A footwear article forming process, and a device for the same are disclosed. The process includes: providing a forming mold set including an outer modular mold, an inner formation mold, and a footwear-forming space therebetween. The footwear-forming space comprises a footwear lower portion forming space and a footwear main portion forming space. Footwear article forming steps are as follows: injecting a pre-determined amount of a footwear main portion rubber material into a footwear main portion sprue channel, the footwear main portion rubber material being injected from a footwear main portion rubber injection opening into the footwear main portion forming space via a transfer injection channel; and placing a footwear lower portion rubber material into the footwear lower portion forming space.

A footwear article forming process, and a device for the same are disclosed. The process includes: providing a forming mold set including an outer modular mold, an inner formation mold, and a footwear-forming space therebetween. The footwear-forming space comprises a footwear lower portion forming space and a footwear main portion forming space. Footwear article forming steps are as follows: injecting a pre-determined amount of a footwear main portion rubber material into a footwear main portion sprue channel, the footwear main portion rubber material being injected from a footwear main portion rubber injection opening into the footwear main portion forming space via a transfer injection channel; and placing a footwear lower portion rubber material into the footwear lower portion forming space.

Athletic footwear and cleats comprise a first molded layer comprising a rigid substrate including a hole for connecting the molded layer to a shoe, and wherein the first molded layer is adapted to engage binding elements of a pedal, and a second molded layer formed on the bottom portion of the first molded layer, the second molded layer substantially conforming to a shape of a portion of the first molded layer. The second molded layer forms a soft walking surface adapted to provide traction with a walking surface and a raised portion formed thereon, the raised portion adapted to impact float friction during operation. The first molded layer may include nylon, and the second molded layer comprises a thermoplastic elastomer, a thermoplastic polyurethane, and/or a silicone substrate. A third molded layer may be provided to reduce contact friction between the cleat and the pedal of an exercise cycle.

Sports boot element of which the wall includes at least two different plastics materials (15, 16), the wall having (i) a first zone (11) including the two different plastics materials within its thickness, the first plastics material (15) forming two layers of the wall constituting the internal and external faces of the said wall, and the second plastics material (16) being interposed between the two layers of the first plastics material (15), and (ii) a second zone (13) including only the second plastics material (16).

Sports boot element of which the wall includes at least two different plastics materials (15, 16), the wall having (i) a first zone (11) including the two different plastics materials within its thickness, the first plastics material (15) forming two layers of the wall constituting the internal and external faces of the said wall, and the second plastics material (16) being interposed between the two layers of the first plastics material (15), and (ii) a second zone (13) including only the second plastics material (16).

A method for manufacturing a sole structure involving supplying at least one textile sole element having an outer face, including one or more at least partially hot-meltable filament(s); placing the at least one textile sole element in a mould structure including a sole cavity intended to come into contact with the outer face of the textile sole element; placing an inflatable bladder in the mould structure and inflating the inflatable bladder to press the outer face of the textile sole element either directly or indirectly firmly against the sole cavity and heating the textile sole element to melt the at least partially hot-meltable filament(s) and mould the sole cavity onto the outer face of the sole element; obtaining a sole structure including a thermally compressed textile sole element.

A method for manufacturing a sole structure involving supplying at least one textile sole element having an outer face, including one or more at least partially hot-meltable filament(s); placing the at least one textile sole element in a mould structure including a sole cavity intended to come into contact with the outer face of the textile sole element; placing an inflatable bladder in the mould structure and inflating the inflatable bladder to press the outer face of the textile sole element either directly or indirectly firmly against the sole cavity and heating the textile sole element to melt the at least partially hot-meltable filament(s) and mould the sole cavity onto the outer face of the sole element; obtaining a sole structure including a thermally compressed textile sole element.

A process for providing one or more thermoset polymeric materials onto an object is disclosed wherein said process comprises at least the following steps: Providing a polymeric composition having a viscosity >10 Pa.s at room temperature comprising at least one cross-linkable polymeric material; and then Optionally heating the polymeric composition to achieve a liquid cross-linkable polymeric composition having a viscosity below 4 Pa.s, and then Depositing the polymeric composition onto an object using a spray, swirl or extrusion nozzle and wherein the deposition is performed while the object and/or nozzle are moving to create an object at least partly coated with said polymeric composition; and then Optionally cooling down the at least partly coated object to room temperature, and then Optionally repeating one of foregoing steps, and then Applying a cross-linking treatment selected from radical curing, UV curing and/or heat treatment in order to convert the cross-linkable polymeric material(s) into thermoset polymeric material(s).

A process for providing one or more thermoset polymeric materials onto an object is disclosed wherein said process comprises at least the following steps: Providing a polymeric composition having a viscosity >10 Pa.s at room temperature comprising at least one cross-linkable polymeric material; and then Optionally heating the polymeric composition to achieve a liquid cross-linkable polymeric composition having a viscosity below 4 Pa.s, and then Depositing the polymeric composition onto an object using a spray, swirl or extrusion nozzle and wherein the deposition is performed while the object and/or nozzle are moving to create an object at least partly coated with said polymeric composition; and then Optionally cooling down the at least partly coated object to room temperature, and then Optionally repeating one of foregoing steps, and then Applying a cross-linking treatment selected from radical curing, UV curing and/or heat treatment in order to convert the cross-linkable polymeric material(s) into thermoset polymeric material(s).

A method for manufacturing three-dimensional items with flexible walls is provided, by method of a mold and counter-mold between which a volume corresponding to that of the item to be obtained is delimited. The item is made up of laminar parts which are mounted on a template that is fixed to the inner surface of the mold. The laminar parts are joined to one another by means of a material which is injected in molten state through a network of conduits delimited between the counter-mold, template and the facing edges of adjacent laminar parts. The template is made of an elastically deformable material and has a three-dimensional configuration.