Nike patents shoe sole that bends inward to support your foot
Nike has been granted a patent for a shoe sole design that features a specific thickness profile in the midsole. The sole includes a cushioning element that sits flush with the outer edge but protrudes slightly on the inner side, allowing it to bend inward by 5 to 9 degrees when you step on it.
In the filing’s own words
A sole structure includes a midsole having a lateral side defining a lateral edge and a medial side defining a medial edge. The midsole includes a first zone extending from the lateral edge toward the medial side and having a substantially uniform thickness, and a second zone extending from the medial edge toward the first zone and having a tapered thickness that decreases toward the medial edge. A resilient cushioning member extends across a portion of both the first zone and the second zone of the midsole in at least a forefoot region of the sole structure. The resilient cushioning member is substantially inset within the midsole in the first zone, it protrudes increasingly from the midsole in the second zone as the tapered thickness decreases toward the medial side, and maintains a substantially planar configuration when unloaded and permits controlled medial deformation when laterally loaded.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A sole structure, comprising: a midsole having a lateral side defining a lateral edge and a medial side defining a medial edge, the midsole including: a first zone extending from the lateral edge toward the medial side and having a substantially uniform thickness, and a second zone extending from the medial edge toward the first zone and having a tapered thickness that decreases toward the medial edge; and a resilient cushioning member extending across a portion of both the first zone and the second zone of the midsole in at least a forefoot region of the sole structure, wherein: the resilient cushioning member is substantially inset within the midsole in the first zone, the resilient cushioning member protrudes increasingly from the midsole in the second zone as the tapered thickness decreases toward the medial side, and the resilient cushioning member maintains a substantially planar configuration when unloaded and permits controlled medial deformation of between 5 and 9 degrees when laterally loaded.
Facts
- Company
- Nike (NIKE, Inc.)
- Official title
- Article of footwear with dynamic banking sole structure
- Patent number
- US12751520B2
- Application number
- 19407032
- Filed
- Dec 3, 2025
- Granted
- Oct 6, 2026
- Inventors
- 1
- Claims
- 20
Classified under
A43B 13/18 Human necessitiesA43B 7/24 Human necessitiesA43B 13/20 Human necessitiesMore from Nike in Clothing & sport
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.