In example aspects, materials are repurposed for footwear manufacturing. That is, in some instances, materials in the footwear manufacturing supply chain are potentially subject to disposal. However, aspects of this disclosure sustainably repurpose those materials (that might otherwise be disposed of) to be used in footwear articles. In some aspects, the repurposed materials may be obscured with a concealing layer.

Methods for manufacturing components of articles, including articles of footwear, apparel, and sporting equipment are provided. The disclosed methods comprise extruding a first composition comprising a plurality of foam particles suspended in a first material, wherein each particle of the plurality of foam particles is formed of a foamed second polymeric material; and solidifying the extruded first composition, forming a component. Also disclosed are first compositions comprising a first material and a plurality of foam particles comprising a foamed second polymeric material suspended in the first material. Articles and methods of manufacturing articles using the disclosed methods and compositions are also provided. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.

A footwear including an outsole portion; an insole portion, wherein an upper surface area of the midsole portion being operable for contacting a wearer's foot; a midsole section, the midsole section is disposed between the outsole portion and upper or strap portion, wherein the midsole section is configured to be operable for absorbing a shock imposed on the footwear; a predetermined amount of fluid; a fluid compartment disposed in the midsole section, wherein the fluid compartment is configured to house the predetermined amount of fluid, in which a perimeter area around the fluid-filled compartment comprises a translucent or clear material, and wherein the housed fluid can be seen or observed through the compartment; and in which an upper surface area of the fluid-filled compartment that is into engagement with a top layer of the midsole portion comprises a pliable material that is configured to stretch under pressure.

A footwear including an outsole portion; an insole portion, wherein an upper surface area of the midsole portion being operable for contacting a wearer's foot; a midsole section, the midsole section is disposed between the outsole portion and upper or strap portion, wherein the midsole section is configured to be operable for absorbing a shock imposed on the footwear; a predetermined amount of fluid; a fluid compartment disposed in the midsole section, wherein the fluid compartment is configured to house the predetermined amount of fluid, in which a perimeter area around the fluid-filled compartment comprises a translucent or clear material, and wherein the housed fluid can be seen or observed through the compartment; and in which an upper surface area of the fluid-filled compartment that is into engagement with a top layer of the midsole portion comprises a pliable material that is configured to stretch under pressure.

Process for obtaining ecological footwear using recycled or waste organic materials for the production thereof, particularly materials such as sargassum, coffee waste, and agave bagasse and using solvent-free water-based adhesives, therefore friendly to atmosphere. The process includes assembling the footwear with woven fabrics and non-woven polyester fabrics obtained from fibers that are produced with bottle flakes and postindustrial recycled material of the same polymer, in addition to including the thread and laces made with filaments obtained from the same recycled nature, and incorporating the sole and details with a percentage of recycled polyester plastic bottles, sargassum, coffee waste, and pulverized agave gabazo used as an inert load, so the footwear presented has a recycled polyester content, Sargassum, coffee residues and agave gabazo between 5 and 90% in weigh.

Process for obtaining ecological footwear using recycled or waste organic materials for the production thereof, particularly materials such as sargassum, coffee waste, and agave bagasse and using solvent-free water-based adhesives, therefore friendly to atmosphere. The process includes assembling the footwear with woven fabrics and non-woven polyester fabrics obtained from fibers that are produced with bottle flakes and postindustrial recycled material of the same polymer, in addition to including the thread and laces made with filaments obtained from the same recycled nature, and incorporating the sole and details with a percentage of recycled polyester plastic bottles, sargassum, coffee waste, and pulverized agave gabazo used as an inert load, so the footwear presented has a recycled polyester content, Sargassum, coffee residues and agave gabazo between 5 and 90% in weigh.

A footwear including an outsole portion; an midsole portion, wherein an upper surface area of the midsole portion being operable for contacting a wearer's foot; a midsole section, the midsole section is disposed between the outsole portion and upper or strap portion, wherein the midsole section is configured to be operable for absorbing a shock imposed on the footwear; a predetermined amount of fluid; a fluid compartment disposed in the midsole section, wherein the fluid compartment is configured to house the predetermined amount of fluid, in which a perimeter area around the fluid-filled compartment comprises a translucent or clear material, and wherein the housed fluid can be seen or observed through the compartment; and in which an upper surface area of the fluid-filled compartment that is into engagement with a top layer of the midsole portion comprises a pliable material that is configured to stretch under pressure.

A footwear including an outsole portion; an midsole portion, wherein an upper surface area of the midsole portion being operable for contacting a wearer's foot; a midsole section, the midsole section is disposed between the outsole portion and upper or strap portion, wherein the midsole section is configured to be operable for absorbing a shock imposed on the footwear; a predetermined amount of fluid; a fluid compartment disposed in the midsole section, wherein the fluid compartment is configured to house the predetermined amount of fluid, in which a perimeter area around the fluid-filled compartment comprises a translucent or clear material, and wherein the housed fluid can be seen or observed through the compartment; and in which an upper surface area of the fluid-filled compartment that is into engagement with a top layer of the midsole portion comprises a pliable material that is configured to stretch under pressure.

Presented are manufacturing systems, methods, and devices for forming footwear using scrap or waste plastic materials. A method for manufacturing an article of footwear, such as an athletic shoe, begins with receiving a batch of recycled plastic, which may include thermoplastic elastomers or ethylene-vinyl acetate, and grinding the batch of recycled plastic material. The ground recycled material is processed, for example, by adding a foaming agent that activates at elevated temperatures. The processed recycled material is placed into the internal cavity of a final mold that is shaped like a segment of the footwear, such as a unitary sole structure. To form the footwear segment, the processed recycled material is heated past the threshold activation temperature of the foaming agent such that the foaming agent causes the recycled material to expand and fill the internal cavity of the final mold. The formed footwear segment is then extracted from the mold.

A method of reclaiming used tennis balls and transforming the material reclaimed from the tennis balls into soles for footwear. This multi-step process requires acquiring used tennis balls, grinding the tennis balls into ground rubber bits (usable elements) and tennis ball fuzz (unusable elements). The rubber and fuzz are passed through a screen which allows the rubber bits to exit the screen but retains the fuzz. The rubber is then mixed with an H.sub.2O and Polyurethane mixture to form a rubber mixture. This mixture is then pressed to a desired thickness in a hydraulic press, cured, and then cut out into a desired shoe sole shape and size which can be used to manufacture footwear.