Nike patents shoe sole with bulb-like bumps and open channels

1. A sole structure for an article of footwear comprising: a cushioning element extending from a posterior end to an anterior end, the cushioning element including a plurality of openings and a plurality of bulbs, wherein the plurality of bulbs extend around an entirety of an outer surface of the cushioning element, the cushioning element further including: a heel region, a forefoot region, and a midfoot region disposed between the heel region and the forefoot region; and a first set of bulbs of the plurality of bulbs disposed in the heel region and extending from the anterior end of the cushioning element to the midfoot region, a second set of bulbs of the plurality of bulbs disposed in the midfoot region extending from a first end of the midfoot region to a second end of the midfoot region, and a third set of bulbs of the plurality of bulbs disposed in the forefoot region extending from the midfoot region to the posterior end of the cushioning element disposed in the forefoot region, wherein upper surfaces of the first set of bulbs form part of an uppermost surface of the sole structure, wherein the third set of bulbs includes at least 1) an anterior bulb having a substantially elongate shape and having a first width extending from a medial side of the cushioning element to a lateral side of the cushioning element and 2) a central bulb having a substantially elongate shape and having a second width different from the first width of the anterior bulb extending from the medial side of the cushioning element to the lateral side of the cushioning element, and wherein a first opening having a substantially elongate shape is enclosed by the anterior bulb and the central bulb at its respective anterior and posterior sides, the first opening extending in a medial-lateral direction; and an outsole layer coupled to the cushioning element.