Article of footwear including a heel stabilizing element

1 . An article of footwear comprising:

a heel region including a posterior end of the article of footwear, a mid-foot region, and a forefoot region including an anterior end of the article of footwear;

a lateral side, and a medial side opposite the lateral side;

an upper;

a sole structure, the sole structure coupled to the upper, and wherein the sole structure further comprises;

a midsole including:

a first cushioning element extending from the posterior end to the anterior end;

a second cushioning element extending from the mid-foot region to the posterior end, the second cushioning element being formed of a different material than the first cushioning element; and

a shell, wherein the shell includes a plurality of circumferentially-spaced apart protrusions each extending away from the upper toward the second cushioning element and a ground-surface when the article of footwear is in an upright configuration, wherein each of the plurality of protrusions is directly coupled to the second cushioning element; and

a heel counter disposed adjacent to the first cushioning element in the heel region, wherein the heel counter includes one or more protrusions, each protrusion of the heel counter being disposed within the shell.

2 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the one or more protrusions of the heel counter extend radially outward from a first surface of the heel counter.

3 . The article of footwear of claim 2 , wherein the heel counter does not directly contact the second cushioning element.

4 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the shell does not directly contact the second cushioning element between circumferentially adjacent protrusions of the shell.

5 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of protrusions of the shell has a taper in a direction extending outwardly and away from the shell.

6 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of protrusions of the shell includes a first protrusion, a second protrusion, a third protrusion, a fourth protrusion, and a fifth protrusion.

7 . The article of footwear of claim 6 , wherein circumferentially adjacent protrusions of the shell are spaced apart by a circumferentially-extending gap.

8 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the shell further includes an anterior lateral end and an anterior medial end, the anterior lateral end coupled to first cushioning element, and the anterior medial end coupled to the first cushioning element.

9 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the second cushioning element is a pressurized airbag.

10 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the shell extends from the medial side to the lateral side, and wherein the heel counter extends from the medial side to the lateral side, the shell extending further along each of the medial side and the lateral side than does the heel counter.

11 . A sole structure for an article of footwear comprising:

a first cushioning element configured to extend from a posterior end of the article of footwear to an anterior end of the article of footwear, the first cushioning element including a first surface;

a second cushioning element configured to extend from a mid-foot region of the article of footwear to the posterior end, the second cushioning element being formed of a different material than the first cushioning element;

a shell directly coupled to the first surface of the first cushioning element, the shell including a body and a plurality of circumferentially-spaced apart protrusions forming a first concave surface and extending away from the body of the shell toward at least one of the first cushioning element or the second cushioning element and toward a ground surface when the sole structure is positioned in the article of footwear and the article of footwear is in an upright configuration, wherein the plurality of circumferentially-spaced apart protrusions are separated by a gap extending between adjacently disposed protrusions and separating the body of the shell from the first cushioning element, and each of the plurality of protrusions is directed coupled to the second cushioning element; and

a heel counter coupled to the shell, the heel counter including a body and a plurality of protrusions forming a second concave surface, wherein the first concave surface of the shell is aligned with the second concave surface of the heel counter, the heel counter is adjacent the first cushioning element and configured to be disposed in the heel region of the article of footwear, and each protrusion of the heel counter is disposed within the shell.

12 . The sole structure of claim 11 , wherein the first cushioning element is a fluid-filled bladder.

13 . The sole structure of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of protrusions of the shell includes a first protrusion, a second protrusion, a third protrusion, a fourth protrusion, and a fifth protrusion.

14 . The sole structure of claim 13 , wherein the first protrusion is symmetrical about a central longitudinal axis of the shell with the fifth protrusion, and wherein the second protrusion is symmetrical about a central longitudinal axis of the shell with the fourth protrusion.

15 . The sole structure of claim 13 , wherein the third protrusion is disposed between the second protrusion and the fourth protrusion.

16 . The sole structure of claim 13 , wherein each of the first through fifth protrusions extend toward and couples with the first cushioning element, and wherein a first gap extends between the first and second protrusions, a second gap extends between the second and third protrusions, a third gap extends between the third and fourth protrusions, and a fourth gap extends between the fourth and fifth protrusions.

17 . An article of footwear including the sole structure of claim 11 .