Articulated sole structure with rearwardly angled mediolateral midfoot sipes

Abstract

A footwear sole structure may include a plurality of discrete sole elements defined by a plurality of sipes. The sipes may include a plurality of sipes that extend in a direction extending from a medial side of the sole structure to a lateral side of the sole structure and be rearwardly angled. Those sipes may be located in a midfoot region. The sole structure may include a plurality of additional sipes having longitudinal, transverse and other orientations.

1 . An articulated sole structure, comprising:
 a footwear sole structure spanning portion, the spanning portion extending longitudinally along the length of the sole structure and transversely between the medial and lateral sides of the sole structure; and   an articulated portion comprising a plurality of discrete sole elements extending downward from the spanning portion and defined by a plurality of sipes extending upward into the articulated portion, wherein
 the plurality of sipes includes a plurality rearwardly-angled mediolateral sipes in a midfoot region, each of the rearwardly-angled mediolateral sipes extending across the entire width of the sole structure from a medial edge of the sole structure to a lateral edge of the sole structure, and 
 regions of the spanning portion above the rearwardly-angled mediolateral sipes have a thickness t of 10 millimeters or less. 
   
     
     
         2 . The articulated sole structure of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality rearwardly-angled mediolateral sipes includes at least three sipes. 
     
     
         3 . The articulated sole structure of  claim 2 , wherein each of the rearwardly-angled mediolateral sipes has a ratio of sipe depth d to spanning portion thickness t of at least 2 over a majority of the length of the sipe. 
     
     
         4 . The articulated sole structure of  claim 2 , wherein each of the rearwardly-angled mediolateral sipes is curved. 
     
     
         5 . The articulated sole structure of  claim 4 , wherein each of the rearwardly-angled mediolateral sipes has an average angle, relative to a longitudinal axis of the sole structure and in a rear lateral quadrant of an intersection with the longitudinal axis, between approximately 45 degrees and approximately 70 degrees. 
     
     
         6 . The articulated sole structure of  claim 5 , wherein the longitudinal axis corresponds to the second metatarsal and second phalangeal bones of a wearer foot when an article of footwear comprising the sole structure is worn. 
     
     
         7 . The articulated sole structure of  claim 2 , wherein each of the rearwardly-angled mediolateral sipes intersects at least a first and a second sipe, each of the first and second sipes being oriented in a substantially longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         8 . The articulated sole structure of  claim 1 , wherein the spanning portion and discrete sole elements are parts of a single piece polymer foam element. 
     
     
         9 . The articulated sole structure of  claim 1 , further comprising a reverse flex groove formed in an underside of the sole structure, the reverse flex groove being oriented in a substantially longitudinal direction along the underside. 
     
     
         10 . The articulated sole structure of  claim 10 , wherein the reverse flex groove extends from at least a portion of the sole structure corresponding to a wearer calcaneus to at least a portion of the sole structure corresponding to a wearer metatarsal-phalangeal joint. 
     
     
         11 . The articulated sole structure of  claim 1 , wherein the rearwardly-angled mediolateral sipes are located in a portion of the sole structure corresponding, when an article of footwear comprising the sole structure is worn, to a region extending from the heads of the first through fifth metatarsals of a wearer foot to the medial cuneiform, the navicular and the cuboid of the wearer foot. 
     
     
         12 . An article of footwear, comprising:
 an upper; and   a flexible midsole coupled to the upper, the midsole including a plurality of downwardly extending sipes, wherein
 the plurality of sipes includes a plurality of rearwardly-angled mediolateral sipes in a midfoot region, each of the rearwardly-angled mediolateral sipes extending across the entire width of the midsole from a medial edge of the midsole to a lateral edge of the midsole, and 
 regions of the midsole above the rearwardly-angled mediolateral sipes have a thickness between 0 and 10 millimeters. 
   
     
     
         13 . The article of footwear of  claim 12 , wherein the plurality rearwardly-angled mediolateral sipes includes at least three sipes. 
     
     
         14 . The article of footwear of  claim 13 , wherein each of the rearwardly-angled mediolateral sipes has a ratio of sipe depth d to spanning portion thickness t of at least 2 over a majority of the length of the sipe. 
     
     
         15 . The article of footwear of  claim 13 , wherein each of the rearwardly-angled mediolateral sipes is curved. 
     
     
         16 . The article of footwear of  claim 15 , wherein each of the rearwardly-angled mediolateral sipes has an average angle, relative to a longitudinal axis of the midsole and in a rear lateral quadrant of an intersection with the longitudinal axis, between approximately 45 degrees and approximately 70 degrees. 
     
     
         17 . The article of footwear of  claim 16 , wherein the longitudinal axis corresponds to the second metatarsal and second phalangeal bones of a wearer foot when the article of footwear is worn. 
     
     
         18 . The article of footwear of  claim 13 , wherein each of the rearwardly-angled mediolateral sipes intersects at least a first and a second sipe, each of the first and second sipes being oriented in a substantially longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         19 . The article of footwear of  claim 12 , wherein the rearwardly-angled mediolateral sipes are located in a portion of the midsole corresponding, when the article of footwear is worn, to a region extending from the heads of the first through fifth metatarsals of a wearer foot to the medial cuneiform, the navicular and the cuboid of the wearer foot. 
     
     
         20 . An articulated sole structure, comprising:
 a midsole, wherein
 the midsole includes a spanning portion extending longitudinally along the length of the midsole and transversely between the medial and lateral sides of the midsole, 
 the midsole includes an articulated portion comprising a plurality of discrete sole elements extending downward from the spanning portion and defined by a plurality of sipes extending upward into the articulated portion, 
 the plurality of sipes includes a plurality of curved rearwardly-angled mediolateral sipes in a midfoot region, each of the curved rearwardly-angled mediolateral sipes extending across the entire width of the sole structure from a medial edge of the sole structure to a lateral edge of the sole structure, and 
 wherein each of the curved rearwardly-angled mediolateral sipes has an average angle, relative to a longitudinal axis of the midsole and in a rear lateral quadrant of an intersection with the longitudinal axis, between approximately 45 degrees and approximately 70 degrees. 
   
     
     
         21 . The articulated sole structure of  claim 20 , wherein the plurality of curved rearwardly-angled mediolateral sipes includes at least three sipes. 
     
     
         22 . The articulated sole structure of  claim 20 , wherein each of the rearwardly-angled mediolateral sipes has a ratio of sipe depth d to spanning portion thickness t of at least 2 over at least 50% of the length of the sipe. 
     
     
         23 . The articulated sole structure of  claim 20 , wherein each of the rearwardly-angled mediolateral sipes has a ratio of sipe depth d to spanning portion thickness t of at least 2 over at least 75% of the length of the sipe. 
     
     
         24 . The articulated sole structure of  claim 20 , wherein each of the rearwardly-angled mediolateral sipes has a ratio of sipe depth d to spanning portion thickness t of at least 2 over at least 90% of the length of the sipe.