EP4011234A1

EP4011234A1 - An article of footwear

Info

Publication number: EP4011234A1
Application number: EP20213745.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Andrzej Bikowski
Original assignee: Ecco Sko AS
Current assignee: Ecco Sko AS
Priority date: 2020-12-14
Filing date: 2020-12-14
Publication date: 2022-06-15
Also published as: CN114617333A; US20220183421A1

Abstract

An article of footwear comprising: an upper having an outer surface, a foot insertion volume and a sole facing surface, a sole assembly having a medial part, a lateral part and a central axis extending from a heel region, towards a forefoot region of the sole assembly, the sole assembly comprising: a first sole part (midsole or outsole) having a ground facing surface and a foot facing surface, a medial reinforcement member positioned at a medial side of the sole assembly and/or a lateral reinforcement member positioned at a lateral side of the sole assembly, where the medial reinforcement member and/or the lateral reinforcement member comprise a transverse part extending in a transverse direction from a peripheral boundary of the first sole part in a direction towards the central axis.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

An article of footwear comprising: an upper having an outer surface, a foot insertion volume and a sole facing surface, a sole assembly having a medial part, a lateral part and a central axis extending from a heel region, towards a forefoot region of the sole assembly.

BACKGROUND

Articles of footwear are designed and manufactured in a plurality of ways, where an article of footwear which has a specific application may have constructional features that are advantageous for the specific application. This means that articles of footwear that are designed for hiking may have a significantly different structure than articles of footwear that are designed for running. The structures may be in the form of a specific type of midsole, a specific type of upper, specific type of outsole, etc.
Some types of shoes, such as golf shoes are often exposed to forces that are different from a normal user of a shoe, such as during walking and/or running, as the foot of the user provides a torsional effect to the sole of the shoe. This has often been solved by using shanks, providing the midsole in a stiff material, or increasing the stiffness of the soles using stiffening elements that are embedded in the sole. This may reduce the comfort of the shoes, due to the fact that the shock absorption may be reduced compared to normal shoes.
Thus, there is a need to improve the way a rigidity may be applied to a sole assembly.

