US 11,684,119 B2
Article of footwear and method of manufacturing an article of footwear
Tory M. Cross, Portland, OR (US); and Cassidy R. Levy, West Linn, OR (US)
Assigned to NIKE, Inc., Beaverton, OR (US)
Filed by NIKE, Inc., Beaverton, OR (US)
Filed on Nov. 11, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/679,560.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/785,438, filed on Dec. 27, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2020/0205515 A1, Jul. 2, 2020
Int. Cl. A43B 13/28 (2006.01)
CPC A43B 13/28 (2013.01) 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An article of footwear comprising:
a sole structure having a base portion, a medial side wall portion, a lateral side wall portion, and an inner surface that extends across the medial sidewall portion, the base portion, and the lateral sidewall portion;
an adhesive layer extending across the inner surface of the sole structure;
a guide material secured to a portion of the inner surface of the sole structure via the adhesive layer, the guide extending across the base portion and at least one of the medial sidewall portion and lateral sidewall portion;
a tensioning component at least partially layered on an opposite side of the guide material from the sole structure and further extending beyond the guide material such that the tensioning component contacts the adhesive layer and is directly secured to a portion of the inner surface of the sole structure via the adhesive layer;
an upper having a bottom, a medial side and a lateral side, wherein the medial side wall portion of the sole structure extends upward from the base portion of the sole structure and is in contact with the medial side of the upper, and wherein the lateral side wall portion of the sole structure extends upward from the base portion of the sole structure and is in contact with the lateral side of the upper, and further wherein an outer surface of the medial side, the lateral side, and the bottom of the upper is secured to the inner surface of the sole structure via the adhesive layer around the guide material such that the guide material is positioned between the bottom of the upper and the sole structure and
wherein:
the upper is unadhered to the guide material to form a passage therebetween,
the tensioning component extends across the guide material and out of the passage at least one of the medial side or the lateral side of the upper,
the tensioning component movable in the passage relative to the upper and the guide material in response to an increase in tension in the tensioning component to flexibly conform the at least one of the medial sidewall portion and lateral sidewall portion of the sole structure to a foot disposed in the upper; and
the outer surface of the medial side, the lateral side, and the bottom of the upper is secured to the inner surface of the sole structure vis the adhesive layer; and
wherein the guide material masks a portion of the adhesive layer from contacting the tensioning component within the passage.