Nike patents heel spring that bends to store energy in shoes
Nike describes a single-piece device placed inside the heel of a shoe that acts like a spring. When you step on it, the center part bends downward, storing energy that pushes back up when you lift your foot.
In the filing’s own words
A device configured to surround a portion of a foot-receiving cavity at a heel region of an article of footwear comprises a control bar having a center segment, a first side arm extending from the center segment, and a second side arm spaced from the first side arm and extending from the center segment. The control bar may include a series of slats. A base supports the control bar and is connected to the first side arm and the second side arm. The control bar is biased to an unstressed position with the center segment a first distance from the base, and elastically bends under an applied force to a loaded position with the center segment a second distance from the base less than the first distance. The device stores potential energy that returns the control bar to the unloaded position upon removal of the applied load.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. An article of footwear comprising: a footwear upper defining a foot-receiving cavity with a heel region and defining an ankle opening; a sole structure secured to the footwear upper and underlying the foot-receiving cavity; a device surrounding a portion of the foot-receiving cavity at the heel region, the device extending between a medial side and a lateral side of the article of footwear, and extending from the sole structure toward the ankle opening; wherein the device includes a center portion, a medial side portion extending forwardly from the center portion, and a lateral side portion extending forwardly from the center portion; wherein the medial side portion and the lateral side portion taper in height in a direction away from the center portion; wherein the center portion includes an upper center portion rearward of the ankle opening and a lower center portion disposed below the upper center portion and rearward of the foot-receiving cavity; wherein the device is a single, unitary, one-piece component; a compressible member disposed inward of the upper center portion and extending inward into the foot-receiving cavity at the ankle opening; wherein, in a first position with an absence of an applied downward force on the upper center portion, the upper center portion has a downward incline with a first angle relative to a horizontal plane; and wherein, in a second position with an applied downward force on the upper center portion, the upper center portion has a downward incline with a second angle relative to the horizontal plane, and the second angle is less than the first angle.
Facts
- Company
- Nike (NIKE, Inc.)
- Official title
- FOOTWEAR HEEL SPRING DEVICE
- Publication number
- US20260305765A1
- Application number
- 19715674
- Filed
- Jun 22, 2026
- Published
- Oct 8, 2026
- Inventors
- 5
- Claims
- 20
Classified under
A43B 21/28 Human necessitiesA43B 3/0036 Human necessitiesA43B 3/0063 Human necessitiesA43B 11/00 Human necessitiesA43B 11/02 Human necessitiesA43B 13/181 Human necessitiesMore from Nike in Wearables
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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.