Injection-molded footwear and methods of making the same

Inventors: Marco Fischhold (Herzogenaurach, DE); Eric Jeandin (Herzogenaurach, DE); Harald Geyer (Herzogenaurach, DE); Ulisse Tanzini (Herzogenaurach, DE); Goussev Stanislav (Herzogenaurach, DE); Andrew Leslie (Herzogenaurach, DE); Matthias Linz (Herzogenaurach, DE); Sergius Merker (Herzogenaurach, DE)

Assignee: adidas AG

B29D35/061 A43B1/04 A43B7/12 A43B9/18 A43B23/0245 B29D35/0009 B29D35/10

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12661860
App. No.: 18/314,403
Granted: Jun 23, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

Injection-molded footwear made by an injection molding method. The method can comprise: providing an upper; providing a mold and opening the mold; inserting the upper into the open mold; closing the mold; and injecting a pressurized molten resin, wherein, after the injecting, there is a gap filled with the resin between a side wall of the mold and an outer surface of at least a first portion of the upper, wherein the gap is essentially zero at a contacting point, wherein the gap increases gradually from the contacting point in at least a first region of the mold.

Claims (28)

1 . An article of footwear, comprising:

an upper comprising an outer surface and a bottom region; and

a sole comprising an injection-molded resin, wherein the injection-molded resin forms a resin coating at least partly coating the outer surface of the upper,

wherein at a first medial-lateral cross-section of the footwear:

the resin coating ceases at a first height on the outer surface of the upper at a first side of the first medial-lateral cross-section,

the resin coating ceases at a second height on the outer surface of the upper at a second side of the first medial-lateral cross-section, the second height being higher than the first height,

the resin coating comprises a first thickness gradient at the first side of the first medial-lateral cross-section, and

the resin coating comprises a second thickness gradient at the second side of the first medial-lateral cross-section,

wherein the first height and the second height are measured away from the bottom region of the upper parallel to a center-line of the first medial-lateral cross-section, the center-line extending through a geometric center of the first medial-lateral cross-section and normal to the bottom region of the upper,

wherein an upper edge of the resin coating is essentially flush with the outer surface of the upper, the upper edge of the resin coating facing away from the bottom region of the upper,

wherein the outer surface of the upper is knitted, the knitted outer surface of the upper comprising a plurality of channels defined by a knitted pattern, and

wherein injection-molded resin extends away from the upper edge of the resin coating, away from the bottom region of the upper, and into the channels of the knitted outer surface.

2 . The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the first side of the first medial-lateral cross-section is a lateral side and the second side of the first medial-lateral cross-section is a medial side.

3 . The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the first side of the first medial-lateral cross-section is a medial side and the second side of the first medial-lateral cross-section is a lateral side.

4 . The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the first thickness gradient of the resin coating and the second thickness gradient of the resin coating are between a 0.35 mm and 0.9 mm increase of thickness of the resin coating per 1 mm distance,

wherein the distance is measured along the outer surface of the upper toward the bottom region of the upper.

5 . The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the first thickness gradient of the resin coating and the second thickness gradient of the resin coating are symmetrical.

6 . The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein at a second medial-lateral cross-section of the footwear:

the resin coating ceases at a third height on the outer surface of the upper at a first side of the second medial-lateral cross-section,

the resin coating ceases at a fourth height on the outer surface of the upper at a second side of the second medial-lateral cross-section, the fourth height being equal to the third height,

the resin coating comprises a third thickness gradient at the first side of the second medial-lateral cross-section, and

the resin coating comprises a fourth thickness gradient at the second side of the second medial-lateral cross-section,

wherein the third height and the fourth height are measured away from the bottom region of the upper parallel to a center-line of the second medial-lateral cross-section, the center-line extending through a geometric center of the second medial-lateral cross-section and normal to the bottom region of the upper.

7 . The article of footwear according to claim 6 , wherein the third height and the fourth height are different than the first height and the second height.

8 . The article of footwear according to claim 6 , wherein the third height and the fourth height are lower than the first height and the second height.

9 . The article of footwear according to claim 6 , wherein the third thickness gradient and the fourth thickness gradient are equal.

10 . The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of channels are defined by ribs.

11 . The article of footwear according to claim 10 , wherein the ribs are covered by the injection-molded resin at the edge of the resin coating, and wherein the ribs are not covered by the injection-molded resin beyond the edge of the resin coating.