Footwear including lightweight sole structure providing enhanced comfort, flexibility and performance features
A sole structure for an article of footwear includes a midsole structure including a plurality of members arranged in layers within the midsole structure and an outsole structure. The plurality of members includes a first cushion member including a first compressible material, a second cushion member including a second compressible material that connects with the outsole structure, and a plate disposed between the first and second cushion members, where the plate is configured to bend at one or more specific locations along a length of the plate. The outsole structure includes an upper rubber layer, a lower rubber layer, and a textile layer disposed between the upper and lower rubber layers.
1. A sole structure for an article of footwear, the sole structure comprising:
a midsole structure and an outsole structure;
the midsole structure comprising a plurality of members arranged in layers within the midsole structure, the plurality of members comprising:
a first cushion member comprising a first compressible material;
a second cushion member comprising a second compressible material that connects with the outsole structure; and
a plate disposed between the first and second cushion members, wherein the plate is configured to bend at one or more specific locations along a length of the plate; and
the outsole structure comprising:
an upper rubber layer;
a lower rubber layer; and
a textile layer disposed between the upper and lower rubber layers;
wherein the second cushion member connects with the outsole structure to form a plurality of pods along a bottom side of the sole structure, each pod being separated a spaced distance from another pod, and the bottom side includes a first pod separated a spaced distance from a second pod such that a portion of the plate is exposed along the bottom side between the first and second pods, and the exposed portion of the plate between the first and second pods includes a flexure groove extending along a surface of the plate that is transverse the length of the plate such that the plate is configured to bend at the flexure groove.
2. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the textile layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a polyurethane, a polyester, a polyolefin, a polyamide, an elastomer, cotton, and any one or more combinations and/or copolymers thereof.
3. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the textile layer comprises a woven or knitted fabric.
4. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein each of the upper and lower rubber layers has a Shore A durometer of greater than about 50.
5. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the outsole structure further comprises a base structure, the base structure including the upper and lower rubber layers, the textile layer and a plurality of ground engaging elements coupled with and extending from an exposed surface of the lower rubber layer.
6. The sole structure of claim 5 , wherein the base structure has a maximum thickness no greater than about 2.0 mm.
7. The sole structure of claim 5 , wherein the base structure has a maximum thickness no greater than about 1.2 mm.
8. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein each of the upper and lower rubber layers of the outsole structure includes a portion having a thickness no greater than about 0.4 mm.
9. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein at least one rubber layer of the outsole structure varies in thickness along one or more dimensions of the rubber layer.
10. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein each textile layer has a thickness no greater than about 0.2 mm.
11. The sole structure of claim 5 , wherein at least one ground engaging element has a thickness of at least about 1.5 mm.
12. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the second cushion member of the midsole structure includes at least one indentation dimensioned to receive and retain a portion of the outsole structure including the textile layer.
13. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the first compressible material has a hardness value that is less than a hardness value of the second compressible material.
14. The sole structure of claim 13 , wherein the plate has a hardness value that is greater than the hardness value of the second compressible material.
15. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the first cushion member comprises a foam material including one or more olefin block copolymers.
16. The sole structure of claim 15 , wherein the second cushion member comprises a foam material including ethylene vinyl acetate, and the plate comprises a polyamide material or a material including carbon fibers combined with a polymer.
17. The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the plate includes a portion that is substantially flat and a portion that is curved and has an arcuate shape in a dimension that is transverse a length of the plate.
18. An article of footwear comprising:
the sole structure of claim 1 ; and
an upper connected with the midsole structure.
19. The article of footwear of claim 18 , further comprising a strobel that connects with the upper, wherein the strobel is disposed between the first cushion member and the second cushion member.