Interlocking Footwear Midsole Assembly for Comfort and Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing footwear soles lack comfort, stability, and energy dampening while being difficult to manufacture efficiently and cost-effectively.

Innovation Solution

A multi-component sole with a harder heel plate and softer toe plate, featuring complementary textured surfaces that interlock without adhesives, providing cushioning and support through a midsole member that engages with the heel plate.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a multi-component sole with interlocking textured surfaces is used, then comfort and stability are improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomfort and stabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The sole is divided into multiple components (heel plate, midsole member, toe plate) with distinct functions. Each component is formed separately and then assembled through interlocking textured surfaces, allowing specialized manufacturing of each part while achieving overall complexity reduction through modular assembly

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Multiple sole components are combined into a unified structure through interlocking textured surfaces. The heel plate, midsole member, and toe plate merge into a cohesive assembly that provides enhanced comfort and stability while maintaining manufacturability through standardized interlocking mechanisms

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If harder materials are used for the heel plate, then stability and support are improved, but weight increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestability and supportVSAvoidfootwear weight

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Different hardness levels are assigned to different sole components based on functional requirements. The heel plate uses harder material for stability and support, while the toe plate uses softer material for comfort and flexibility. This localized material selection optimizes performance without uniformly increasing weight throughout the entire sole

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Strength

If interlocking textured surfaces are used to attach components, then assembly strength is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveassembly strengthVSAvoidsurface texture precision

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The interlocking mechanism uses textured surfaces with specific geometric parameters (pattern type, depth, spacing) that can be manufactured using standard molding techniques. By optimizing these parameters, strong assembly is achieved without requiring ultra-precision manufacturing, balancing strength requirements with manufacturability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS12495862B2Method of making footwear with interlocking midsole

Publication Date: 2025.12.16 UNDER ARMOUR INC

AI summary

An article of footwear includes an upper, a first sole member, and a second sole member. The first sole member is connected to the upper. Together, the first sole member and the upper define a cavity. The first sole member includes an outer surface and a textured inner surface, the textured inner surface defining a pattern of shapes. The second sole member is positioned in the cavity. The second sole member includes a textured lower surface directly engaging the textured inner surface of the first sole member. The textured lower surface of the second sole member is complementary to the textured inner surface of the first sole member.