DESCRIPTION

In accordance with the invention there is provided an article of footwear comprising: an upper having an outer surface, a foot insertion volume and a sole facing surface, a sole assembly having a medial part, a lateral part and a central axis extending from a heel region, towards a forefoot region of the sole assembly, the sole assembly comprising: a first sole part (midsole or outsole) having a ground facing surface and a foot facing surface, a medial reinforcement member positioned at a medial side of the sole assembly and/or a lateral reinforcement member positioned at a lateral side of the sole assembly, where the medial reinforcement member and/or the lateral reinforcement member comprise a transverse part extending in a transverse direction from a peripheral boundary of the first sole part in a direction towards the central axis.
The medial and/or the lateral reinforcement member may be configured to increase the rigidity of the midsole in a transverse and/or longitudinal direction in the arch region. Within the understanding of the present disclosure the term rigidity in relation to the support element and the reinforcement member may be understood as rigidness relative to bending force. I.e. the rigidity relates to how easy or hard it is to bend the support element and/or the reinforcement member.
Within the understanding of the present invention, a sole assembly may be seen as having a longitudinal axis, which extends from the heel end of the sole assembly to the toe end of the sole assembly, and extends along the length of the sole assembly. The sole assembly may be divided into separate regions such as the forefoot region, the heel region and an arch region, where each of these regions of the sole assembly may have different functionalities. The regions of the sole assembly may correspond to areas of the foot of the user, so that e.g. the arch region is positioned in the arch region of the foot of the user. The arch region may e.g. function as a part of the midsole that provides support to the arch of the foot, while the heel region may e.g. function as a shock absorber during a heel strike during human gait, while the forefoot area may e.g. provide flexibility for the user to set off. Thus, each region of the sole assembly in the longitudinal direction may have a different function, which may mean that a sole assembly may have different parts having different attributes, and that the regions may be seen in different parts of the sole assembly in a longitudinal direction.
The forefoot region of the sole assembly may be separated from the arch region via a first separation axis, where the first separation axis defines a region between the forefoot region and the arch region. The first separation axis may be seen as an axis that may define a region which defines a boundary between the mechanic attributes of the forefoot region of the sole assembly and the mechanic attributes of the arch region of the sole assembly and/or the heel region of the sole assembly. Thus, as an example the first separation axis may e.g. define a region of the sole assembly where the sole assembly, in a direction from the heel are to the forefoot area, where the sole assembly may transition from a stiff sole assembly to a flexible sole assembly.
The heel region of the sole assembly may be separated from the arch region via a second separation axis, where the first separation axis defines a region between the heel region and the arch region. The second separation axis may be seen as an axis that may define a region which defines a boundary between the mechanic attributes of the heel region of the sole assembly and the mechanic attributes of the arch region of the sole assembly and/or the forefoot region of the sole assembly. Thus, as an example the second separation axis may e.g. define a region of the sole assembly where the sole assembly, in a direction from the heel are to the forefoot area, where the sole assembly may transition from a shock absorbing to a more supportive and/or flexible sole assembly, where the shock absorption is reduced compared to the heel assembly. In one or more examples the transition between the heel region and the arch region may be stiff, i.e. that the bending force in the heel region abutting the second separation axis and the bending force in the arch region abutting the second separation axis is similar and/or equal.
Within the understanding of the present disclosure the bending force may be seen as the amount of energy it takes to compromise an item from its natural shape. The bending force of the sole assembly may be seen as the force needed to bend the sole assembly from its natural position along the longitudinal axis of the sole assembly. The bending force of the support element and/or the reinforcement member may be seen as the force needed to bend the reinforcement member and/or the support element in a radial direction, i.e. from a central axis of the footwear and in a direction outwards and/or inwards. Alternatively, the bending force of the reinforcement member and/or the support element may be in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sole assembly.
In one or more exemplary embodiments, the first and/or the second separation axis may be in the form of a straight line extending from a medial part of the sole assembly to a lateral part of the sole assembly or may alternatively be a polygonal line extending from a medial part of the sole assembly to a lateral part of the sole assembly.
The provision of a sole assembly in accordance with the present disclosure, it may be possible to provide a sole that has optimal shock absorption while still having a high rigidity in the transverse direction and/or longitudinal direction in the arch region. The transverse part of the reinforcement member may be utilized to support the midsole from below, so that a soft material of the midsole will maintain its shape even though a force is applied during use. Thus, the reinforcement element may e.g. be utilized to increase the stiffness of the sole assembly in the arch region, to ensure that the sole assembly has a reduced ability to flex in the longitudinal direction when the user is wearing the shoe.
Within the understanding of the present invention, the first sole part may be a midsole part of the sole assembly, or may be an outsole part of the sole assembly. The reinforcement member may be positioned in an area of the sole assembly, so that the reinforcement member provides increased rigidity in a predetermined part of the sole assembly. The reinforcement part may e.g. be positioned on an outer surface of a midsole, where the reinforcement member may be bonded, adhered, fused or otherwise attached to the midsole, so that the rigidity of the reinforcement member may be transmitted into the midsole. Thus, the reinforcement member may increase the stiffness of the midsole and/or the sole assembly in a predetermined region. The reinforcement member may reduce the bendability of the midsole in such a manner that it will require an increased force to bend the midsole in the transverse and/or longitudinal region where the reinforcement member is present. This means that if the reinforcement member would not be added to the side of the midsole, the midsole would flex and/or bend at a lower force than when the reinforcement member is attached. This means that the reinforcement member may be utilized to increase the stiffness of the midsole, without compromising the shock absorption of the midsole, as the material of the midsole may e.g. be uninterrupted from a ground facing surface and towards the foot facing surface. This may also mean that a midsole of the sole assembly may be provided without an embedded shank.
The reinforcement member may be positioned on the side of the midsole and/or on the bottom of the midsole, where the reinforcement member is connected to a side of the midsole in such a manner that the rigidity of the reinforcement member is transferred to at least part the material of the midsole. An inner surface of the reinforcement member may be connected to an outer surface of the midsole, where the connection may transfer the rigidity of the reinforcement member to the midsole.
By providing a medial and a lateral reinforcement member the midsole may be supported on both sides, where the increase in rigidity on both lateral sides of the arch region may ensure that the rigidity of the sole assembly may be higher than the midsole on its own. The medial and lateral reinforcement members may provide a sole assembly having a peripheral part in the arch region which has a higher stiffness than a central area of the sole assembly. I.e. where the central area is positioned between the medial and lateral reinforcement members.
