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NikeGranted patentClothing & sportInterest 6/10

Nike patents shoe sole with air tubes of different pressures

Nike has been granted a patent for a shoe sole design that uses a cushioning element made of multiple tubes running across the heel. The filing describes a system where these tubes are held in place by support elements with specific recesses, allowing the tubes to maintain distinct pressure levels for targeted support.

Why it mattersRunners and athletes might notice this if it leads to shoes that offer different levels of firmness in specific parts of the heel, potentially improving comfort or stability during movement.

In the filing’s own words

A sole structure for an article of footwear having a first support element, the first support element including a first set of recesses; a second support element, the second support element including a second set of recesses, and wherein the second support element includes an opening extending therethrough; a coupling portion, the coupling portion including a third set of recesses, and wherein the coupling portion is disposed within the opening of the second support element; a cushioning element disposed between the first support element and the second support element, the cushioning element including a plurality of tubes, wherein the first set of recesses, the second set of recesses, and the third set of recesses form a continuous receiving area, and wherein the cushioning element is disposed within the continuous receiving area.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. An article of footwear comprising: a heel region including a posterior end of the article of footwear, a mid-foot region, and a forefoot region including an anterior end of the article of footwear; a lateral side, and a medial side opposite the lateral side; a medial-lateral axis, wherein the medial-lateral axis extends from the medial side to the lateral side; an upper; a sole structure, the sole structure coupled to the upper, and wherein the sole structure further comprises; a cushioning element disposed in the heel region, the cushioning element including a first tube, a second tube, a third tube, and a fourth tube, wherein each of the first tube, the second tube, the third tube, and the fourth tube extends from the lateral side of the article of footwear to the medial side of the article of footwear, wherein two of the tubes have the same first pressure, and two of the tubes have the same second pressure, and wherein the first pressure is greater than the second pressure.

Facts

Company
Nike (Nike, Inc.)
Official title
Article of footwear including a sole structure
Patent number
US12757977B2
Application number
18490267
Filed
Oct 19, 2023
Granted
Oct 13, 2026
Inventors
5
Claims
16

Classified under

A43B 13/206 Human necessitiesA43B 7/144 Human necessitiesA43B 13/186 Human necessitiesA43B 13/187 Human necessitiesA43B 13/20 Human necessities
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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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.