Footwear

Abstract

To optimize a midsole so as to reduce kinetic energy and resulting momentum from a user's foot strike, so as to enable athletic activities with less fatigue.SOLUTION: A method of making a midsole comprises the steps of: selecting a plurality of yarns, where at least two yarns of the plurality of yarns have properties different from one another; bundling the plurality of yarns to form a bundled yarn structure; intertwining the yarn structure; depositing the twisted yarn structure in a first mold within an autoclave; applying supercritical fluid to the twisted yarn structure; infiltrating and saturating the twisted yarn structure with the supercritical fluid; depressurizing the autoclave to cause a foaming process to convert the twisted yarn structure into an anisotropic foam blank; and depositing the anisotropic foam blank within a second mold that is configured as a midsole for an article of footwear.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 16

Claims

1. It includes an upper and midsole having a forefoot area, a heel area, and a midfoot area, The midsole includes a pre-oriented anisotropic foam in at least one of the forefoot region, the heel region, or the midfoot region. The pre-oriented anisotropic foam comprises a plurality of first cells having a first cell growth orientation and a plurality of second cells having a second cell growth orientation. The first cell growth orientation is different from the second cell growth orientation in footwear products.

2. The footwear product according to claim 1, wherein the pre-oriented anisotropic foam is supplied in the form of separate segments including a forefoot segment, a heel segment, and a midfoot segment.

3. The footwear product according to claim 1, wherein the midsole is a single structure having the pre-oriented anisotropic foam in the forefoot region, the heel region, and the midfoot region, respectively.

4. The footwear product according to claim 1, wherein the midsole has at least one of flexibility or rigidity differing between the forefoot region, the heel region, and the midfoot region.

5. The footwear product according to claim 4, wherein the midsole comprises a plate in contact with the pre-oriented anisotropic foam.

6. The footwear product according to claim 1, wherein the pre-oriented anisotropic foam is formed by at least one of a knitted yarn structure or a twisted yarn structure.

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