In one or more exemplary embodiments the medial reinforcement member and/or the lateral reinforcement member are positioned in an arch region of the sole assembly, where the arch region is positioned in a region between the heel region and the forefoot region of the sole assembly. Thus, the reinforcement member may be utilized to provide an increased support in the arch region, where the reinforcement member may ensure that the arch region of the sole of the foot is supported during use of the article of footwear. In a situation where the midsole of the sole assembly is a material of low rigidity, the reinforcement member may provide increased rigidity in the arch region, ensuring that the arch of the foot will be supported by the reinforcement member and the midsole due to increase in rigidity in the arch region.
The present disclosure may be advantageous for use in sport shoes, and especially advantageous for use in golf shoes, where the transverse part may reduce the torsion of the sole assembly. When a golfer uses golf shoes to play golf, the shoe may have multiple functionalities, such as having cleats to increase traction, but may also be utilized to provide increased stability to the foot of the golfer during a golf swing. The only contact between a golfer and the ground during a golf swing comes through the golf shoes, which means that the force of the golf swing has to be transferred to the ground via the golf shoes. An increased stability between the foot and the ground may assist the golfer in creating an increase in clubhead speed due to reduced torsion of the sole assembly, and thereby allowing the golfer to have the ground facing surface of the shoe in contact with the ground for an increased amount of time during the golf swing. By improving the sole assemblies' resistance to torsion, the sole heel region of the sole assembly may be maintained in position relative to the forefoot region of the sole assembly.
Torsion of a sole assembly may be understood as the twisting of the shoe sole along the longitudinal axis due to applied torque. Thus, the reduction in torsion may be understood as an increase in rigidity between the forefoot region and the heel region, so that an increase in force is required to twist the forefoot region relative to the heel region, and vice versa.
In one or more exemplary embodiments the medial reinforcement member and/or the lateral reinforcement member comprises a vertical part that extends in a direction from the ground facing surface and in a direction towards the upper. Thus, a peripheral part of the sole assembly and/or the midsole may be provided with a vertical part, where the vertical part abuts the upper assembly, when the sole assembly/midsole is attached to the upper assembly. The stiffness reducing portion may be in the form of a cu, void, break or a lack of material in the peripheral area of the sole assembly and/or midsole which means that a stiffness that may be in a lateral and/or medial region of the arch region of the sole assembly and/or the midsole is limited to the arch region and is unconnected to the heel area of the sole assembly and/or the midsole.
In one or more exemplary embodiments the first sole part is a midsole, where the midsole optionally extends from a heel end region of the sole assembly to a toe end region of the sole assembly. The reinforcement member may be utilized to support the midsole from the bottom and/or the side, so that a soft material of the midsole will maintain its shape even though a force is applied during use.
In one or more exemplary embodiments the sole assembly comprises a second sole part having a ground facing surface and a foot facing surface, where the second sole part is in the form of an outsole. The outsole may be positioned below the ground facing surface of the midsole, and may e.g. be adapted to provide an increased traction and/or a surface having an increased resistance to wear and tear to the midsole element. This means that the outsole comprises a ground contacting surface for the sole assembly. In one embodiment the ground facing surface of the midsole may be the ground facing surface of the sole assembly, i.e. where the ground facing surface of the midsole may be used as the ground contacting surface of the sole assembly.
In one or more exemplary embodiments the medial reinforcement member and/or the lateral reinforcement member are joined (permanently joined) to the second sole part. By joining the reinforcement members to the second sole part, the reinforcement members and the second sole part may be manufactured and/or constructed separately from the first sole part. By joining the second sole part and the reinforcement members to the first sole part in a subsequent step, it may be possible to reduce number of operations necessary to join the second sole part, the reinforcement members and the first sole part together. In one embodiment, this may be done, where the reinforcement members are manufactured, and when completed may be introduced into a mould for the second sole part, where the second sole part may be injection moulded to the reinforcement members. Thus, the reinforcement members and the second sole part may e.g. be made out of a first material and a second material, respectively, where the first material may be stiffer than the second material, or vice versa. Subsequently, the second sole assembly (second sole part and the reinforcement members) may be introduced into a sole assembly mould, where the midsole is injection moulded into the mould, and thereby bonding the second sole assembly to the first sole part (midsole). This may e.g. be done on its own for cemented shoes, but may also be done in direct injection moulding, as is known in the art, where the first sole may be used to join the second sole assembly to an upper, so that the sole assembly is attached to the upper when the first sole part has been moulded.
In one or more exemplary embodiments the foot facing surface of the second sole part and/or the reinforcement member comprises an embossment which is positioned in the arch region of the second sole part. The embossment may e.g. be done to increase the stiffness of the second sole part and/or the reinforcement member. The embossment may ensure that the second sole part and/or the reinforcement member may have bending lines in the transverse direction and/or the longitudinal direction, where the bending lines will increase the stiffness of the second sole part or the reinforcement member in the direction of the bending line. Thus, the form and shape of the second sole part and/or the reinforcement member may be utilized the increase the rigidity of the second sole part and/or the reinforcement member, without increasing the material thickness. This may function in a similar manner as an I-beam, where the bending in an I-beam may provide increased resistance to bending and shear forces.
In one or more exemplary embodiments the medial reinforcement member and/or the lateral reinforcement member has a material stiffness that is higher than material stiffness of the first sole part and/or the material stiffness of the second sole part. Within the understanding of the present disclosure, the term material stiffness may be seen as material hardness.
By providing a reinforcement member that is more stiff (rigid) than the first sole part it may be possible to increase the stiffness of the first sole part, so that the first sole part element may provide a static and/or active force to the first sole part and/or the side wall of the upper. Thus, when a user wears a shoe, the reinforcement member and/or first sole part may abut the side of the foot (through the upper) and the reinforcement member may increase the rigidity of the first sole part to increase the static counterpressure of the first sole part element. Thus, when the reinforcement member has a higher material hardness and is connected to the support element, an increased force will be required to bend the first sole part element during use. This will therefore provide an increased sense of security when the user wears the article of footwear, as it will require more force to provide lateral movements of the foot relative to the sole assembly, the upper and/or the article of footwear during use. The reinforcement element may further provide an increased stiffness to the first sole part, so that when a force is applied to the first sole part, in an attempt to bend the first sole part along its longitudinal and/or transverse axis, the reinforcement member will ensure that the region, having the reinforcement member, will require more force to bend than the other regions of the sole assembly.
