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EP-4533973-B1 - METHOD OF CUSTOMIZING FOREFOOT CUSHIONING IN ARTICLES OF FOOTWEAR

EP4533973B1EP 4533973 B1EP4533973 B1EP 4533973B1EP-4533973-B1

Inventors

  • COOK, CHRISTOPHER S.
  • KOHATSU, SHANE S.
  • SCHOOLMEESTER, Bret
  • ROWE, Daniel T.

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20170227

Claims (15)

  1. A method of manufacturing articles of footwear (100), comprising: providing a user with a rating system for evaluating a first level of forefoot cushioning for a first sole member (115) of a first article of footwear (110), the first sole member (115) being formed from a first base sole layer; requesting that the user provides a customer-selected rating of the first level of forefoot cushioning; receiving the customer-selected rating from the user for the first level of forefoot cushioning; selecting a second base sole layer (1110) similar to the first base sole layer; forming at least a first aperture (150) in a forefoot portion of the second base sole layer (1110) to form a second sole member (125) with a second level of forefoot cushioning, wherein the second level of forefoot cushioning is determined by the customer-selected rating of the first level of forefoot cushioning in the first article of footwear (110); and providing the user with a second article of footwear (120) including the second sole member (125).
  2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: manufacturing the first article of footwear (110) having the first sole member (115) with the first level of forefoot cushioning; and providing the user with the first article of footwear (110).
  3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second base sole layer (1110) is formed from a foam material, and wherein the step of forming at least the first aperture (150) includes forming a blind-hole aperture as the first aperture (150) in a surface of the foam material.
  4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second base sole layer (1110) is formed from a foam material, wherein said at least the first aperture (150) is a pattern of apertures, and wherein the step of forming at least the first aperture (150) includes forming the pattern of apertures in a surface of the foam material; optionally, further comprising fixedly attaching the second sole member (125) to an upper to form the second article of footwear (120); and/or wherein, optionally, the step of forming at least the first aperture (150) includes forming the pattern of apertures by laser cutting into the foam material.
  5. The method according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the rating system is provided on an application, wherein the application is a web application configured to be run through a browser of a mobile computing device.
  6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the application requests that the user rates the forefoot cushioning on a sliding scale for rating forefoot cushioning from a "too soft" rating to a "too firm" rating.
  7. The method according to claims 1 to 6, wherein the at least first aperture (150) is formed as a first incision (1950) in the forefoot portion of the second base sole layer.
  8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the first incision (1950) is formed as a slit having a length and a width, and wherein the length is substantially greater than the width.
  9. The method according to claims 1 to 6, wherein the at least first aperture (150) is a plurality of incisions formed in the forefoot portion of the second base sole layer, and wherein the plurality of incisions is formed in a surface of the second sole member (125).
  10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising fixedly attaching the second sole member (125) to an upper to form the second article of footwear (120).
  11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the first incision (1950) is formed as a blind-slit incision.
  12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the blind-slit incision is cut to extend through 10% to 75% of a thickness of the second sole member (125).
  13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of incisions is formed as a series of concentric rings.
  14. The method according to claim 9, wherein the step of forming the plurality of incisions includes forming incisions between apertures formed in a surface of the second sole member (125).
  15. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first sole member (115) is fixedly attached to a first upper of a first article of footwear (110); wherein the second level of forefoot cushioning differs from the first level of forefoot cushioning, and wherein a material composition of the forefoot portion of the second base sole layer is determined based on the customer-selected rating of the first level of forefoot cushioning of the first sole member (115).

Description

BACKGROUND The present embodiments relate generally to articles of footwear, and in particular to articles with cushioning provisions and methods of making such articles. Articles of footwear generally include two primary elements: an upper and a sole member. The upper is often formed from a plurality of material elements (e.g., textiles, polymer sheet layers, foam layers, leather, synthetic leather) that are stitched or adhesively bonded together to form a void on the interior of the footwear for comfortably and securely receiving a foot. More particularly, the upper forms a structure that extends over the instep and toe areas of the foot, along medial and lateral sides of the foot, and around a forefoot area of the foot. The upper may also incorporate a lacing system to adjust the fit of the footwear, as well as permitting entry and removal of the foot from the void within the upper. The sole member is secured to a lower portion of the upper so as to be positioned between the foot and the ground. In athletic footwear, for example, the sole member includes a midsole and an outsole. The various sole components may be formed from a polymer foam material that attenuates ground reaction forces (i.e., provides cushioning) during walking, running, and other ambulatory activities. The sole member may also include fluid-filled chambers, plates, moderators, or other elements that further attenuate forces, enhance stability, or influence the motions of the foot, for example. Cecilia Brennan: "Orthotic Recalls: Do you need to have your orthotics reassessed or refurbished? -", 30 July 2015 (2015-07-30), XP055375489, Retrieved from the Internet: URL:http//www.sportandspinalphysio.com.au/orthotic-recalls/[retrieved on 2017-05-23]) describes orthotic reassessment in order to receive an early diagnosis and treatment to ensure minimal pain and time away from work and physical activity. A musculoskeletal and biomechanical examination will be performed involving checking joint range of motion, assessing for muscle tightness, standing foot and lower limb posture and visual gait (walking and/or running) analysis barefoot and shod. SUMMARY The claimed invention is defined by a method of manufacturing articles of footwear disclosed in the independent claim. Additional embodiments are defined in the dependent claims. Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the embodiments will be, or will become, apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the embodiments. Moreover, in the figures, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views. FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an embodiment of a virtual image of three articles of footwear and corresponding data;FIG. 2 is an embodiment of a schematic depiction of a customer's use of the customization system;FIG. 3 is an embodiment of a schematic depiction of a manufacturer's use of the customization system;FIG. 4 is an embodiment of a flow chart for a method of providing a custom article of footwear to a customer;FIG. 5 is an embodiment of a flow chart for a method of making a custom sole member with apertures;FIG. 6 is an embodiment of a graph representing the forefoot-cushioning levels of a series of articles of footwear;FIG. 7 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a customer and a store clerk during the purchase of a first article of footwear;FIG. 8 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a customer wearing the first article of footwear;FIG. 9 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of a customer entering a rating for the forefoot cushioning of the first article of footwear;FIG. 10 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of the submission of a customer rating for the forefoot cushioning to a manufacturer;FIG. 11 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a manufacturer's selection of a new base sole layer;FIG. 12 is an isometric top view of an embodiment of a base sole layer during the process of forming apertures;FIG. 13 is an isometric view of an embodiment of an upper and sole member being assembled on a last;FIG. 14 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a customer receiving a second article of footwear;FIG. 15 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a manufacturer's selection of a new base sole layer;FIG. 16 is an isometric view of an embodiment of an upper and the new sole member being assembled on a last;FIG. 17 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of a customer entering a rating for the forefoot cushioning of an article of footwear;FIG. 18 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a pair of footwear including a first sole member and a second sole member;FIG. 19 is an isometric view of an