Granted Patent B2

US 12,740,616 · App. 18/971,282 · Granted Sep 22, 2026

Inventors: Blayne Hettinga (Portland, OR); Shannon Pomeroy (Portland, OR); Iain Martin Hannah (Nuremberg, DE); Ladan Salari-Sharif (Portland, OR); Dustin Kendrick (San Francisco, CA); Jacques M. Perrault (Portland, OR); Andrew Schneider (Portland, OR)

Assignee: adidas AG

A43B13/186A43B3/0036B33Y10/00B33Y80/00

Abstract

Claims (28)

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

a three-dimensional mesh comprising:

a plurality of interconnected unit cells;

a first mechanically anisotropic region comprising: a first group of the interconnected unit cells, a first lattice shear modulus measured in a first direction, and a second lattice shear modulus different from the first lattice shear modulus and measured in a second direction opposite to or orthogonal to the first direction; and

a second mechanically anisotropic region comprising: a second group of the interconnected unit cells, a third lattice shear modulus measured in the first direction, and a fourth lattice shear modulus different from the third lattice shear modulus and measured in the second direction,

wherein the first lattice shear modulus is at least 10% different from the third lattice shear modulus.

2 . The sole of claim 1 , wherein the second lattice shear modulus is at least 10% different from the fourth lattice shear modulus.

3 . The sole of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional mesh comprises a mechanically isotropic region comprising a third group of the interconnected unit cells and isotropic mechanical properties.

4 . The sole of claim 1 , wherein the first group of the interconnected unit cells comprises a 7×7×2 group of the interconnected unit cells, and the second group of the interconnected unit cells comprises a 7×7×2 group of the interconnected unit cells.

5 . The sole of claim 1 , wherein the first group of the interconnected unit cells comprises mechanically anisotropic unit cells arranged in a plurality of rows within the first mechanically anisotropic region.

6 . The sole of claim 5 , wherein the second group of the interconnected unit cells comprises mechanically anisotropic unit cells arranged in a plurality of rows within the second mechanically anisotropic region.

7 . The sole of claim 1 , wherein the first direction is a forward direction pointing away from a heel end of the sole, and the second direction is a rearward direction pointing toward the heel end of the sole.

8 . The sole of claim 1 , wherein the first direction is a medial direction pointing away from a lateral side of the sole, and the second direction is a lateral direction pointing toward the lateral side of the sole.

9 . The sole of claim 1 , wherein the first direction is a longitudinal direction extending between a heel end and a forefoot end of the sole, and the second direction is a transverse direction extending between a medial side and a lateral side of the sole.

10 . The sole of claim 1 , comprising a third mechanically anisotropic region comprising: a third group of the interconnected unit cells, a fifth lattice shear modulus measured in the first direction, and a sixth lattice shear modulus different from the fifth lattice shear modulus and measured in the second direction.

11 . The sole of claim 10 , wherein the fifth lattice shear modulus is at least 10% different from the first lattice shear modulus and at least 10% different from the third lattice shear modulus.

12 . The sole of claim 11 , wherein the sixth lattice shear modulus is at least 10% different from the second lattice shear modulus and at least 10% different from the fourth lattice shear modulus.

13 . The sole of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of interconnected unit cells are additively manufactured unit cells.

14 . The sole of claim 1 , wherein each of the interconnected unit cells comprises a plurality of struts and a plurality of nodes at which one or more of the struts are connected.

15 . A method of making the sole for an article of footwear according to claim 1 , the method comprising:

forming the first mechanically anisotropic region and the second mechanically anisotropic region based on a biometric data profile for an individual or group of individuals.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the biometric data profile comprises a map of stresses comprising a first zone having a first average vertical load and a second zone having a second average vertical load less than the first average vertical load,

wherein the first group of the interconnected unit cells is formed in a first location of the three-dimensional mesh corresponding to the first zone in the map of stresses, and

wherein the second group of the interconnected unit cells is formed in a second location of the three-dimensional mesh corresponding to the second zone in the map of stresses.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the biometric data profile comprises a physiological gait characteristic for the individual or group of individuals.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the biometric data profile further comprises personal information about the individual or group of individuals.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the personal information is selected from the group consisting of: name, prior injury information, height, weight, gender, shoe size, an athletic goal, intended athletic environment or terrain, intended athletic activity duration, intended athletic activity frequency, intended athletic activity distance, quantitative or qualitative preferences about athletic footwear, and a combination thereof.

20 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising forming a mechanically isotropic region comprising a third group of the interconnected unit cells and isotropic mechanical properties.

Continuity (3)

References Cited (366)