Systems and methods are involved with but are not limited to: placing one or more leather portions in a mold, the mold including a cavity with a cavity shape; placing rubber material in the mold; and applying heat to the one or more leather portions and the rubber material while the one or more leather portions and the rubber material are in the mold and subsequently cooling the one or more leather portions and the rubber material thereby fusing one or more portions of the rubber material to the one or more leather portions and thereby conforming one or more portions of the rubber material to one or more portions of the cavity shape. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

A method of forming a polymeric foam material is provided and includes providing a precursor material having a first thickness, the precursor material being an open-cell foam material and applying a uniaxial compressive force to the precursor material to compress the precursor material to a second thickness, the compressive force causing a cell structure of the precursor material to collapse. The method also includes heating the precursor material at a molding temperature for a first time period while the compressive force is applied, the first time period being sufficient to heat the precursor material to a softening temperature, removing the compressive force from the precursor material, and maintaining the cell structure of the precursor material in a collapsed state.

Disclosed in the present invention is a breathable sole, the forming mold for producing the breathable sole, as well as a breathable sole production method, comprising a shoe breather is configured inside the outsole of the sole, the shoe breather and the outsole is integrally formed, the shoe breather includes breather upper portion, waterproof breathable film, steel wire mesh and breather lower portion, the waterproof breathable film and steel wire mesh are fixed between the lower end of the breather upper portion and the upper end of the breather lower portion, the waterproof breathable film is located on the upper end of the steel wire mesh, the waterproof breathable film and the steel wire mesh are combined together through high-temperature adhesion.

Components for articles of footwear and athletic equipment are provided including a high energy return foam having improved abrasion resistance. A variety of foams and foam components and compositions for forming the foams are provided. In some aspects, the foams and components including the foams can have exceptionally high energy return while also having improved durability and softness and an improved abrasion resistance. In particular, midsoles including the foams are provided for use in an article of footwear. Methods of making the compositions and foams are provided, as well as methods of making an article of footwear including one of the foam components. In some aspects, the foams and foam components can be made by injection molding or injection molding followed by compression molding.

A crosslinkable and foamable composition is provided, which comprises a hydrogenated styrenic diblock copolymer, a free radical initiator and a foaming agent, wherein the hydrogenated styrenic diblock copolymer comprises: a first block comprising an isoprene unit; and a second block comprising a styrene unit, wherein the hydrogenated styrenic diblock copolymer comprises 10 to 60 wt % of the styrene unit, 50 mol % or more of the isoprene unit is hydrogenated, and the hydrogenated styrenic diblock copolymer has a weight average molecular weight of 30000 to 200000. In addition, a foam obtained by crosslinking and foaming the aforesaid crosslinkable and foamable composition is also provided.

A shoe sole member formed by a foam includes cells having a certain size and being excellent in transparency in order to provide a shoe sole member being lightweight and excellent cushioning properties while having transparency.

Methods for producing at least a part of a sporting good, in particular a sports shoe, can include: (a) depositing a first material into a mold, and (b) vibrating the mold to modify the distribution of the first material in the mold.

The present invention relates to an enhanced method for the manufacture of a plastic component (135), in particular a cushioning element for sports apparel, the method comprising: opening a mold (100) by a predetermined amount into a loading position, wherein the mold comprises at least two mold parts (110, 112) and wherein the amount by which the mold is opened influences an available loading volume of the mold, loading a material comprising expanded particles (130) into the loading volume, closing the mold into a closed position, wherein during closing of the mold the mold parts are moved together over different distances (140) in different areas of the mold, compressing the expanded particles by closing the mold and fusing at least the surfaces of the expanded particles to mold the plastic component.

Provided in the present invention is a shoe that has a ground engaging surface with a simplified structure and that is excellent in lightweight properties since an outsole is composed of an elastomer sheet including a sheet body and foamed polymer particles dispersed in the sheet body.

Sole structures including a plate including a first polyolefin resin, and an edge portion comprising a second resin are disclosed herein. The edge portion is more flexible or less rigid than the plate. Articles of footwear formed from the sole structures are also provided. Methods of making the polyolefin resin compositions, plates, edge portions, sole structures, and articles of footwear are also provided. In some aspects, the first polyolefin resin composition includes an effective amount of a polymeric resin modifier.