Provided is a method for producing a shoe member that includes a plurality of portions including a first portion and a second portion, each of which is constituted by one or more of members, the method including: a step of preparing a collective body including a first member that constitutes the first portion and a second member that constitutes the second portion and formed of a material different from that of the first member; and a step of irradiating electromagnetic wave toward the collective body, wherein the electromagnetic wave irradiation step including partly shielding the electromagnetic wave irradiated toward the second member by a shielding member capable of shielding electromagnetic wave, thereby reducing the electromagnetic wave irradiated onto the second member. Also provided is a molding die having a molding space corresponding to a shoe member and capable of being used for producing the shoe member by performing the method.

A molding assembly having a top mold member and a base mold member. The top mold member can include a first top mold portion and a second top mold portion that shift between a top mold open configuration and a top mold closed configuration by rotating about a top mold hinge axis. The molding assembly can shift between a molding assembly open configuration and a molding assembly closed configuration by rotating at least the top mold member about a molding assembly hinge axis.

Described are soles for a shoe having a region with a plurality of pellets, each pellet having a hollow core structure. The plurality of pellets are formed of a composite material comprising a base layer and an outer layer. The base layer is formed of a material having a first melting temperature, and the outer layer is formed of a material having a second melting temperature. The first melting temperature is greater than the second melting temperature, and the plurality of pellets are bonded through melting of the outer layers while the inner layers retain the hollow core structure without melting.

A sole component molded with different portions molded from different bead foams where there is a gradual transition between the different bead foams, as well as a method and apparatus for manufacturing the same. The molding system includes a mold cavity that is partially divided into at least two adjacent mold regions by at least one blade. The blade does not fully separate adjacent regions, but instead defines a space allowing beads introduced into adjacent regions to intermingle or overlap at the interface between the mold regions. The size, shape and configuration of the blade and the space may vary from application to application. The molding system may include a blade retractor that allows the blade to be retracted after the beads are loaded and before the beads are joined. The different bead foams may be different expanded thermoplastic polyurethane bead foams that vary in density or hardness or color.

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.

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.

Described are soles for a shoe having a region with a plurality of pellets, each pellet having a hollow core structure. The plurality of pellets are formed of a composite material comprising a base layer and an outer layer. The base layer is formed of a material having a first melting temperature, and the outer layer is formed of a material having a second melting temperature. The first melting temperature is greater than the second melting temperature, and the plurality of pellets are bonded through melting of the outer layers while the inner layers retain the hollow core structure without melting.

An article of footwear includes a sole having a lower surface, and a reactive element disposed on the lower surface of the sole. The reactive element has an exposed surface, and the reactive element is configured to transition the exposed surface between a first state and a second state in response to a compression force applied to the reactive element by an external ground surface in a user activity, to prevent accumulation of ground surface material, such as mud, dirt, clay, sand, slush, etc., compacting on the sole of the article of footwear in the user activity. The reactive element may include an elastomeric dome shaped popper that compresses flat in response to a compression force and then pops back to a non-compressed state in response to release of the compression force.

In one embodiment, a midsole for an article of footwear is described that includes a first foaming cord made of a first material and a second foaming cord made of a second material. The first material is different than the second material. The first foaming cord and the second foaming cord are embroidered into a shape of the midsole. The first foaming cord and the second foaming cord may be embroidered to a substrate material by thread. A midsole can include multiple layers of foaming cords. Customized midsoles may be formed by selective placement of one or more foaming cords in different locations or layers to provide different properties or characteristics to the midsole.