Method of customizing forefoot cushioning in articles of footwear
An article of footwear includes an upper and a sole structure with a sole member. The sole member can be manufactured using a system that modifies the forefoot cushioning of the sole member over a series of footwear purchases. The modifications can be configured to correspond to a customer's evaluation of the forefoot cushioning previously purchased. The sole member can include a set of apertures or incisions that are formed along various surfaces of the sole member to adjust the cushioning characteristics of the sole member.
1. A method of manufacturing articles of footwear, comprising:
transmitting data to a computing system for: (a) generating a rating system on the computing system for evaluating a first level of forefoot cushioning of a first sole member of a first article of footwear, wherein the first article of footwear has a first base sole layer, and (b) requesting input through the computing system of a customer-selected rating of the first level of forefoot cushioning;
receiving data from the computing system including the customer-selected rating of the first level of forefoot cushioning;
selecting a second base sole layer;
forming at least a first aperture in a forefoot portion of the second base sole layer to form a second sole member with a second level of forefoot cushioning, wherein the second level of forefoot cushioning is different from the first level of forefoot cushioning and is determined based on the customer-selected rating of the first level of forefoot cushioning of the first sole member; and
providing the user with a second article of footwear including the second sole member.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second base sole layer includes a foam material, and wherein the step of forming at least the first aperture includes forming a blind-hole aperture as the first aperture in a surface of the foam material.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second base sole layer includes a foam material, wherein said at least the first aperture is a pattern of apertures, and wherein the step of forming at least the first aperture includes forming the pattern of apertures in a surface of the foam material.
4. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising fixedly attaching the second sole member to an upper to form the second article of footwear.
5. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the step of forming at least the first aperture includes forming the pattern of apertures by laser cutting into the foam material.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the data transmitted to the computing system for generating the rating system on the computing system includes an application program for generating the rating system on a mobile computer device.
7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the data transmitted to the computing system for generating the rating system on the computing system includes data for generating a rating system having a sliding scale for rating forefoot cushioning from a “too soft” rating to a “too firm” rating.
8. A method of manufacturing articles of footwear, comprising:
transmitting data to a computing system for: (a) generating a rating system on the computing system for evaluating a first level of forefoot cushioning of a first sole member of a first article of footwear, wherein the first article of footwear has a first base sole layer, and (b) requesting input through the computing system of a customer-selected rating of the first level of forefoot cushioning;
receiving data from the computing system including the customer-selected rating of the first level of forefoot cushioning;
selecting a second base sole layer;
forming at least a first incision in a forefoot portion of the second base sole layer to form a second sole member with a second level of forefoot cushioning, wherein the second level of forefoot cushioning is different from the first level of forefoot cushioning and is determined based on the customer-selected rating of the first level of forefoot cushioning of the first sole member; and
providing the user with a second article of footwear including the second sole member.
9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the step of forming at least the first incision includes forming the first incision as a slit having a length and a width, wherein the length is substantially greater than the width.
10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein said at least the first incision is a plurality of incisions, and wherein the step of forming at least the first incision includes forming the plurality of incisions in a surface of the second sole member.
11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising fixedly attaching the second sole member to an upper to form the second article of footwear.
12. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the step of forming at least the first incision includes forming the first incision as a blind-slit incision.
13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the blind-slit incision is cut to extend through 10% to 75% of a thickness of the second sole member.
14. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the step of forming the plurality of incisions includes forming the plurality of incisions as a series of concentric rings.
15. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the step of forming the plurality of incisions includes forming incisions between apertures formed in the surface of the second sole member.
16. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the data transmitted to the computing system for generating the rating system on the computing system includes an application program for generating the rating system on a mobile computer device.
17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the data transmitted to the computing system for generating the rating system on the computing system includes data for generating a rating system having a sliding scale for rating forefoot cushioning from a “too soft” rating to a “too firm” rating.
18. A method of manufacturing articles of footwear, comprising:
transmitting data to a computing system for: (a) generating a rating system on the computing system for evaluating a first level of forefoot cushioning provided by a first sole member, wherein the first sole member is fixedly attached to a first upper of a first article of footwear and is formed from a first base sole layer that includes a first forefoot portion, and (b) requesting input through the computing system of a customer-selected rating of the first level of forefoot cushioning;
receiving data from the computing system including the customer-selected rating of the first level of forefoot cushioning;
selecting a second base sole layer with a second forefoot portion to form a second sole member with a second level of forefoot cushioning that differs from the first level of forefoot cushioning, wherein a material composition of the second forefoot portion is determined based on the customer-selected rating of the first level of forefoot cushioning of the first sole member; and
providing the user with a second article of footwear that includes the second sole member, wherein the second sole member is fixedly attached to a second upper of the second article of footwear.
19. The method according to claim 18 , further comprising forming at least a first aperture in the second forefoot portion of the second base sole layer.
20. The method according to claim 18 , further comprising forming at least a first incision in the second forefoot portion of the second base sole layer.