In one exemplary embodiment the medial reinforcement member and/or the lateral reinforcement member may have a heel facing end which is positioned in a region which is between 10 and 50 % of the longitudinal length of the outsole assembly from the heel end of the outsole assembly, or more specifically in a region which is between 20 and 40 % of the longitudinal length of the outsole assembly from the heel end of the outsole assembly, or more specifically in a region which is between 25 and 35 % of the longitudinal length of the outsole assembly from the heel end of the outsole assembly. Thus, the reinforcement member may terminate at a position that faces the heel region of the sole assembly, and where the heel facing end provides the terminal end of where the increase of rigidity is provided in the sole assembly. The length of the heel region of the sole assembly may be up to 50% of the length of the sole assembly, from the heel end towards the arch region. The heel facing end of the reinforcement member may e.g. define the end of the arch region of the sole assembly, where the heel region of the sole assembly may have a bending force that is lower than the bending force of the arch region. Alternatively the heel facing end may extend into the heel region of the sole assembly, where the arch region and the heel region are reinforced using the reinforcement member, so that the arch region and heel region have a similar bending force, and are of a similar stiffness from the heel region to the arch area. In one embodiment, the reinforcement member is positioned in the arch region of the shoe, where the reinforcement members optionally do not extend into the forefoot region and/or heel region of the sole assembly.
In one or more exemplary embodiments the vertical part comprises a vertical axis and the transverse part comprises a transverse axis, where the transverse axis is at an angle between 45 - 135 degrees relative to each other. The angle may be measured in a cross-sectional direction, where the cross-sectional direction may be seen as being at a right angle to the longitudinal axis of the sole assembly. Thus, the vertical part and the transverse part may provide an increase in rigidity in two different directions, where the vertical part may increase the stiffness in an upwards and downwards direction away from the longitudinal axis, while the transverse axis may increase the stiffness in a sideward direction (transverse direction) away from the longitudinal axis.
In one or more exemplary embodiments the lateral part of the lateral and/or medial reinforcement member comprises a ground facing part and a foot facing part, where the foot facing part may optionally comprise a cavity having a predefined first volume. This may especially be the transverse part of the reinforcement member, where the first volume may be positioned in a region between the ground facing part and the foot facing part, e.g. between the foot of the user and the ground contacting surface of the sole assembly, when in use. The walls of the first volume may provide increased rigidity in the reinforcement member, where the first volume may have a side wall which extends around the entire volume, and a lower wall which may e.g. be parallel to the ground facing surface of the member. The side wall may increase the stiffness of the reinforcement member, and may save weight, as the reinforcement member may be made stiffer using mechanical design rather than increasing the thickness of the material to obtain a similar rigidity.
In one or more exemplary embodiments the first sole part and/or the second sole part extends into the predefined first volume. As an example, the first sole part may be a midsole, where the material of the midsole, which is softer than the material of the reinforcement element may extend into the first volume. Thus, it is possible to provide an area of the midsole having more midsole material, and thereby improving comfort. Furthermore, the first volume may be utilized to increase the surface area of the reinforcement member to increase adhesion between the first sole part and/or the second sole part and the reinforcement element. When the reinforcement element is joined to a second sole part (e.g. an outsole) the material of the second sole part may extend into the first volume, and bond with the reinforcement element.
In one or more exemplary embodiments the vertical part and/or the lateral part of the reinforcement member defines an outer surface of the sole assembly. Thus, the reinforcement member may be adapted to cover an outer surface of the first sole part, where the outermost surface of the sole assembly may be defined by the reinforcement member. Thus, the reinforcement member may e.g. be adapted to protect the material of the first sole part wear and tear, as well as from discoloration and/or deterioration. In one example, the reinforcement member may enclose a predefined area of the outer surface of the first sole part, so that the first sole part covered by the reinforcement member may not be visible from the outside of the article of footwear.
In one or more exemplary embodiments the first sole is direct injection moulding sole which is directly moulded to the medial reinforcement member and/or the lateral reinforcement member. Direct injection moulding may be performed by inserting an upper into a footwear injection mould, where a material is injected into the mould, and the mould is closed. The material expands inside the mould and fills out all areas that are in fluid communication with the volume which the material is injected into. By using direct injection moulding it may be possible to attach the midsole (first sole part) and/or the sole assembly to the upper without the use of any adhesives. Thus, the midsole (first sole part) will be formed to the contours of the parts of the upper which the midsole is attached to. Furthermore, by utilizing direct injection moulding it is possible to attach the reinforcement member to the first sole part by injecting the sole material in the volume between the reinforcement member, second sole part and the upper. Thus, the material for the midsole will fill out all regions of the shoe injection mould that are accessible by the material. The reinforcement member may be inserted into the mould prior to injection, where the midsole material may be adapted to expand in such a way that the midsole material extends into an area between the upper and the reinforcement member.
In one or more exemplary embodiments the transverse part may have a first width in peripheral end of the transverse part and a second width in a central end of the transverse part, where the first width is different from the second width, where optionally the first width is larger than the second width. optionally where the width of the transverse part tapers in a direction from the peripheral end towards the central axis end. This means that the transverse part of the reinforcement member may taper in width from a peripheral part of the sole assembly and in a direction inwards. Thus, the transverse part may have a substantially triangular shape or a trapezium shape, where two side walls of the transverse part may be angled towards each other and their axis intersect in a direction towards the central axis of the sole assembly.
In one or more exemplary embodiments the transverse part may have a first length extending from a peripheral end of the transverse part to a central end of the transverse part. The length of the transverse part may be less than 50% of the width of the sole assembly in the region of the reinforcement member.
In one or more exemplary embodiments the first and/or the second ground facing surface may have a second length and/or a third length, respectively that extend between 10 - 90 % of the first length, where optionally the second and/or the third length are parts of the first length. This means that the transverse part of the reinforcement member may taper in width from a peripheral part of the sole assembly and in a direction inwards, where the first length is the top of the taper, and the second and third lengths are to the sides. Thus, the transverse part may have a substantially triangular shape or a trapezium shape, where two side walls of the transverse part may be angled towards each other and their axis intersect in a direction towards the central axis of the sole assembly.
