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 system for manufacturing a sole member for an article of footwear having customized forefoot cushioning, comprising:
a computing system that receives input data including a customer-selected rating of a first level of forefoot cushioning of a first sole member of a first article of footwear, wherein the first sole member has a first base sole layer;
a cutting device controllable to cut one or more incisions in a material for a footwear sole member; and
a second base sole layer for a second sole member for a second article of footwear, wherein the cutting device is controlled to cut one or more incisions in the second base sole layer based on the customer-selected rating of the first level of forefoot cushioning of the first sole member to thereby change the second base sole layer from an initial forefoot cushioning level to a modified forefoot cushioning level that is softer than the first level of forefoot cushioning.
2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the computing system further is programmed and adapted to determine a pattern of one or more incisions to be cut in the second base sole layer based on the initial forefoot cushioning level and based on the customer-selected rating of the first level of forefoot cushioning of the first sole member.
3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the pattern of one or more incisions cut in the second base sole layer by the cutting device includes one or more of openings, apertures, holes, tunnels, or spaces formed in the second base sole layer.
4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the second base sole layer includes a foam material, and wherein the cutting device includes a laser or a knife for cutting the one or more incisions in the foam material.
5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more incisions cut in the second base sole layer by the cutting device includes one or more of openings, apertures, holes, tunnels, or spaces formed in the second base sole layer.
6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the second base sole layer includes a foam material, and wherein the one or more incisions cut in the second base sole layer by the cutting device includes a pattern of apertures formed in a surface of the foam material.
7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more incisions cut into the second base sole layer by the cutting device includes a plurality of blind-slit incisions that extend between 10% and 75% of a thickness of the second base sole layer.
8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more incisions cut into the second base sole layer by the cutting device includes a plurality of blind hole apertures.
9. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a data transmission system for transmitting data to a third party including data for generating a rating system on a computing system of the third party, wherein the rating system allows the third party to input data evaluating the first level of forefoot cushioning of the first sole member of the first article of footwear.
10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the data for generating the rating system includes data for generating a sliding scale on the computing system of the third party, wherein the sliding scale allows a user to select different levels of forefoot cushioning for the first sole member.
11. A system for manufacturing a sole member for an article of footwear having customized forefoot cushioning, comprising:
a computing system that receives input data including a customer-selected rating of 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;
a cutting device controllable to cut one or more incisions in a material for a footwear sole member; and
a second base sole layer for a second sole member for a second article of footwear, wherein the second base sole layer is selected from a plurality of base sole layers based on the customer-selected rating of the first level of forefoot cushioning of the first sole member, wherein the plurality of base sole layers includes plural base sole layers having different forefoot cushioning levels, and wherein the cutting device is controlled to cut one or more incisions in the second base sole layer based on the customer-selected rating of the first level of forefoot cushioning of the first sole member.
12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the computing system further is programmed and adapted to select the second base sole layer from the plurality of base sole layers based on the customer-selected rating of the first level of forefoot cushioning of the first sole member.
13. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the computing system further is programmed and adapted to determine a pattern of one or more incisions to be cut in the second base sole layer based on the customer-selected rating of the first level of forefoot cushioning of the first sole member, and wherein the cutting device is controlled to cut the pattern of one or more incisions in the second base sole layer.
14. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the pattern of one or more incisions cut in the second base sole layer by the cutting device includes one or more of openings, apertures, holes, tunnels, or spaces formed in the second base sole layer.
15. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the computing system further is programmed and adapted to determine a pattern of one or more incisions to be cut in the second base sole layer based on the customer-selected rating of the first level of forefoot cushioning of the first sole member.
16. The system according to claim 15 , wherein the pattern of one or more incisions cut in the second base sole layer by the cutting device includes one or more of openings, apertures, holes, tunnels, or spaces formed in the second base sole layer.
17. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the second base sole layer includes a foam material, and wherein the cutting device includes a laser or a knife for cutting the one or more incisions in the foam material.
18. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the one or more incisions cut in the second base sole layer by the cutting device includes one or more of openings, apertures, holes, tunnels, or spaces formed in the second base sole layer.
19. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the second base sole layer includes a foam material, wherein the one or more incisions cut in the second base sole layer by the cutting device includes a pattern of apertures formed in a surface of the foam material.
20. The system according to claim 11 , further comprising a data transmission system for transmitting data to a third party including data for generating a rating system on a computing system of the third party, wherein the rating system allows the third party to input data evaluating the first level of forefoot cushioning of the first sole member of the first article of footwear.