There is provided a sole for footwear with a bottom surface comprising: a primary surface and one or more positioning face, wherein: the one or more positioning faces are at an angle to the primary surface; engaging a ground with the primary surface causes a wearer of the footwear to take a natural stance; engaging the ground with the one or more positioning faces causes the wearer to take one or more athletic stances; and the wearer switches between the natural stance and the one or more athletic stances by shifting their weight.

An apparatus includes a heel section, a mid-foot section, and a toe section. The heel section, the mid-foot section, and the toe section collectively have a geometric shape having a first slope of a polarity along an inner edge of the apparatus from the toe section to the heel section and a second slope of the polarity along the inner edge of the apparatus to an outer edge of the apparatus at the toe section.

Disclosed is a sole structure for shoes, which includes a lower midsole. The lower midsole includes a medial-side midsole portion which extends in a medial side portion of a heel region supporting a heel of a wearer's foot, and a lateral-side midsole portion which extends in a lateral side portion of the heel region, and which faces, and is spaced apart from, the medial-side midsole portion in a foot width direction. The lateral-side midsole portion includes supports which are arranged adjacent to each other in a longitudinal direction with a gap interposed therebetween and which support the wearer's heel, and a coupling portion which is provided in the gap, and couples the adjacent supports to each other to reduce displacement or twist in the foot width direction occurring between the adjacent supports.

A sole structure for an article of footwear having an upper includes an outsole, a plate disposed between the outsole and the upper, and a first cushioning layer. The plate includes an anterior-most point disposed in a forefoot region of the sole structure, a posterior-most point disposed closer to a heel region of the sole structure than the anterior-most point, and a concave portion extending between the anterior-most point and the posterior-most point. The concave portion includes a constant radius of curvature from the anterior-most point to a metarsophalangeal (MTP) point of the sole structure. The MTP point opposes the MTP joint of a foot during use. The first cushioning layer is disposed between the concave portion and the upper.

A plate for an article of footwear includes a substrate, a first strand portion attached to the substrate via first stitching, and a second strand portion disposed on the first layer. The first strand portion includes first segments that each extend between two different locations along the substrate to form a first layer on the substrate. The second strand portion includes second segments that each extend between two different locations along the substrate to form a second layer on the first layer.

A method of forming a plate for an article of footwear is disclosed. The method includes applying a first strand portion to a base layer including positioning adjacent segments of the first strand portion to form a first layer on the base layer. The adjacent segments of the first strand portion having a greater density across a width of the plate between a medial side and a lateral side at a forefoot region of the plate than at a midfoot region of the plate and at a heel region of the plate. The method also includes applying at least one of heat and pressure to the first strand portion and to the base layer to conform the first strand portion and the base layer to a predetermined shape.

A sole structure includes: an anti-skid layer, a rigid layer, an elastic piece and a soft layer which are superimposed upon one another. With the characteristic of the elastic piece being elastically deformable, a rebounding force can be produced to act on the foot to stimulate the ligaments and muscles of the foot, which consequently corrects the flatfoot.

A rocker shoe has a lower rocker surface extending across the plantar surface of the shoe sole from the heel and terminating short of the toe. A rocker shoe construction kit has a rigid or substantially rigid rocker piece having an upper surface for securing over a major portion of a lower plantar surface of the sole of a shoe upper and a lower surface of predetermined rocker shape, a cushioning layer for securing over the lower surface of the rocker piece, and a layer of tread material configured for securing over the lower surface of the cushioning layer and any exposed portion of the plantar surface of a shoe.

A heel clamp, or posterior component, for an article of footwear is provided. The heel clamp may comprise a posterior component height value measuring a height value from a lowest point under the heel of the foot on an upper facing surface to a top of the posterior component. A lateral component and a medial component of the heel clamp may include a predetermined height value or an extension height value. The lateral component may be extending into or through an area in-between a lateral malleolus bone of the foot and an Achilles tendon of the foot, the medial component may be extending into or through an area in-between a medial malleolus bone of the foot and the Achilles tendon of the foot, and the intermediate component may be extending to an area of an end of a top of a calcaneus bone of the foot.

An apparatus includes a heel section, a mid-foot section, and a toe section. The heel section, the mid-foot section, and the toe section collectively have a geometric shape having a first slope of a polarity along an inner edge of the apparatus from the toe section to the heel section and a second slope of the polarity along the inner edge of the apparatus to an outer edge of the apparatus at the toe section.