In one or more exemplary embodiments a first ground facing surface of the transverse part may be at a first angle at a peripheral part of the transverse part and where a second ground facing surface of the transverse part is at a second angle at a central part of the transverse part, where the first angle is different from the second angle. Thus, one part of the transverse part may be at a different angle than a second part, where the area joining the two parts creates a bend line that may have a higher rigidity than a planar part. Thus, the angle between the peripheral part of the transverse part and a central part of the transverse part may increase the rigidity of the ground facing part of the reinforcement member. Thus, the two parts work in conjunction to give angle cross-sectional structural integrity, resistance to bending from pressure applied from the top or bottom, left or right. The two parts that make up the angle create a compound area. A compound area is the location of the axis of a piece reinforcement member that is most resistant to the moment of inertia, where the moment of inertia is when a static body begins moving around an axis. The compound area is the most resistant load bearing area of a piece of reinforcement member, i.e. the area most resistance to the moment of inertia. In this example the compound area is located in the trough between the peripheral part and the central part.
In one or more exemplary embodiments the material of the first sole part may be PU (Polyurethane). In one or more exemplary embodiment the material of the medial reinforcement member and/or the lateral reinforcement member may be TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane), where the second sole part may be TPU. The hardness of the TPU of the reinforcement member may be higher than the hardness of the PU, where the joined support element and the reinforcement member may have a hardness that is higher than the hardness of the PU. Thus, the first sole part may be made of one material having a first stiffness/hardness, and/or the second sole part may be made of a second material having a second stiffness hardness, and the reinforcement member may be made of a third material having a third hardness. The third hardness may be stiffer/harder/more rigid than the first and/or the second hardness. The second hardness may be stiffer/harder/more rigid than the first hardness, and/or less stiff/hard/rigid than the third hardness.
The reinforcement member may have an inner surface, where the inner surface may be configured to define at least a part of the outer surface of the first sole part. Thus, the inner surface of the reinforcement member may have a shape that is identical to at least a part of the outer surface of the first sole part. Thus, the reinforcement member may define the injection cavity of the first sole part, in case the first sole part is injection moulded. The reinforcement member may define the entire outer surface of the first sole part element, where the production of the support element ensures that the midsole material comes into contact with the inner surface of the reinforcement member and when the material has cured, the first sole part extends between the reinforcement member and the upper, where the reinforcement member is connected to the support element, which in turn is connected to the upper. Thus, the reinforcement member is connected to the upper via at support element. The support element may be seen as being a part of the midsole and fully integrated with the midsole.
In one exemplary embodiment the medial reinforcement member and/or the lateral reinforcement member may have had a first wall that extends in a vertical direction and a second wall that extends in a lateral direction. The vertical direction may be in a direction along an outer surface of the upper and/or an outer surface of the midsole. The lateral direction may be a direction that is parallel to a ground contacting surface of the sole assembly. The plane of the first wall may provide a rigidity in one direction, while the plane of the second wall may provide rigidity in a second direction. The rigidity of the reinforcement member may be seen as being at its largest in a direction that is parallel to the plane of the wall of the reinforcement member, where the wall of the reinforcement member may have a higher bending force in a direction that is parallel to the plane of the wall, while the having a lower bending force in a direction that is at an angle to the plane, such as in a direction that is normal to the plane. Thus, the first and the second wall will provide increased bending forces in their respective planes, which provides a higher combined bending force for the reinforcement member.
In one exemplary embodiment the first wall may be connected to the second wall. Thus, the first wall and the second wall may be angled relative to each other, while the walls are connected to each other along an axis that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sole assembly. The connection and the angle of the first wall relative to the second wall may increase the rigidity of the reinforcement member, where the second wall increases the rigidity of the first wall in a direction that is normal to the plane of the first wall, and vice versa.
In one exemplary embodiment the medial support element and/or the lateral support element may have a first material hardness and the medial reinforcement member and/or the lateral reinforcement member may have a second material hardness, where the first material hardness is different than the second material hardness.
In one or more exemplary embodiments the medial support element and/or the lateral support element may abut the outer surface of the upper. This means that the support element may provide mechanical strength to the upper of the article of footwear. Thus, the provision of the support element may mean that a mechanical strengthening of the upper may not be necessary, as the support element of the midsole provides mechanical strengthening to the side of the upper. Thus, it may not be necessary to provide a strengthening element in order to improve the tensional strength of the upper in the area where e.g. a lacing system is tensioned to achieve support to the side of the foot. The upper of a shoe is adapted to fit the foot of the user, and by having a support element that abuts the upper, the support element provides support to the side of the foot during use. The support element may be configured to increase the resistance in the area where the support element is provided, thereby reducing the tendency of the upper to be forced outwards in a lateral direction as the support element increases provides a counterforce to the side of the upper.
In one or more exemplary embodiments the medial support element and/or the lateral support element may extend from ground facing surface of the midsole in a vertical direction Thus, the support element may extend from the ground facing surface of the midsole and upwards, thereby extending the height of the midsole in the area of the support element. The support element may extend from the ground facing surface and extend upwards towards a distal end, where the distal end extends beyond the top surface (upper facing surface) of the midsole. Thus, the distal end of the support element may be the top part of the midsole and/or sole assembly in the arch area of the sole assembly.
In one embodiment, the distal surface of the support element and/or the reinforcement member may be provided with a fixation member. The fixation member may be utilized to attach laces or a tensioning device which is adapted to extend across the instep of the user, from a medial support element or reinforcement member to a distal support element or reinforcement member. Thus, the fixation member device may be adapted to provide mechanical connection to the midsole via the support element and/or the reinforcement member.
In one or more exemplary embodiments a part of the medial support element and/or the lateral support element may have a height in a vertical direction that is at least 150% of the height of the midsole in a central area defined in a lateral direction, or more preferably a height in a vertical direction that may be at least 180% of the height of the midsole in a central area defined in a lateral direction, or more preferably a height in a vertical direction that is at least 200% of the height of the midsole in a central area defined in a lateral direction, or more preferably a height in a vertical direction that is at least 230% of the height of the midsole in a central area defined in a lateral direction. The height may be defined as being the length from the ground facing surface and upwards in a vertical direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following is an explanation of exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawings, in which

