Sole and article of footwear having a pod assembly
A sole for an article of footwear includes an upper sole. The upper sole forms a sidewall of the sole. The sole includes a pod assembly coupled to the upper sole and disposed below the upper sole. The pod assembly includes a strip of pods fluidly connected in series. The strip of pods includes at least one pod disposed in each of a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region of the sole. The strip of pods extends from the heel region of the sole to the forefoot region of the sole in a linear arrangement. The strip of pods is disposed along a central longitudinal axis of the sole.
1 . A sole for an article of footwear, comprising:
an upper sole, the upper sole forming a sidewall of the sole; and
a pod assembly coupled to the upper sole and disposed below the upper sole, the pod assembly including a strip of pods and passageways fluidly connecting the strip of pods in series, the strip of pods including at least one pod disposed in each of a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region of the sole, and each of the passageways extending between adjacent pods of the strip,
wherein the strip of pods extends from the heel region of the sole to the forefoot region of the sole in a linear arrangement, and
wherein the strip of pods is disposed along a central longitudinal axis of the sole, and each of the passageways is aligned in a longitudinal direction of the sole, and
wherein a bottom surface of the upper sole defines a plurality of hubs receding into the upper sole, and each of the hubs receives an upper portion of a respective pod of the pod assembly.
2 . The sole of claim 1 , further comprising:
a lower sole disposed below the pod assembly and coupled to the pod assembly, the lower sole including pod covers, wherein each of the pod covers receives a bottom portion of a pod of the pod assembly.
3 . The sole of claim 2 , wherein one or more of the pod covers defines a bulge, each bulge of a pod cover corresponds to a shape of a pod received on the pod cover.
4 . The sole of claim 2 , wherein one or more of the pod covers includes grooves, the grooves are centered with respect to the pod cover, and the grooves are arranged concentrically with respect to each other.
5 . The sole of claim 4 , wherein the grooves of the pod cover allow movement of the pod received on the pod cover when force is applied against the pod cover during a gait cycle of a wearer.
6 . The sole of claim 2 , wherein a rearmost pod of the strip located in the heel region of the sole is larger than each remaining pod of the strip.
7 . The sole of claim 6 , wherein the rearmost pod of the strip extends along a rear perimeter of the sole in the heel region.
8 . The sole of claim 1 , wherein the pod assembly further comprises:
auxiliary pods located in the heel region of the sole; and
branches fluidly connecting the strip of pods with the auxiliary pods, each of the branches extends from a pod of the strip in the heel region to a respective auxiliary pod.
9 . The sole of claim 8 , wherein the auxiliary pods are located between the pod of the strip in the heel region and a rear perimeter of the sole in the heel region.
10 . The sole of claim 9 , wherein the auxiliary pods include a first auxiliary pod located adjacent to a lateral edge of the sole and a second auxiliary pod located adjacent to a medial edge of the sole.
11 . The sole of claim 1 , wherein the pod assembly further comprises an auxiliary pod located between a pod of the strip in the heel region and a rear perimeter of the sole in the heel region, the auxiliary pod is fluidly connected to the pod of the strip in the heel region.
12 . The sole of claim 11 , wherein the auxiliary pod is joined to the pod of the strip in the heel region such that the auxiliary pod opens directly into the pod of the strip.
13 . The sole of claim 11 , wherein the auxiliary pod is spatially separated from the pod of the strip in the heel region, and the pod assembly comprises a passageway extending from the auxiliary pod to the pod of the strip in the heel region.
14 . The sole of claim 1 , wherein a perimeter of the plurality of hubs disposed along the bottom surface of the upper sole defines a shoulder engaging the strip of pods.
15 . The sole of claim 1 , wherein each pod of the strip includes an oval-shaped bottom surface, the oval-shaped bottom surface extending from a lateral side of the sole to a medial side of the sole.
16 . The sole of claim 15 , wherein the strip of pods includes a first pod disposed in the forefoot region and a second pod disposed in the forefoot region and rearward of the first pod, wherein a width of the first pod is less than a width of the second pod.
17 . The sole of claim 16 , wherein the strip of pods includes a third pod disposed in the midfoot region and a fourth pod disposed in the heel region, wherein a width of the third pod in the midfoot region is less than the width of the first pod in the forefoot region, and a width of the fourth pod in the heel region is greater than the width of the second pod in the forefoot region.
18 . The sole of claim 1 , wherein a rearmost part of each pod of the strip is forward of a foremost part of any rearward pod to which the pod is directly connected.
19 . The sole of claim 1 , wherein all pods of the pod assembly are connected in series.
20 . An article of footwear, comprising:
an upper; and
a sole according to claim 1 , wherein the sole is coupled to the upper.