Rigid Sole Structures For Articles Of Footwear

Abstract

Articles of footwear (e.g., for long jump/triple jump events, etc.) may include a sole structure having: (a) a first impact force attenuating component (e.g., foam) that includes top and bottom surfaces (and may be engaged with an outsole member, such as a cleated sole member); (b) a rigid plate component that includes top and bottom surfaces, wherein the bottom surface of the rigid plate component is engaged with the top surface of the first impact force attenuating component; and (c) a second impact force attenuating component (e.g., foam) that includes top and bottom surfaces, wherein the bottom surface of the second impact force attenuating component is engaged with the top surface of the rigid plate component. The rigid plate component may be the stiffest component in the sole structure (e.g., resistant to bending about an axis extending in the medial side-to-lateral side direction).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sole structure for an article of footwear, comprising:
 a cleated ground-engaging component having an upper-facing surface and a ground-facing surface;   a first foam component that includes an upper-facing surface and a ground-facing surface, wherein the ground-facing surface of the first foam component is engaged with the upper-facing surface of the cleated ground-engaging component;   a rigid plate component that includes an upper-facing surface and a ground-facing surface, wherein the ground-facing surface of the rigid plate component is engaged with the upper-facing surface of the first foam component; and   a second foam component that includes an upper-facing surface and a ground-facing surface, wherein the ground-facing surface of the second foam component is engaged with the upper-facing surface of the rigid plate component.   
     
     
         2 . The sole structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper-facing surface of the first foam component includes a front raised ridge and a raised front support surface extending forward from the front raised ridge, wherein the ground-facing surface of the second foam component includes a front lowered ridge and a lowered front support surface extending forward from the front lowered ridge, and wherein a forward edge of the rigid plate component is located adjacent and behind the front raised ridge and behind the front lowered ridge, and
 wherein the upper-facing surface of the first foam component includes a rear raised ridge and a raised rear support surface extending rearward from the rear raised ridge, wherein the ground-facing surface of the second foam component includes a rear lowered ridge and a lowered rear support surface extending rearward from the rear lowered ridge, and wherein a rearward edge of the rigid plate component is located adjacent and forward of the rear raised ridge and forward of the rear lowered ridge.   
     
     
         3 . The sole structure according to  claim 2 , wherein the raised front support surface and the lowered front support surface are directly engaged together, and wherein the raised rear support surface and the lowered rear support surface are directly engaged together. 
     
     
         4 . The sole structure according to  claim 3 , wherein a medial side edge of the rigid plate component is exposed at an exterior of the sole structure between the first foam component and the second foam component, and/or wherein a lateral side edge of the rigid plate component is exposed at the exterior of the sole structure between the first foam component and the second foam component. 
     
     
         5 . The sole structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper-facing surface of the first foam component includes a raised front support surface, wherein a forwardmost portion of the rigid plate component does not overlap the raised front support surface, wherein the ground-facing surface of the second foam component includes a lowered front support surface, wherein the forwardmost portion of the rigid plate component does not overlap the lowered front support surface, and wherein the raised front support surface and the lowered front support surface are directly engaged together. 
     
     
         6 . The sole structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper-facing surface of the first foam component includes a raised rear support surface, wherein a rearwardmost portion of the rigid plate component does not overlap the raised rear support surface, wherein the ground-facing surface of the second foam component includes a lowered rear support surface, wherein the rearwardmost portion of the rigid plate component does not overlap the lowered rear support surface, and wherein the raised rear support surface and the lowered rear support surface are directly engaged together. 
     
     
         7 . The sole structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper-facing surface of the first foam component includes a raised front support surface, wherein the ground-facing surface of the second foam component includes a lowered front support surface, and wherein a forwardmost portion of the rigid plate component does not overlap the raised front support surface and does not overlap the lowered front support surface, and
 wherein the upper-facing surface of the first foam component includes a raised rear support surface, wherein the ground-facing surface of the second foam component includes a lowered rear support surface, and wherein a rearwardmost portion of the rigid plate does not overlap the raised rear support surface and does not overlap of the lowered rear support surface.   
     