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an article of footwear having a sole assembly,
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a ground facing surface a sole assembly that is part of an article of footwear,
Fig. 3 is a bottom view of a sole assembly,
Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a sole assembly taken along line IV-IV of Fig. 1, and
Fig. 5 is a sectional view of an alternative embodiment of a sole assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various exemplary embodiments and details are described hereinafter, with reference to the figures when relevant. It should be noted that the figures may or may not be drawn to scale and that elements of similar structures or functions are represented by like reference numerals throughout the figures. It should also be noted that the figures are only intended to facilitate the description of the embodiments. They are not intended as an exhaustive description of the disclosure or as a limitation on the scope of the disclosure. In addition, an illustrated embodiment needs not have all the aspects or advantages shown. An aspect or an advantage described in conjunction with a particular embodiment is not necessarily limited to that embodiment and can be practiced in any other embodiments even if not so illustrated, or if not so explicitly described.
Fig. 1 and 2 shows an article of footwear 2, having an upper 4, and a sole assembly 6. The sole assembly has a forefoot part 8, an arch part 10 and a heel part 12, where the current view of the article of footwear 2 shows a lateral side 14 of the article of footwear. The sole assembly 6 comprises in this embodiment a first sole part 16, in the form of a midsole 16, as well as a second sole part 18, in the form of an outsole 18. The midsole 16 connects the outsole 18 to a lower part of the upper 4 from the toe end 20 to the heel end 22 of the sole assembly 6. The midsole 16 may e.g. be constructed out of a Polyurethane substance (PU) while the outsole may be constructed out of Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU).
The sole assembly 6 further comprises a reinforcement member 24, where the reinforcement member comprises a vertical part 26 which extends in an upwards vertical direction along a peripheral part 30 of the sole assembly 6, and a transverse part 28 (shown in Fig. 2), which extends in a transverse direction towards a central axis A of the sole assembly 6. The reinforcement member 24 may be made out of a material that has a higher rigidity than the first sole part 16 and/or the second sole part 18, so that the reinforcement member provides an increased rigidity to the first sole part 16 and/or the second sole part. The increased rigidity may be obtained via the vertical part 26 or the transverse part 28, where the vertical part 26 provides an increased rigidity in e.g. along the longitudinal axis of the sole assembly, while the transverse part may provide increased rigidity along a transverse axis B. Thus, if the sole assembly has a vertical part of a reinforcement part 24 the increased rigidity may increase the force necessary to bend the sole in a transverse direction (along the transverse axis B) and/or to twist the sole assembly along the longitudinal axis A. The vertical part 26 of the reinforcement member 24 may be increase the rigidity in a direction different from the transverse part 28 when both parts 26, 28 are present in the sole assembly.
The reinforcement member 26 may comprise a toe facing end 32 and a heel facing end 34, where the reinforcement member 26 extends uninterrupted from the toe facing end 32 to the heel facing end 34. As seen in Fig. 2, the sole assembly may comprise a lateral reinforcement member 24 which is positioned at the lateral side 14 of the sole assembly 6 and a medial reinforcement member 36 which is positioned at a medial side 38 of the sole assembly. Optionally, the sole assembly 6 may comprise one reinforcement member, and it is to be understood by the present disclosure that the presence of one reinforcement member does not necessitate a second reinforcement member. However, should it be desired to provide support on one or more positions of the sole assembly, either on a peripheral side of the sole assembly or on ground facing part of the sole assembly a reinforcement member may be positioned on this part of the sole assembly to increase the rigidity of the sole assembly in the area where the reinforcement member is positioned.
Fig. 2 shows a view of the second sole part 18, or an outsole 18 of the sole assembly. The outsole in this example may be an outsole 18 for a golf shoe, where the outsole 18 has a plurality of cleats 40, where the cleats 40 are positioned to increase traction between the outsole 18 and the ground, e.g. in the form of grass. The cleats 40 may be distributed along the heel area, the arch area and the forefoot area of the outsole 18 and/or the sole assembly 6, where the cleats improve traction between the ground and the shoe, especially in a rotational movement along the plane of the ground surface when a player is swinging a golf club.
The reinforcement member 24 has a vertical part 26 and a transverse part 28, where the transverse part extends from a peripheral part 30 (peripheral boundary) in a direction inwards towards a central axis C of the sole assembly 6. The vertical part 26 and the transverse part 28 may be connected to each other via a bending line 42, which may extend along the longitudinal length of the reinforcement member 24. The bending line 42 may have a curvature which follows the peripheral part 30 of the outsole, where in the arch area the curvature may be seen as extending in a direction towards the central axis C in a central part 44 of the reinforcement member 24, in the area between the heel facing end 35 and the toe facing end 34. The curvature of the reinforcement member may provide an increased rigidity of the reinforcement member 24, as a curved connecting line may be stiffer than a straight line, at least in a predefined direction.
