A method of preparing shoe components includes the steps of: providing a first shoe component and a second shoe component, forming an adhesive member on one of the first and second shoe components, stacking the first and second shoe components such that the adhesive member is disposed therebetween, heating to melt the adhesive member so as to adhere the first and second shoe components to each other, and suctioning air to adhere the first and second shoe components closely to each other.

The present technology relates generally to a footwear assembly and method of manufacturing said footwear assembly. The footwear assembly includes an outsole and an upper connected to the outsole, where the upper includes a neoprene sock, a vulcanized rubber layer, and an injection molded layer. The neoprene sock is a full-foot neoprene sock having a foot portion that is configured to receive a wearer's foot. The vulcanized rubber layer fully covers a vamp portion, heel portion, toe portion, and ankle portion of the neoprene sock while only covering some of an underfoot portion. The injection molded layer is formed over a portion of the vulcanized rubber layer and completely covers the underfoot portion of the neoprene sock.

A footwear article is formed according to a process that includes the steps of: forming a sheet including a rubber outsole material; forming an outsole component by passing the sheet through an extruder or calendar machine; applying a vulcanizing accelerant to the outsole component by dipping the outsole component in a liquid bath; forming a plurality of rubber outsoles from the outsole component by cutting the outsole component into the plurality of rubber outsoles; incorporating each of the plurality of rubber outsoles into the footwear article; and vulcanizing the footwear article. The vulcanizing accelerant includes a dithiocarbamate compound. The footwear article includes the rubber outsole, an insole and an upper. The vulcanizing accelerant allows the step of vulcanizing the footwear article to be performed substantially faster as compared to conventional footwear vulcanization methods.

A method of preparing shoe components includes the steps of: providing a first shoe component and a second shoe component, forming an adhesive member on one of the first and second shoe components, stacking the first and second shoe components such that the adhesive member is disposed therebetween, heating to melt the adhesive member so as to adhere the first and second shoe components to each other, and suctioning air to adhere the first and second shoe components closely to each other.

Provided is a method of manufacturing a shoe by which an outsole, a midsole, and an upper part are integrally manufactured in first- through third-stage molds without liquid primer or adhesive processing.

An article of apparel or sporting equipment, such as garments and footwear incorporates a molded component formed of a UV radiation curable material. In the case of an article of footwear, the UV radiation curable material may be formed into an outsole. The method of manufacturing such articles include placing an ultraviolet radiation curable material in contact with a molding surface; conforming the UV radiation curable material to a shape of the molding surface, forming a molded component; and removing the molded component from the molding surface, such that the component maintains the shape of the molding surface. The molded component may be exposed to ultraviolet radiation in an amount and for a duration that is sufficient to partially cure or fully cure the UV radiation curable material.

A method of manufacturing an article that includes providing an element formed of an elastomeric material or composite; placing the surface of the element in contact with a substrate; and affixing the element to the substrate. The element includes an uncured, partially cured, or fully cured UV radiation curable elastomeric material and optionally one or more regions of an adhesive material. The element is affixed to the substrate while the surface of the element is in contact with a surface of the substrate by increasing a temperature of at least a portion of the element, applying pressure to at least a portion of the element, or exposing the uncured or partially cured UV radiation curable material to UV radiation in an amount and for a duration of time that is sufficient to partially cure the uncured material or to fully cure the partially cured material.

A footwear article is formed according to a process that includes the steps of: forming a sheet including a rubber outsole material; forming an outsole component by passing the sheet through an extruder or calendar machine; applying a vulcanizing accelerant to the outsole component by dipping the outsole component in a liquid bath; forming a plurality of rubber outsoles from the outsole component by cutting the outsole component into the plurality of rubber outsoles; incorporating each of the plurality of rubber outsoles into the footwear article; and vulcanizing the footwear article. The vulcanizing accelerant includes a dithiocarbamate compound. The footwear article includes the rubber outsole, an insole and an upper. The vulcanizing accelerant allows the step of vulcanizing the footwear article to be performed substantially faster as compared to conventional footwear vulcanization methods.

An article of footwear includes a sole structure. The sole structure has layers stacked on one another. Adjacent ones of the layers are secured to one another by thermal bonds and without adhesive such that the layers define a monolithic component having a proximal side and a distal side. The layers are stacked in a direction from the proximal side to the distal side. At least two of the layers are exposed at the distal side, and have at least one different property. A method of manufacturing an article of footwear may include stacking the multiple layers without adhesive between adjacent ones of the multiple layers.