Nike patents shoe sole with curved support plate and offset tread
This filing describes a shoe sole design featuring a cushioning element with a ground-contact surface that shifts position between the front and back of the foot. Inside the cushioning, a support plate with a flat center and curved ends is surrounded by compressible elements, while separate plates attach to the bottom for traction.
In the filing’s own words
A sole structure includes a cushioning element having a bottom side including an anterior portion defining a first portion of a ground-engaging surface extending from an anterior end of the sole structure to a mid-foot region of the sole structure, and a second portion offset from the first portion from the mid-foot region to a posterior end of the sole structure. The structure includes a support plate embedded within the cushioning element and including a planar platform, a first arcuate segment extending in a first direction from a first platform end to a first distal end, and a second arcuate segment extending in a second direction from a second platform end to a second distal end. Additionally, one or more compressible elements are disposed between the support plate and the cushioning element, and one or more outsole plates are attached to the bottom side of the cushioning element.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A sole structure for an article of footwear, the sole structure comprising: a cushioning element having a bottom side including (i) an anterior portion defining a first portion of a ground-engaging surface extending from an anterior end of the sole structure to a mid-foot region of the sole structure and (ii) a second portion offset from the first portion from the mid-foot region to a posterior end of the sole structure; a support plate embedded within the cushioning element and including a planar platform extending from a first platform end to a second platform end, a first arcuate segment extending in a first direction from the first platform end to a first distal end, and a second arcuate segment extending in an opposite second direction from the second platform end to a second distal end; a cushioning arrangement including one or more compressible elements disposed between the support plate and the cushioning element; and one or more outsole plates attached to the bottom side of the cushioning element.
Facts
- Company
- Nike (NIKE, Inc.)
- Official title
- SOLE STRUCTURE FOR ARTICLE OF FOOTWEAR
- Publication number
- US20260272111A1
- Application number
- 19566410
- Filed
- Mar 13, 2026
- Published
- Sep 17, 2026
- Inventors
- 3
- Claims
- 20
Classified under
A43B 13/186 Human necessitiesA43C 15/16 Human necessitiesMore from Nike in Clothing & sport
- Nike patents clothing that stiffens instantly to protect against impacts Sep 15, 2026
- Nike patents underwear with electric straps that adjust tightness Sep 17, 2026
- Nike patents fabric that tightens when it gets wet Oct 15, 2026
- Nike patents shoe that pumps fluid to heel for cushioning Sep 8, 2026
- Nike patents top with built-in pocket for breast pumps Oct 1, 2026
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.