Fig. 3 shows a bottom view of the article of footwear 2, where the ground facing surface 46 of the outsole 18. The sole assembly 6 comprises a medial reinforcement member 36 and a lateral reinforcement member 24, which are positioned on opposite sides of a central axis C of the sole assembly. The transverse part of the reinforcement members 24, 36, have a peripheral end 48 and a central end 50, where the peripheral end of the transverse part 28 may have a length along the central axis C or the longitudinal axis A of the sole assembly that is longer than the central end 50 of the peripheral part 28. Thus, as seen in a plane that is parallel to a surface, the transverse part 28 may be seen as being tapered in a direction towards the central axis. The tapering may provide a higher reinforcement at a peripheral end 48 of the transverse part than at a central end 50 of the transverse part.
Fig. 4 shows a sectional view of an article of footwear, taken along line IV-IV of Fig. 1. The article of footwear 2 may have an upper 4 to accommodate the foot of the user, where the upper has a ground facing surface 52. The article of footwear comprises a sole assembly 6, where the sole assembly has a first sole part 16 having a foot facing surface 54 and a ground facing surface 56, an outer surface 57 and a lateral part 58 and a medial part 60, where the lateral part 58 and the medial part 60 have a lateral peripheral boundary 62 and a medial peripheral boundary 64. The sole assembly 6 comprises a second sole part 18 (outsole) having a foot facing surface 66 and a ground facing surface 68.The sole assembly further comprises a medial reinforcement member 36 and a lateral reinforcement member 24, where the reinforcement members have a vertical part 26 and a transverse part 28, an inner surface 70 and an outer surface 72.
In this embodiment, the inner surface 70 of the reinforcement members 24, 38 is attached to the outer surface 57 of the first sole part 16. The reinforcement members have a material stiffness that is higher than the material stiffness of the first sole part 16, so the reinforcement members provide the first sole part 16 with increased rigidity/stiffness in the areas where the reinforcement member is attached to the first sole part. Thus, the reinforcement members may be capable of providing the first sole part 16 with increased stiffness in predefined areas where the reinforcement members 24, 38 overlaps the first sole part 16. A lateral boundary 74 and a medial boundary 76 of the second sole part 18 may abut the central end 50 of the reinforcement members, so that the second sole part 18 and the transverse member 28 cover the ground facing surface 56 of the first sole part.
The foot facing surface 66 of the second sole part may be attached to the ground facing surface 56 of the first sole part 16. The attachment of the reinforcement member and the outsole may be done during the injection moulding of the first sole part 16, where the second sole part 18 and the reinforcement members may be inserted into a mould for a sole assembly prior to injection moulding, and where the material of the first sole part 16 adheres or bonds with the second sole part 18 and/or the reinforcement member.
Fig. 5 shows an alternative embodiment, shown in a similar sectional view as Fig. 4, where the second sole part 18 and the medial 38 and lateral reinforcement members 24 are joined together, where the inner surface 70 of the reinforcement members 24, 38 is attached to the ground facing surface 68 of the second sole part 18. Thus, the lateral boundary 74 and the medial boundary 76 of the second sole part extends towards the inner surface 70 vertical part 26 of the reinforcement member 24, 38. By joining the reinforcement member 24, 38 and the second sole part 18 it may be possible to prefabricate the joint first sole part and reinforcement members prior to the insertion of these elements into a shoe mould, and thereby save labor time when the elements are positioned inside a shoe/sole mould. Thus, in the areas where the reinforcement member 24, 38 overlap the second sole part 18, the second sole part 18 is positioned between the first sole part 16 and the reinforcement member 24, 38
Based on the present disclosure, it may be understood that specific mentioning's of a lateral reinforcement member may be applied to the medial reinforcement member, and vice versa, should an exemplary embodiment of the article of footwear have two or more reinforcement members. One or more reinforcement member may have a vertical part and a transverse part, only have a vertical part, or only have a transverse part, depending on which parts of the sole assembly are to be reinforced.
The reinforcement member 24 may optionally be positioned in the arch part 10 of the sole assembly, where the reinforcement member may increase the rigidity of
The use of the terms "first", "second", "third" and "fourth", "primary", "secondary", "tertiary" etc. does not imply any particular order, but are included to identify individual elements. Moreover, the use of the terms "first", "second", "third" and "fourth", "primary", "secondary", "tertiary" etc. does not denote any order or importance, but rather the terms "first", "second", "third" and "fourth", "primary", "secondary", "tertiary" etc. are used to distinguish one element from another. Note that the words "first", "second", "third" and "fourth", "primary", "secondary", "tertiary" etc. are used here and elsewhere for labelling purposes only and are not intended to denote any specific spatial or temporal ordering.
Furthermore, the labelling of a first element does not imply the presence of a second element and vice versa.
It is to be noted that the word "comprising" does not necessarily exclude the presence of other elements or steps than those listed.
It is to be noted that the words "a" or "an" preceding an element do not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements.
It should further be noted that any reference signs do not limit the scope of the claims.
Although features have been shown and described, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the claimed invention, and it will be made obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed invention. The specification and drawings are, accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative rather than restrictive sense. The claimed invention is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents.

