An article of footwear (10) that includes a liner (30), an upper (14), and an insert (50). The liner has an inward surface (31) that encloses an inner void (18) for accommodating a foot, and an outward surface (32) that defines a rear shaft portion (38), a heel portion (36), and a sole portion (35). The upper has a midsole portion (42), and surrounds the rear shaft portion, the sole portion, and the heel portion of the liner. The insert is formed as a single body of material with increased hardness and stiffness relative to the upper. This insert is arranged between the liner and the upper, and includes a protruding portion (54), a heel counter (56), and a shank (58). The protruding portion extends upwards from the heel counter and along the rear shaft portion, and provides a guiding trajectory for a heel during insertion into the inner void.

A mould for manufacturing three-dimensional items, comprising a body; a lid configured to close the body; and incorporated closing and openings configured to keep the body and the lid joined during the movement thereof is disclosed. A machine for manufacturing three-dimensional items, comprising a receiving module configured to receive the mould; a conditioning module configured to receive the mould from the receiving module and act on the incorporated closing and openings in order to separate the lid from the body; and a handling module configured to receive the body from the conditioning module and enable the placement of the components of the item to be manufactured. A method for manufacturing three-dimensional items and manufacturing plant associated with the machine.

A footwear molding system for direct injection production of footwear. The system includes an injection mold and a mold closing member. The mold closing member includes at least one vacuum channel. The at least one vacuum channel is connected directly or indirectly to at least one vacuum opening on the surface of the mold closing member. The mold closing member is configured for positioning at least part of a footwear upper during at least part of a direct injection production process. The at least part of a footwear upper being at least partly adhered to the mold closing member by vacuum effected by the at least one vacuum opening.

A foam article, such as a cushioning element for an article of footwear, apparel or sporting equipment is provided that comprises a foam component, such as a midsole, having a number of beneficial physical characteristics. The cushioning element is a low-density foamed component with a surface skin that encases the remaining foam volume. The cushioning element has a number of foam volumes, arranged to achieve a more consistent foam component. Additionally, the cushioning element includes a series of concentric ridges extending radially outwardly from injection gate vestige locations, and a number of striation bands near the perimeter of the cushioning element. The location of the gate vestiges can be beneficially arranged to produce intersecting flow boundaries that are located away from key strain areas of the cushioning element. The cushioning element is more environmentally-friendly, requiring less energy to produce while still providing acceptable energy return and low density.

Physical foaming a footwear component with a single-phase solution of a polymeric composition and a supercritical fluid is provided. The method include temperature conditioning a mold and then engaging the mold with a robot that conveys the mold to a press. At the press a gas counter pressure is applied to a cavity of the mold before injecting a single-phase solution of a polymeric composition and a supercritical fluid into the cavity of the mold. The process continues with releasing the gas counter pressure from the cavity of the mold and then removing the footwear component from the cavity of the mold. The parameters of the method are configured for the formation of the footwear component in an automated manner.

A foam article, such as a cushioning element for an article of footwear, apparel or sporting equipment is provided that comprises a foam component, such as a midsole, having a number of beneficial physical characteristics. The cushioning element is a low-density foamed component with a surface skin that encases the remaining foam volume. The cushioning element has a number of foam volumes, arranged to achieve a more consistent foam component. Additionally, the cushioning element includes a series of concentric ridges extending radially outwardly from injection gate vestige locations, and a number of striation bands near the perimeter of the cushioning element. The location of the gate vestiges can be beneficially arranged to produce intersecting flow boundaries that are located away from key strain areas of the cushioning element. The cushioning element is more environmentally-friendly, requiring less energy to produce while still providing acceptable energy return and low density.

A shoe mold structure contains: a base, a lower part, an upper part, a mold core, and two connecting rod assemblies. The base includes a movable space, and the lower part includes a lower cavity, a through orifice, and two guiding slots. The upper part includes an upper cavity and at least one feeding orifice, and a connecting face of the upper part and the lower part flushes with a connection section of a body and a sole of a shoe. The mold core includes a molding portion, an extension, a holding plate, and two guide plates, wherein the extension extends to the movable space from the molding portion via the through orifice. Each connecting rod assembly couples with each of the two side surfaces of the upper part and said each guide plate.

A molding process according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes injecting a first molding material into a mold cavity of a mold, the mold cavity formed by at least a mold cavity portion of a first platen and a second platen when the first platen is in contact with the second platen; opening the mold by separating the first and second platens; placing a second molding material at the first molding material while the first molding material remains with the first platen or the second platen; sealing a space between the first and second platens; removing a gas from the space while the space is sealed; and closing the mold while the space is sealed.

A direct injection footwear mold assembly includes two side basic molds and a bottom basic mold. The bottom basic mold includes a bottom mold attachment arrangement. The bottom basic mold has a transverse direction, a longitudinal direction, and a vertical direction. The attachment arrangement of the bottom basic mold is arranged to fixate a bottom mold insert in the vertical direction to the bottom basic mold.

A shoe mold structure contains: a base, a lower part, an upper part, a mold core, and two connecting rod assemblies. The base includes a movable space, and the lower part includes a lower cavity, a through orifice, and two guiding slots. The upper part includes an upper cavity and at least one feeding orifice, and a connecting face of the upper part and the lower part flushes with a connection section of a body and a sole of a shoe. The mold core includes a molding portion, an extension, a holding plate, and two guide plates, wherein the extension extends to the movable space from the molding portion via the through orifice. Each connecting rod assembly couples with each of the two side surfaces of the upper part and said each guide plate.