A method of forming a fluid-filled chamber for an article of footwear is provided and includes positioning a first sheet of material and a second sheet of material in a pressure chamber, increasing a fluid pressure within the pressure chamber to a first value, and coupling the first sheet of material to the second sheet of material within the pressure chamber to define a fluid-filled chamber defined by the first sheet of material and the second sheet of material and having a fluid pressure equal to the first value. The method also includes decreasing the fluid pressure within the pressure chamber to a second value.

Presented are footwear sole structures with foot-cushioning insoles movably mounted onto impact-attenuating midsoles, methods for making/using such sole structures, and footwear fabricated with such sole structures. A multilayered sole structure assembly includes an insole movably mounted on a midsole. The midsole is formed with a first compressible material and includes opposing upper and lower midsole surfaces, multiple protrusions projecting from the upper midsole surface, and multiple pockets recessed into the upper midsole surface and interleaved with the midsole protrusions. The insole, which is formed with a second compressible material distinct from the first compressible material, includes opposing upper and lower insole surfaces, multiple protrusions projecting from the lower insole surface and interleaved with the midsole protrusions, and multiple pockets recessed into the lower insole surface and interleaved with the insole protrusions. Each midsole protrusion nests within a respective insole pocket, while each insole protrusion nests within a respective midsole pocket.

A sole structure for an article of footwear comprises a midsole including a first cushioning layer, a second cushioning layer, and a third cushioning layer. The first cushioning layer has a central portion, and a peripheral portion surrounding the central portion. The first cushioning layer, the second cushioning layer, and the third cushioning layer are stacked with the second cushioning layer directly overlying the peripheral portion of the first cushioning layer, and the third cushioning layer overlying the second cushioning layer and directly overlying the central portion of the first cushioning layer. The first cushioning layer has a domed lower surface extending away from the second cushioning layer and the third cushioning layer and substantially centered under the central portion.

An article of footwear can comprise: an upper, and a sole assembly connected to the upper to form a receptacle for a human foot, the sole assembly can comprise: a cushion comprising an exterior wall that forms an enclosure; an antenna disposed within the enclosure; and a microchip connected to the antenna. A method of manufacturing an article of footwear can comprise: positioning an electronic communication device between two plies of polymer laminate; heating the two plies of polymer laminate to form a weld area and a cushion area, wherein the electronic communication device becomes encapsulated between the two plies of polymer laminate, inflating the cushion area with a gas; and sealing the cushion area.

A footwear item includes an insole, an outsole, and a midsole. The insole includes an insole top surface, an insole bottom surface, and an insole sidewall. The outsole includes an outsole top surface and an outsole bottom surface. The midsole is positioned between the insole and the outsole. The midsole is configured to nest onto the top surface of the outsole. In at least the heel region, the midsole includes a strobel upper surface and a strobel sidewall configured to nestingly receive a heel region of the insole. In addition, an interface between the strobel upper surface and the strobel sidewall includes a fillet region configured to support and reduce lateral-medial movement of the insole relative to the midsole.

A sheet for forming a shoe sole, useful for efficiently joining a crosslinked rubber layer as a stud and a thermoplastic elastomer layer as a sole, is provided. The sheet comprises a resin component (A) containing a polyamide resin (a) and having an amino group concentration of not less than 10 mmol/kg and a flexural modulus of not less than 300 MPa in accordance with ISO178. The polyamide resin (a) may contain a polyamide resin having a melting point of not less than 165 C. at a predetermined concentration (e.g., not less than 30% by weight) in the total polyamide resin (a).

A sole structure for an article of footwear comprises a midsole system with a plurality of cushioning units, each having multiple cushioning layers configured to work together as a system to absorb a compressive load, such as a dynamic compressive load due to impact with the ground, in stages of progressive cushioning according to the relative stiffness values of the layers. Various midsole systems disclosed include isolated cushioning units, linked cushioning units, sole layers having stanchions interfacing with the midsole system, midsole systems with sole layers having keyed and unkeyed portions overlying a bladder, and midsole systems with vertically-stacked cushioning units disposed in inverted relationship to one another.

A laminate of the present invention includes a first member which contains a thermoplastic polymer and through which laser light is transmitted and a second member which contains a thermoplastic polymer and absorbs laser light, wherein the first member is directly bonded to the second member, and A represented by the formula 1: A=9D+Wa45 is more than zero. D represents a distance between a Hansen solubility parameter of the thermoplastic polymer of the first member and a Hansen solubility parameter of the thermoplastic polymer of the second member, and Wa represents work of adhesion calculated from each surface free energy of the first member and the second member. Such a first member and a second member are firmly bonded to each other without using a bonding sheet.

Improved soles and insoles for shoes, in particular sports shoes, are described. In an aspect, a sole for a shoe, in particular a sports shoe, with at least a first and a second surface region is provided. The first surface region comprises expanded thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). The second surface region is free from expanded TPU.

Methods for manufacturing articles of footwear are provided. In various aspects, the methods comprise utilizing additive manufacturing methods with foam particles. In some aspects, the disclosed methods comprise selectively depositing a binding material on foam particles in a target area such that the binding material coats at least a portion of defining surfaces of the foam particles with the binding material. The binding material is then cured to affix foam particles in the target area to one another. In various aspects, the disclosed methods can be used to manufacturer articles with sub-regions that differential levels of affixing between the foam particles, and thereby resulting in sub-regions with different properties such as density, resilience, and/or flexural modulus. 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.