List of references

2: Article of footwear (golf shoe)
4: Upper
6: Sole assembly
8: Forefoot part
10: Arch Part
12: Heel part
14: Lateral Side
16: First sole part
18: Second sole part
20: Toe end
22: Heel end
24: Lateral Reinforcement member
26: Vertical part
28: Transverse part
30: Peripheral part
32: Toe facing end
34: Heel facing end
36: Medial reinforcement member
38: Medial side
40: Cleat
42: Bending line
44: Central part
46: Ground facing surface of second sole part
48: Peripheral end
50: Central end
52: Ground facing surface of upper
54: Foot facing surface of first sole part
56: Ground facing surface of first sole part
57: Outer surface of first sole part
58: Lateral part
60: Meidal part
62: Lateral peripheral boundary
64: Medial peripheral boundary
66: Foot facing surface of second sole part
68: Ground facing surface of second sole part
70: Inner surface of reinforcement member
72: Outer surface of reinforcement member
74: Lateral boundary of second sole part
76: Medial boundary of second sole part.

Claims

An article of footwear comprising:
- an upper having an outer surface, a foot insertion volume and a sole facing surface,

- a sole assembly having a medial part, a lateral part and a central axis extending from a heel region, towards a forefoot region of the sole assembly, the sole assembly comprising:
- a first sole part having a ground facing surface and a foot facing surface,

- a medial reinforcement member positioned at a medial side of the sole assembly and/or a lateral reinforcement member positioned at a lateral side of the sole assembly, where the medial reinforcement member and/or the lateral reinforcement member comprise a transverse part extending in a transverse direction from a peripheral boundary of the first sole part (or sole assembly or second sole part) in a direction towards the central axis.
An article of footwear in accordance with claim 1, wherein the medial reinforcement member and/or the lateral reinforcement member are positioned in an arch region of the sole assembly, where the arch region is positioned in an region between the heel region and the forefoot region of the sole assembly.
An article of footwear in accordance with any of the preceding claims, wherein the medial reinforcement member and/or the lateral reinforcement member comprises a vertical part that extends in a direction from the ground facing surface and towards the upper and
An article of footwear in accordance with any of the preceding claims, wherein the first sole part is a midsole, where the midsole optionally extends from a heel end region of the sole assembly to a toe end region of the sole assembly.
An article of footwear in accordance with any of the preceding claims, wherein the sole assembly comprises a second sole part having a ground facing surface and a foot facing surface, where the second sole part is in the form of an outsole.
An article of footwear in accordance with claim 4, wherein the medial reinforcement member and/or the lateral reinforcement member are joined (permanently joined) to the second sole part.
An article of footwear in accordance with any of the preceding claims, wherein the foot facing surface of the second sole part comprises an embossment which is positioned in the arch region of the second sole part (creates increased torsional resistance).
An article of footwear in accordance with any of the preceding claims, wherein the medial reinforcement member and/or the lateral reinforcement member has a material stiffness that is higher than material stiffness of the first sole part and/or the material stiffness of the second sole part.
An article of footwear in accordance with any of the preceding claims, wherein the medial reinforcement member and/or the lateral reinforcement member comprises a heel facing end that is positioned in a region that is located between 10 - 50% of the length of the sole assembly from the heel end towards the toe end and/or a toe facing end that is positioned in a region that is located between 10 - 60% of the length of the sole assembly from the toe end towards the heel end. (explain that it is preferably not in the forefoot part and/or the heel part).
An article of footwear in accordance with any of the preceding claims, wherein the vertical part comprises a vertical axis and the transverse part comprises a transverse axis, where the transverse axis is at an angle between 45 - 135 degrees relative to each other.
An article of footwear in accordance with any of the preceding claims, wherein the lateral part of the lateral and/or medial reinforcement member comprises a ground facing part and a foot facing part, where the foot facing part comprises a cavity having a predefined first volume.
An article of footwear in accordance with claim 10, wherein the first sole part and/or the second sole part extends into the predefined first volume.
An article of footwear in accordance with any of the preceding claims, wherein the vertical part and/or the lateral part of the reinforcement member defines an outer surface of the sole assembly.
An article of footwear in accordance with any of the preceding claims, wherein the first sole is direct injection moulding sole which is directly moulded to the medial reinforcement member and/or the lateral reinforcement member.
An article of footwear in accordance with any of the preceding claims, wherein the transverse part has a first width in peripheral end of the transverse part and a second width in a central end of the transverse part, where the first width is different from the second width, where optionally the first width is larger than the second width. optionally where the width of the transverse part tapers in a direction from the peripheral end towards the central axis end.