Stepped Footwear Outsole Projections for Flexibility and Traction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing footwear sole structures lack sufficient flexibility and traction while providing adequate cushioning, which limits the foot's natural bending and ground engagement.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a thin, flexible outsole with stepped projections that decrease in width as they project from the base, allowing for increased flexibility and traction by providing a resilient, deformable surface that moves between a neutral and flexed position, enhancing proprioceptive qualities and energy return.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional outsole structure is used, then the sole provides basic cushioning, but the flexibility and ground engagement are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The outsole is segmented into multiple discrete projections rather than a continuous structure. Each projection acts as an independent element that can deform and engage with the ground surface, allowing the sole to flex while maintaining reliable ground contact through the distributed array of projections.
Solution Approach 2:
The projections are designed to be resilient and deformable, allowing them to dynamically adapt to the ground surface. The projections can compress and rebound, providing both flexibility for natural foot movement and reliable ground engagement through consistent contact during the gait cycle.
2Ease of operation
If the outsole is made thinner to increase flexibility, then flexibility improves, but cushioning capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cushioning function is transitioned from a two-dimensional planar structure to a three-dimensional array of projections. The projections extend vertically from the outsole base, creating multiple levels of cushioning zones that provide shock absorption without requiring increased overall sole thickness, thus maintaining flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The outsole utilizes a thin flexible base structure with projections that act as discrete cushioning elements. This allows the base to remain thin and flexible for natural foot movement while the projections provide concentrated cushioning where needed, achieving both flexibility and cushioning in a thin overall structure.
3Reliability
If traditional traction features are used, then ground grip is adequate, but proprioceptive feedback and energy return are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The projections are designed as resilient elements that can dynamically compress and rebound during gait. This dynamic behavior provides reliable traction through consistent ground contact while also storing and returning energy during the push-off phase, enhancing both traction and energy return simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The projections are engineered with specific material properties and geometric parameters that optimize both friction for traction and elastic recovery for energy return. By carefully selecting the hardness, shape, and distribution of the projections, the design achieves improved proprioceptive feedback through ground contact while maintaining effective energy return during movement.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enhances flexibility and traction, providing better ground engagement and comfort by allowing the foot to feel the ground more intensely and offering improved cushioning and energy return, while maintaining effective load transfer and proprioceptive feedback.
Implementation Method 1
The base and the projection are resiliently flexible and moveable between a neutral position and a flexed position
Implementation Method 2
The outsole can include grooves, sipes, recesses, or other features that increase surface area of the ground engaging surface, that can channel water away from the ground engaging surface, or otherwise increase such traction for the article of footwear
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
An article of footwear (10) includes an outsole (31) having a base (38) with an upper surface (40) that faces the upper (12) and a lower surface (42) that faces away from the upper surface. The outsole also includes a first stepped projection (48) that projects in a plurality of first steps (61) from the lower surface. The plurality of first steps is defined by a plurality of first tread surfaces (63, 65, 67) and a plurality of first riser surfaces (69, 71, 73). The outsole additionally includes a second stepped projection (48) that projects in a plurality of second steps (61) from the lower surface. The plurality of second steps is defined by a plurality of second tread surfaces (63, 65, 67) and a plurality of second riser surfaces (69, 71, 73). The second stepped projection is spaced away from the first stepped projection relative to the lateral axis of the article of footwear.