IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,433,370
Granted Patent B2
US 12,433,370 · App. 17/719,861 · Granted Oct 7, 2025

Vacuum transform upper for article of footwear

Inventors: Jennifer L. Bishop (Portland, OR); Timothy P. Hopkins (Lake Oswego, OR); Viviane Labelle (Portland, OR); Nicholas R. Long (Portland, OR); Todd W. Miller (Portland, OR); Nadia M. Panian (Beaverton, OR); Aaron K. Seid (Portland, OR)
Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
A43B23/0285A43B1/0009A43B23/0205A43B23/029
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,433,370
App. No.
17/719,861
Granted
Oct 7, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An adjustment element for an article of footwear includes a bladder having a barrier layer defining an interior void and a compressible component disposed within the interior void and including a lattice structure defining a plurality of reliefs formed in the lattice structure, the compressible component operable between an expanded state when the interior void includes a first pressure and a contracted state when the interior void includes a second pressure.

Claims (16)

1. An adjustment element forming an upper of an article of footwear, the adjustment element comprising:

a bladder including a barrier layer defining an interior void; and

a compressible component disposed within the interior void and including a foam lattice structure defining a plurality of reliefs formed in the lattice structure, a first plurality of the reliefs operable to contract in a first direction in a forefoot region of the upper and a second plurality of the reliefs operable to contract in a second direction in a mid-foot region of the upper, wherein the compressible component operates between an expanded state when the interior void includes a first pressure and a contracted state when the interior void includes a second pressure less than ambient pressure.

2. The adjustment element of claim 1 , wherein reliefs of the plurality of reliefs are parallelogram-shaped and extend through a thickness of the compressible component.

3. The adjustment element of claim 1 , wherein the lattice structure defines a first adjustment zone including the first plurality of reliefs oriented in the first direction and a second adjustment zone including the second plurality of reliefs oriented in the second direction different from the first direction.

4. The adjustment element of claim 1 , further comprising a port connected to the barrier layer and providing fluid communication between the interior void and a variable pressure source.

5. The adjustment element of claim 1 , wherein the first pressure is equal to or greater than ambient pressure.

6. The adjustment element of claim 1 , wherein the adjustment element includes an interior seam separating the bladder into a first chamber and a second chamber.

7. An article of footwear comprising:

a bootie defining an interior void, and

an adjustment element attached to the bootie and including a bladder having a barrier layer defining an interior void and a compressible component disposed within the interior void, the compressible component including a foam lattice structure defining a plurality of reliefs formed in the lattice structure, a first adjustment zone including a first plurality of the reliefs oriented in a first direction and operable to contract in the first direction in a forefoot region, and a second adjustment zone including a second plurality of the reliefs oriented in a second direction different from the first direction and operable to contract in the second direction in a mid-foot region, wherein the compressible component operates between an expanded state when the interior void includes a first pressure and a contracted state when the interior void includes a second pressure less than ambient pressure.

8. The article of footwear of claim 7 , wherein reliefs of the plurality of reliefs are parallelogram-shaped and extend through a thickness of the compressible component.

9. The article of footwear of claim 7 , further comprising a port connected to the barrier layer and providing fluid communication between the interior void and a variable pressure source.

10. The article of footwear of claim 7 , wherein the first pressure is equal to or greater than ambient pressure.

11. The article of footwear of claim 7 , wherein the adjustment element includes an interior seam separating the bladder into a first chamber and a second chamber.

12. The article of footwear of claim 7 , wherein the bootie is exposed along a throat region of the article of footwear.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 23, 2024
From: LABELLE, VIVIANE
To: NIKE, INC.
Reel/Frame 068988/0736 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 28, 2022
From: BISHOP, JENNIFER L.; HOPKINS, TIMOTHY P.; LONG, NICHOLAS R.; MILLER, TODD W.; PANIAN, NADIA M.; SEID, AARON K.
To: NIKE, INC.
Reel/Frame 061580/0439 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63174763 · Apr 14, 2021
Related Publication 20220330657A1 · Oct 20, 2022
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Cited By (1)
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