Described are methods for manufacturing a plastic component, in particular a cushioning element for sports apparel, a plastic component manufactured with such methods, for example a sole or a part of a sole for a shoe, and a shoe with such a sole. The method for the manufacture of a plastic component includes loading a mold with a first material includes particles of an expanded material and fusing the surfaces of the particles by supplying energy. The energy is supplied in the form of at least one electromagnetic field.

Upper components for footwear include: (a) a first upper component that includes a first layer having a first material as a first filament including first plural, non-intersecting, spaced apart path segments (wherein the first filament has a width dimension of less than 3 mm wide (and in some examples, less than 2 mm wide, less than 1.5 mm wide, less than 1 mm wide, or even less than 0.75 mm wide)); and (b) a second upper component including a fabric element formed at least in part of a fusible material, wherein the fusible material of the second upper component is fused to the first material of the first upper component (e.g., in an adhesive-free manner). Additional layers of material, including additional layers including filament and/or fabric elements, e.g., of the types described above, may be included in the upper.

An orthopedic insole may include at least one strength layer and at least one shock absorbing layer. In one embodiment, the strength layer may be relatively rigid and includes a heel portion and an arch portion, contoured to fit the plantar or bottom surface of the foot to provide arch support. The shock absorbing layer may include a plurality of shock absorbing cells such as recoverable honeycombs or any other negative stiffness structure with the capability to recover. A gait analysis that may include an individual's weight transfer trajectory may have to be conducted to determine the structure of the shock absorbing layer. The orthopedic insole may further include an adjusting layer to supplement the strength layer and the shock absorbing layer to make adjustment to the orthopedic insole if needed.

Improved soles and insoles for shoes, in particular sports shoes, are described. In an aspect, a sole for a shoe, in particular a sports shoe, with at least a first and a second surface region is provided. The first surface region comprises expanded thermoplastic polyurethane (“TPU”). The second surface region is free from expanded TPU.

A method of forming a composite article includes constructing a preform having a strand layer including an interior portion and a peripheral portion surrounding the interior portion. The strand layer includes a plurality of strand segments traversing the interior portion and defining a first strand segment population density and a second strand segment population density. The preform is inserted into the mold cavity so that the interior portion of the preform is received in a molding region of the mold cavity. The molding region has a first thickness corresponding to the first strand segment population density and a second thickness corresponding to the second strand segment population density. Following the inserting, the mold is closed and the interior portion of the preform is compressed within the molding region. In the closed mold, the peripheral portion of the strand layer may be maintained in a loose state within the relief region.

A foam article, such as a cushioning element for an article of footwear, apparel or sporting equipment is provided that comprises a foam component, such as a midsole, having a number of beneficial physical characteristics. The cushioning element is a low-density foamed component with a surface skin that encases the remaining foam volume. The cushioning element has a number of foam volumes, arranged to achieve a more consistent foam component. Additionally, the cushioning element includes a series of concentric ridges extending radially outwardly from injection gate vestige locations, and a number of striation bands near the perimeter of the cushioning element. The location of the gate vestiges can be beneficially arranged to produce intersecting flow boundaries that are located away from key strain areas of the cushioning element. The cushioning element is more environmentally-friendly, requiring less energy to produce while still providing acceptable energy return and low density.

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.

Provided is a method for producing a resin molded article including an introducing step of introducing a plurality of resin foam particles and a heat medium substance into a forming mold, and a molding step of, after the introducing step, heating the forming mold to a temperature at which the heat medium substance can be vaporized, thereby obtaining a resin molded article including the plurality of resin foam particles.

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.