Compression molded foam articles are provided having a closed cell foam structure comprising a plurality of cells having an anisotropic cell shape. The disclosed compression molded foam articles can be used as components or parts of a variety of articles, including articles of footwear and athletic equipment. Methods are disclosed for making the disclosed compression molded foam articles from a foamed preform having an elastomeric closed cell foam with substantially isotropic cell shape. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.

A method of customizing the sole structure of an article of footwear includes providing a sole structure with a sole component having an inner surface and an opposite-facing outer surface. The sole component includes a plurality of inner recesses extending from the inner surface and a plurality of outer recesses extending from the outer surface, the plurality of inner recesses include a blind-hole inner recess, the plurality of outer recesses include a blind-hole outer recess, and the blind-hole inner recess is generally aligned with the blind hole outer recess along a vertical direction. The plurality of inner recesses and the plurality of outer recesses provide the sole component with an auxetic structure. The method further includes adjusting the flexibility of the sole component by selectively cutting or removing material from one or both of the blind-hole inner recess and the blind-hole outer recess.

Methods for manufacturing cushioning elements for sports apparel are described. A method is provided for manufacturing a cushioning element for sports apparel from randomly arranged particles of an expanded material. The method includes positioning a functional element within a mold and loading the mold with the particles of the expanded material, wherein the loading occurs through at least two openings within the mold and/or wherein the loading occurs between different movable parts of the mold.

A skate boot shell including a tridimensional outer sub-shell made of a first material, the outer sub-shell including a first sole portion connected to first heel, ankle and side portions; a tridimensional inner sub-shell received within and connected to the outer sub-shell, an outer surface of the inner sub-shell being complementary to an inner surface of the outer sub-shell, the inner sub-shell being made of a second material different from the first material; and a tridimensional reinforcement sub-shell made of a third material different from the first and second materials and bonded inside at least one of the inner and outer sub-shells.

Compression molded foam articles are provided having a closed cell foam structure comprising a plurality of cells having an anisotropic cell shape. The disclosed compression molded foam articles can be used as components or parts of a variety of articles, including articles of footwear and athletic equipment. Methods are disclosed for making the disclosed compression molded foam articles from a foamed preform having an elastomeric closed cell foam with substantially isotropic cell shape. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.

A hybrid mold (1) for a shoe sole comprises a body (7) affording a molding surface (3) and at least one molding insert (2), the molding insert (2) being produced according to a first method and the molding surface (3) being produced according to a second method distinct from the first.

Molded rubber objects may be molded and de-molded by defining both a desired final form for the molded rubber object and a tab extending from the final form of the molded rubber object using a cavity in a mold. Rubber pellets may be dispensed in predetermined amounts at desired location(s) within the cavity to provide the rubber needed to form the molded rubber object. Heat and pressure may be applied to the mold to cause the rubber pellets to fill the cavity defining both the desired final form of the molded rubber object and the tab. After the heat and pressure has been applied, a gripping device may grasp the tab and move the tab in a direction and with sufficient force to peel the rubber object from the mold cavity. If desired, the tab may be removed from the molded rubber object.

A method of manufacturing an article of footwear includes disposing a first polymer sheet and a second polymer sheet in a mold assembly, and disposing a preformed unitary outsole in the mold assembly adjacent the second polymer sheet. The method includes closing the mold assembly to compress the first and second polymer sheets and the outsole, and thermally bonding the first and second polymer sheets to one another in the mold assembly to form a cushioning component with a chamber, a top wall, a bottom wall, a medial side wall, and a lateral side wall. A bottom portion of the outsole is thermally bonded to the bottom wall, a medial side portion of the outsole is thermally bonded to the medial side wall, and a lateral side portion of the outsole is thermally bonded to the lateral side wall.

A die-casting forming mold for vulcanized rubber boots, comprising: a combined shaft mold provided with an inner cavity corresponding to a shaft of a rubber boot; a last mold 21 provided with partition elements, comprising a body substantially corresponding to the shaft of the rubber boot in shape, and two or more partition elements disposed on the body, the last mold 21 being adapted to be mounted in the inner cavity of the shaft mold to form a die-casting forming cavity between the wall of the inner cavity of the shaft mold and the outer surface of the last mold 21, and the die-casting forming cavity being divided into two or more portions by the last mold 21 and the shaft mold, wherein the last mold 21 further comprises: a longitudinally extending rubber injection channel extending longitudinally downward from the upper surface of the last mold 21, and a transversely extending rubber injection channel extending transversely from the longitudinally extending rubber injection channel to a rubber outlet in the surface of the last mold 21; and a rubber injection plate 5 adapted to be mounted to the top of the shaft mold to guide the injection of an unvulcanized mixed rubber material, the rubber injection plate 5 being provided with: a rubber injection hole 11 adapted to be connected to an external injection head to inject the unvulcanized mixed rubber material, and a rubber injection channel for communicating the rubber injection hole 11 with the longitudinally extending rubber injection channel.

This disclosure relates to the technical field of shoe material processing, and in particular to a method for processing a colored pattern on a shoe outsole material. The colored pattern is printed on a fiber membrane, and the membrane material printed with the colored pattern and a manufactured rubber shoe material are then placed in a compression mold to combine them totally to achieve good quality. This disclosure can make any design pattern without limitation and effectively avoid paint peeling off and color migration issues. Moreover, as the processing process is implemented by compression molding, it causes no pollution and is environment-friendly.