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NikePatent applicationClothing & sportInterest 6/10

Nike patents shoe sole with uneven cushioning pockets

Nike describes a shoe sole design featuring two distinct support structures, each containing a pocket filled with compressible material. The key feature is that the distance between the cushioning material and the top of the support structure differs between the two sections, creating varied levels of support or cushioning.

Why it mattersRunners and athletes might notice this if it leads to shoes with targeted cushioning in specific areas of the foot, though the filing does not specify which part of the shoe uses which configuration.

In the filing’s own words

A sole structure includes a first support structure defining a first recess and having a first height extending from a first base to a first platform disposed at an opposite end from the first base, a second support structure defining a second recess and having a second height extending from a second base to a second platform disposed at an opposite end from the second base, a first node including a compressible material disposed within the first recess of the first support structure and having a top side spaced apart from the first platform by a first distance, and a second node including the compressible material disposed within the second recess of the second support structure and having a top side spaced apart from the second platform by a second distance that is different than the first distance.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A sole structure for an article of footwear, the sole structure comprising: a first support structure defining a first recess and having a first height extending from a first base to a first platform disposed at an opposite end from the first base; a second support structure defining a second recess and having a second height extending from a second base to a second platform disposed at an opposite end from the second base; a first node including a compressible material disposed within the first recess of the first support structure and having a top side spaced apart from the first platform by a first distance; and a second node including the compressible material disposed within the second recess of the second support structure and having a top side spaced apart from the second platform by a second distance that is different than the first distance.

Facts

Company
Nike (NIKE, Inc.)
Official title
SOLE STRUCTURE FOR ARTICLE OF FOOTWEAR
Publication number
US20260283304A1
Application number
19567855
Filed
Mar 16, 2026
Published
Sep 24, 2026
Inventors
4
Claims
20

Classified under

A43B 13/141 Human necessitiesA43B 3/0036 Human necessitiesA43B 13/185 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.