Soles for articles of footwear including a mechanically anisotropic three-dimensional mesh. The mechanically anisotropic three-dimensional mesh can include one or more mechanically anisotropic regions with a first lattice shear modulus measured in a first direction and a second lattice shear modulus measured in a second direction opposite to or orthogonal to the first direction. The first and second lattice shear moduli are different to provide the three-dimensional mesh with mechanically anisotropic properties. The mechanically anisotropic three-dimensional mesh can be three-dimensionally printed.

A device configured to surround a portion of a foot-receiving cavity at a heel region of an article of footwear comprises a control bar having a center segment, a first side arm extending from the center segment, and a second side arm spaced from the first side arm and extending from the center segment. The control bar may include a series of slats. A base supports the control bar and is connected to the first side arm and the second side arm. The control bar is biased to an unstressed position with the center segment a first distance from the base, and elastically bends under an applied force to a loaded position with the center segment a second distance from the base less than the first distance. The device stores potential energy that returns the control bar to the unloaded position upon removal of the applied load.

A device configured to surround a portion of a foot-receiving cavity at a heel region of an article of footwear comprises a control bar having a center segment, a first side arm extending from the center segment, and a second side arm spaced from the first side arm and extending from the center segment. The control bar may include a series of slats. A base supports the control bar and is connected to the first side arm and the second side arm. The control bar is biased to an unstressed position with the center segment a first distance from the base, and elastically bends under an applied force to a loaded position with the center segment a second distance from the base less than the first distance. The device stores potential energy that returns the control bar to the unloaded position upon removal of the applied load.

A shoe including a sole and an upper. The upper is coupled to the sole. The upper includes an outer layer and an inner layer. The outer layer has an outer surface and an inner surface. The inner surface of the outer layer is in direct contact with the inner layer. The outer layer is a hot melt thermoplastic material, and the inner layer is a material different from that of the outer layer. At least a portion of the outer layer is adhered to the inner layer, and the inner layer including a portion not covered by the outer layer.

A shoe sole includes a resilient member, and has a bottom surface as a ground contact surface and a top surface. The resilient member has a three-dimensional shape formed by a wall having an outer shape defined by a pair of parallel flat or curved surfaces, and may buckle when the resilient member receives a compressive stress applied in a normal direction to the bottom surface. In the shoe sole, when a load is applied to the shoe sole in a gradually increasing manner such that a compressive stress is applied to the resilient member in the normal direction, the resilient member starts to buckle when a stress applied to the resilient member is within a range of 0.05 MPa or more and 0.55 MPa or less and a strain of the resilient member in the normal direction is within a range of 10% or more and 60% or less.

A sole structure for an article of footwear may have a midsole system that includes a sole plate having a forefoot region and a midfoot region. The sole plate may have a foot-facing surface and a ground-facing surface opposite to the foot-facing surface. The sole plate may define a through hole extending from the foot-facing surface to the ground-facing surface in the forefoot region. The through hole may be closer to a medial edge of the sole plate than to a lateral edge of the sole plate. The sole plate may have ridges extending longitudinally in the midfoot region and in the forefoot region. The ridges may have crests at least some of which may extend non-parallel with one another in a longitudinal direction of the sole plate.

An article of footwear includes an upper defining a foot-receiving cavity with a heel region, and a heel support device extending around the rear of a heel region from a lateral side to a medial side. The heel support device may include a plurality of slats and a base, the plurality of slats providing a progressive gradient of lengths and/or widths, and/or one or more pegs extending from the device for attachment to a footwear upper, and/or an elongated tip that may be disposed in a cavity of an extension of a heel collar of the upper.

The present invention relates to a system integrated or retrofitted to a shoe for preventing a wearer of the shoe from becoming stuck in mud, sand, water, or any other soft terrain while walking. The system includes a pair of tubes positioned on opposing sides of the shoe/boot and a rigid attachment overlapping a portion of the sole of the shoe. A valve having a lengthwise opening can be placed between the rigid attachment and the sole such that each tube of the pair of tubes is attached to opposing ends of the valve using a pair of elbow tubes. Each elbow tube passes through a hole in the rigid attachment to connect to the valve. The valve creates a vacuum when the shoe to which the system is attached is stepped onto the terrain and when the shoe is lifted, the vacuum is released.

A footwear article includes a hinged portion in a heel region that may be biased in various positions to increase or decrease a size of a foot-insertion opening. The hinged portion may be arranged in a first position, in which the hinged portion is more upright and is in position to cup a wearer's heel or Achilles region when the footwear article is worn. In addition, the hinged portion may be hingedly rotated downward or rearwardly (e.g., away from the foot-insertion opening) to a second position, which may increase a size of the foot-insertion opening and/or may change an angle along which a foot can pass through the foot-insertion opening when the footwear article is being donned or doffed. One or more elastic members may be attached to the hinged portion and to some other portion of the footwear article to bias the hinged portion.