A method for manufacturing a sole assembly of an article of footwear includes injecting a first material into a first mold to forming a first component. A second material is injected into a second mold to form a second component in the second mold. The first component is formed from a first material and includes a first plurality of channel elements. The second component is formed from a second material and includes a second plurality of channel elements. Each of the first plurality of channel elements is aligned with a corresponding one of the second plurality of channel elements, and the first component is secured to the second component to form an initial sole assembly.

A method is provided for making a microcellular shoe stiffener has first and second adhesive layers coextruded on opposite first and second surfaces of a stiffener core. The stiffener core may include a recycled polymeric material. Nitrogen in a supercritical fluid state is introduced into the extruder for the stiffener core to produce a closed cell foam with a gaseous component. The gas reduces the weight and cost of the stiffener without significantly reducing stiffness and resiliency.

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a foam sheet for shoes containing recycled PU scrap powder, the method of manufacturing the foam sheet, including eco-friend Polyurethane (PU) foam composition prepared by water foam, is provided by first mixing recycled PU scrap powder with polyol and then reacting with the secondary addition of recycled PU scrap powder by controlling the process conditions and processing speed through a side-feeder, it is possible to prevent the viscosity of the raw material from rising, so that even if a larger amount (less than 60 wt %) of recycled material is used than before, the quality of the product is equivalent to that of conventional shoe insoles or shoe uppers.

A present invention related to a method for manufacturing a dot bonding shoe insole using an adhesive resin containing hydrophobic nano-silica, including: melting adhesive resin made of any one selected from thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) or ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) containing hydrophobic nano-silica in the range of 0.2 to 5 phr and applying to the surface of the transfer roller in which the intaglio dot pattern is formed in a mesh shape in the shape of the shoe insole; removing the adhesive resin applied other area than the intaglio dot pattern of the surface of the transfer roller; transferring the adhesive resin applied to the intaglio dot pattern of the surface of the transfer roller to either one of the foam or the fabric; bonding the foam and the fabric by compressing; and cutting a shoe insole shape in a package in which the foam and the fabric are bonded.

Provided is a foam blend incorporating a phase change material for foaming and making a foamed shoe body, comprising a thermoplastic material, a blowing agent, a crosslinking agent and a phase change material; the phase change material is added in an amount based on the total content of the thermoplastic material, and is mixed with the thermoplastic material in an amount of no more than 15 phr, wherein the transition temperature of the phase change material is 45 C.-100 C. Another embodiment provides a method for making a foamed shoe body from a foam blend, comprising the steps of filling the foam blend into a mold for heating and foaming to form a semi-finished product of the foamed shoe body, and placing the semi-finished product of the foamed shoe body in an aging environment for shrinking and molding into a finished product of the foamed shoe body. The method thus can shorten the time of cooling and shrinkage of the foamed shoe body and save energy consumption in the manufacturing process.

A system for a footwear sole component to control an incline in between a footbed and an outsole. An incline adjuster is positioned between the footbed and the outsole. The incline adjuster has a polymeric housing having a first fluid chamber, a second fluid chamber, and a fluid transfer channel; a controller having a processor, a memory, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), and a low energy wireless communication module. The controller determines whether forces from a wearer foot on the first fluid chamber and on the second fluid chamber are creating a pressure within the first fluid chamber that is higher than a pressure within the second fluid chamber, or vice versa.

Provided is a method of additively manufacturing an object having a particle surface coating thereon, using an intermediate object produced in an additive manufacturing process by light polymerization of a dual cure resin, the intermediate object having residual dual cure resin from which it was produced remaining on a surface portion thereof in unpolymerized form; forming a solid particle coating adhered to the resin coating film; and then further curing the intermediate object.

A method for manufacturing a foam component of a sole structure includes positioning a preformed component within a cavity of an autoclave, heating the preformed component to be at or above a glass transition temperature of a material of the preformed component, and pressurizing the autoclave. The method further includes injecting a blowing agent into the cavity of the autoclave, which becomes a supercritical fluid that saturates the preformed component, and dropping the pressure within the cavity. The drop in pressure causes nucleation of the supercritical fluid within the preformed component to expand and crystallize the material of the preformed component to form the final foam component so that the foam component has a substantially uniform density.

A method for producing a textile element (1), in particular a shoe upper, including at least the steps of providing a shaping carrier (2), in particular a last; providing a thermoplastic filament (3), in form of a continuous thermoplastic filament; applying the thermoplastic filament (3) on the shaping carrier (2) such that it forms a plurality of loops (4) on the shaping carrier (2) and fusing the applied thermoplastic filament (3) into one fabric. An article of apparel, in particular a shoe, including the textile element, in particular a shoe upper, may be produced by the method.

An article of footwear includes an upper and a sole assembly defining a heel region, a midfoot region, and a forefoot region. The sole assembly includes a first component having a plurality of protrusions extending from a first surface thereof, such that the plurality of protrusions extend laterally along the first component and are spaced apart in a heel-toe direction. The sole assembly includes a second component including a plurality of apertures extending into a second surface thereof. Each of the plurality of protrusions is arranged within a corresponding one of the plurality of apertures to mechanically couple the first component to the second component. The plurality of apertures includes a first aperture that defines a variable aperture width measured parallel to the heel to toe direction. The variable aperture width increases between the second surface and a blind end of the first aperture.