Granted Patent B2

US 12,471,668 · App. 18/188,543 · Granted Nov 18, 2025

Inventors: John Hurd (Lake Oswego, OR); Joël Ryp Greenspan (Portland, OR); Cassidy R. Levy (West Linn, OR); Nicholas R. Long (Portland, OR); Tetsuya T. Minami (Portland, OR)

Assignee: NIKE, Inc.

A43B13/187A43B13/04A43B13/125A43B13/186

Abstract

Claims (28)

1 . A sole structure for an article of footwear, the sole structure comprising:

a midsole defining a first cavity tapering from a first aperture to a first bottom wall and a second cavity tapering from a second aperture to a second bottom wall, the first cavity disposed closer to an anterior end of the midsole than the second cavity and having a different taper than the second cavity, the first cavity having a first thickness at a thickest region of the first cavity and the second cavity having a second thickness at a thickest region of the second cavity, the first thickness of the first cavity being less than the second thickness of the second cavity;

a first barrier member formed from a first material and defining a first compartment received by the first cavity and a second compartment received by the second cavity;

a second barrier member formed from a second material and extending over the first barrier member and attaching to the first barrier member to create a web member extending between the first compartment and the second compartment, the second material being permeable;

a first quantity of particulate matter disposed within the first compartment; and

a second quantity of particulate matter disposed within the second compartment, the second quantity of particulate matter being greater than the first quantity of particulate matter.

2 . The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the first cavity includes a more gradual taper than the second cavity.

3 . The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the first material is a polymer.

4 . The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the second barrier member encloses the first compartment and the second compartment and defines a first interior void and a second interior void, the first interior void receiving the first quantity of particulate matter and the second interior void receiving the second quantity of particulate matter.

5 . The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the second material is different than the first material.

6 . The sole structure of claim 1 , wherein the first material is impermeable.

7 . The sole structure of claim 1 , further comprising a first aperture formed through one of the first bottom wall and the second bottom wall.

8 . The sole structure of claim 7 , wherein the first material extends over and covers the first aperture formed through one of the first bottom wall and the second bottom wall.

9 . The sole structure of claim 7 , further comprising an outsole extending over and covering the first aperture formed through one of the first bottom wall and the second bottom wall and defining a ground-engaging surface of the sole structure.

10 . An article of footwear incorporating the sole structure of claim 1 .

11 . A sole structure for an article of footwear, the sole structure comprising:

a midsole defining a first cavity extending between a first aperture and a first bottom wall and a second cavity extending between a second aperture and a second bottom wall, the first cavity having a first thickness at a thickest region of the first cavity and the second cavity having a second thickness at a thickest region of the second cavity, the first thickness of the first cavity being less than the second thickness of the second cavity, at least one of the first bottom wall and the second bottom wall having a third aperture formed therethrough;

a first barrier member extending over the third aperture, formed from a first material and defining a first compartment received by the first cavity and a second compartment received by the second cavity;

a second barrier member extending over the first barrier member and attaching to the first barrier member to create a web member extending between the first compartment and the second compartment; a first quantity of particulate matter disposed within the first compartment; and a second quantity of particulate matter disposed within the second compartment, the second quantity of particulate matter being greater than the first quantity of particulate matter.

12 . The sole structure of claim 11 , wherein the first cavity tapers from the first aperture to the first bottom wall and the second cavity tapers from the second aperture to the second bottom wall.

13 . The sole structure of claim 12 , wherein the first cavity is disposed closer to an anterior end of the sole structure than the second cavity and includes a more gradual taper than the second cavity.

14 . The sole structure of claim 11 , a wherein the second barrier member extending over the first barrier member to encloses the first compartment and the second compartment and defines a first interior void and a second interior void, the first interior void receiving the first quantity of particulate matter and the second interior void receiving the second quantity of particulate matter.

15 . The sole structure of claim 11 , wherein the second barrier member is formed from a second material different than the first material.

16 . The sole structure of claim 15 , wherein the first material is impermeable and the second material is permeable.

17 . The sole structure of claim 11 , wherein the first material is a polymer.

18 . The sole structure of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the first quantity of particulate matter and the second quantity of particulate matter includes foam beads.

19 . The sole structure of claim 11 , further comprising an outsole extending over and covering the third aperture and defining a ground-engaging surface of the sole structure.

20 . An article of footwear incorporating the sole structure of claim 11 .

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (282)