US 12,232,561 B2
Articles of footwear and upper and/or sole components therefor
Tobie D. Hatfield, Lake Oswego, OR (US); Katelyn Ricciardi, Hillsboro, OR (US); and George A. Xanthos, Beaverton, OR (US)
Assigned to NIKE, Inc., Beaverton, OR (US)
Filed by NIKE, Inc., Beaverton, OR (US)
Filed on Feb. 15, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/169,507.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/320,942, filed on Mar. 17, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0292881 A1, Sep. 21, 2023
Int. Cl. A43B 13/22 (2006.01); A43B 5/00 (2022.01); A43B 13/14 (2006.01)
CPC A43B 13/223 (2013.01) [A43B 5/003 (2013.01); A43B 13/146 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An article of footwear, comprising:
an upper including an instep region;
a medial eye stay reinforcement including lace-engaging components located at a medial side of the instep region, wherein the medial eye stay reinforcement defines a surface area of at least 6 cm2 having a higher coefficient of friction than an upper material located immediately adjacent the medial eye stay reinforcement; and
a sole structure engaged with the upper, the sole structure including an outsole component having an upper-facing surface and a ground-contacting surface located opposite the upper-facing surface, wherein material of the ground-contacting surface extends continuously from the ground-contacting surface, around a medial side edge of the sole structure, and forms an upwardly extending medial sidewall of the sole structure in a medial midfoot area of the article of footwear, wherein the ground-contacting surface includes:
(a) a first plurality of grooves extending from the ground-contacting surface toward the upper-facing surface, wherein at least 75% of a length of grooves of the first plurality of grooves have a first width dimension of at least 1 mm and less than 5 mm in a direction directly across the respective groove, wherein:
in a heel support area of the sole structure: (i) some of the first plurality of grooves are curved with apices of those curves located more rearward in the outsole component than ends of those curves, and (ii) some of the first plurality of grooves are curved with apices of those curves located more forward in the outsole component than ends of those curves,
in a forefoot support area of the sole structure, at least some of the first plurality of grooves are curved with apices of those curves located more rearward in the outsole component than ends of those curves, and
in a midfoot support area of the sole structure, at least some of the first plurality of grooves extend in a front-to-back direction of the sole structure;
(b) a second plurality of grooves extending from the ground-contacting surface toward the upper-facing surface, wherein at least 75% of a length of grooves of the second plurality of grooves have a second width dimension of less than 1 mm in a direction directly across the respective groove, wherein:
in the heel support area: (i) some of the second plurality of grooves are curved with apices of those curves located more rearward in the outsole component than ends of those curves, and (ii) some of the second plurality of grooves are curved with apices of those curves located more forward in the outsole component than ends of those curves,
in the forefoot support area, at least some of the second plurality of grooves are curved with apices of those curves located more rearward in the outsole component than ends of those curves, and
in the midfoot support area, at least some of the second plurality of grooves extend in the front-to-back direction; and
(c) a base surface extending between the grooves of the first plurality of grooves and the second plurality of grooves, wherein the base surface includes flat or smoothly curved portions extending between the grooves of the first plurality of grooves and the second plurality of grooves, and
wherein a combination of the first plurality of grooves, the second plurality of grooves, and the base surface forms at least 90% of the ground-contacting surface.