	US 12,478,134 B2
	Article of footwear
Markus Bock, Herzogenaurach (DE); Yihyun Lim, Somerville, MA (US); Hunmin Koh, Seoul (KR); Yasaman Tahouni, Horgenzell (DE); Will Walker, Oakland, CA (US); and Federico Casalegno, San Francisco, CA (US)
Assigned to PUMA SE, Herzogenaurach (DE)
Filed by PUMA SE, Herzogenaurach (DE)
Filed on Oct. 21, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/076,377.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/923,909, filed on Oct. 21, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0112917 A1, Apr. 22, 2021
Int. Cl. A43B 13/18 (2006.01); A43B 13/22 (2006.01)

CPC A43B 13/181 (2013.01) [A43B 13/223 (2013.01)]

22 Claims

10. An article of footwear, comprising:

an upper defining a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region of the article of footwear; and

a sole structure coupled with the upper, the sole structure comprising:

a midsole; and

an outsole coupled with a bottom surface of the midsole,

wherein a void structure is provided within the midsole of the sole structure, the void structure comprising a plurality of discrete voids, unconnected to any other void, which are defined by channels that extend parallel to each other through an entire width of the midsole between a medial side and a lateral side of the sole structure,

wherein the void structure includes a plurality of first voids and a plurality of second voids, and

wherein, without external forces on the sole structure, each of the voids of the plurality of first voids have a rounded oblong shape and each of the voids of the plurality of second voids have a rounded oblong shape,

wherein, with external forces on the sole structure, the midsole compresses in a downward direction and a forward direction,

wherein a first void of the plurality of first voids defines a first axis along a largest dimension of the first void,

wherein a second void of the plurality of second voids defines a second axis along a largest dimension of the second void, the second void being adjacent to the first void,

wherein the first void defines a first end along the first axis and a second end opposite the first end along the first axis,

wherein the first void defines a first midpoint between the first end and the second end,

wherein the second void defines a third end along the second axis and a fourth end opposite the third end along the first axis,

wherein the second void defines a second midpoint between the third end and the fourth end,

wherein a width of the first void, measured perpendicular to the first axis, increases between the midpoint and the first end,

wherein the first void defines first and second perimeter portions extending between the first end and the second end of the first void on opposite sides of the first axis,

wherein the second void defines third and fourth perimeter portions extending between the third end and the fourth end of the second void on opposite sides of the second axis,

wherein, with external forces on the sole structure, the first perimeter portion contacts the second perimeter portion between the first midpoint and the first end and between the first midpoint and the second end, and

wherein, with external forces on the sole structure, the third perimeter portion contacts the fourth perimeter portion between the second midpoint and the third end and between the second midpoint and the fourth end.