Nike patents shoe sole with fluid-filled chambers for cushioning
Nike has filed a patent for a shoe sole that uses fluid-filled chambers to provide cushioning. The design includes specific segments in the heel and forefoot areas connected by a web area to manage how the fluid moves or distributes pressure.
In the filing’s own words
A sole structure for an article of footwear having an upper includes a heel region, a forefoot region, and a mid-foot region disposed between the heel region and the forefoot region. The sole structure also includes a fluid-filled chamber including a first barrier layer cooperating with a second barrier layer to define a first segment extending between a medial side of the sole structure and a lateral side of the sole structure within the forefoot region, a second segment extending between the medial side of the sole structure and the lateral side of the sole structure within the forefoot region, and a web area disposed between and connecting the first segment and the second segment, the first barrier layer being attached to the second barrier layer within the web area.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A sole structure for an article of footwear, the sole structure comprising: a heel region; a forefoot region; a mid-foot region disposed between the heel region and the forefoot region; and a bladder including a first bladder layer cooperating with a second bladder layer to define a chamber having a first segment extending along a medial side of the sole structure in the heel region, a second segment extending along a lateral side of the sole structure within the heel region, and a third segment disposed in the forefoot region, the first segment and the second segment being joined at a junction to define a point that opposes the third segment.
Facts
- Company
- Nike (NIKE, Inc.)
- Official title
- SOLE STRUCTURE FOR ARTICLE OF FOOTWEAR
- Publication number
- US20260314750A1
- Application number
- 19466959
- Filed
- Feb 2, 2026
- Published
- Oct 15, 2026
- Inventors
- 5
- Claims
- 20
Classified under
A43B 13/186 Human necessitiesA43B 13/14 Human necessitiesA43B 13/189 Human necessitiesA43B 13/20 Human necessitiesA43B 13/206 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.