     
         8 . The sole structure according to  claim 7 , wherein the raised front support surface and the lowered front support surface are directly engaged together, and wherein the raised rear support surface and the lowered rear support surface are directly engaged together. 
     
     
         9 . The sole structure according to  claim 8 , wherein a medial side edge of the rigid plate component is exposed at an exterior of the sole structure between the first foam component and the second foam component, and/or wherein a lateral side edge of the rigid plate component is exposed at the exterior of the sole structure between the first foam component and the second foam component. 
     
     
         10 . The sole structure according to  claim 1 , wherein a medial side edge of the rigid plate component is exposed at an exterior of the sole structure between the first foam component and the second foam component, and/or wherein a lateral side edge of the rigid plate component is exposed at the exterior of the sole structure between the first foam component and the second foam component. 
     
     
         11 . The sole structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the first foam component has a hardness of at least 64 Asker C and/or wherein the second foam component has a hardness of at least 64 Asker C. 
     
     
         12 . The sole structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the first foam component is formed of a first compression molded ethylene vinyl acetate material, wherein the second foam component is formed of a second compression molded ethylene vinyl acetate material, and wherein the first compression molded ethylene vinyl acetate material is the same as or different from the second compression molded ethylene vinyl acetate material. 
     
     
         13 . The sole structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the rigid plate component has a greater stiffness than the cleated ground-engaging component, the first foam component, and the second foam component. 
     
     
         14 . The sole structure according to  claim 1 , wherein a thickness dimension of the rigid plate component from the upper-facing surface to the ground-facing surface thereof is no greater than 1.5 mm through at least 80% of a surface area of the rigid plate component. 
     
     
         15 . The sole structure according to  claim 1 , wherein a thickness dimension of the rigid plate component from the upper-facing surface to the ground-facing surface thereof is no greater than 1 mm. 
     
     
         16 . The sole structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the rigid plate component extends continuously: (a) from a heel support area to a forefoot support area of the sole structure and (b) from a lateral side edge to a medial side edge of the sole structure. 
     
     
         17 . The sole structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the cleated ground-engaging component includes a matrix structure including a plurality of open cells including plural open cells in a forefoot support region of the cleated ground-engaging component. 
     
     
         18 . The sole structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the cleated ground-engaging component includes a matrix structure including a plurality of open cells including plural open cells in a forefoot support region of the cleated ground-engaging component, plural open cells in a midfoot support region of the cleated ground-engaging component, and plural open cells in a heel support region of the cleated ground-engaging component. 
     
     
         19 . A sole structure for an article of footwear, comprising:
 a first impact force attenuating component that includes an upper-facing surface and a ground-facing surface, wherein the upper-facing surface of first impact force attenuating component includes a raised front support surface and a raised rear support surface;   a rigid plate component that includes an upper-facing surface, a ground-facing surface, a forward edge, and a rearward edge, wherein the ground-facing surface of the rigid plate component is engaged with the upper-facing surface of the first impact force attenuating component; and   a second impact force attenuating component that includes an upper-facing surface and a ground-facing surface, wherein the ground-facing surface of the second impact force attenuating component is engaged with the upper-facing surface of the rigid plate component, wherein the ground-facing surface of the second impact force attenuating component includes a lowered front support surface and a lowered rear support surface, and   wherein a forwardmost portion of the rigid plate component does not overlap the raised front support surface and does not overlap the lowered front support surface, and wherein a rearwardmost portion of the rigid plate component does not overlap the raised rear support surface and does not overlap the lowered rear support surface.   
     
     
         20 . The sole structure according to  claim 19 , wherein the raised front support surface and the lowered front support surface are directly engaged together, and wherein the raised rear support surface and the lowered rear support surface are directly engaged together. 
     
     
         21 . The sole structure according to  claim 19 , wherein a medial side edge of the rigid plate component is exposed at an exterior of the sole structure between the first impact force attenuating component and the second impact force attenuating component, and/or wherein a lateral side edge of the rigid plate component is exposed at the exterior of the sole structure between the first impact force attenuating component and the second impact force attenuating component. 
     
     
         22 . A sole structure for an article of footwear, comprising:
 a first impact force attenuating component that includes an upper-facing surface and a ground-facing surface;   a rigid plate component that includes an upper-facing surface and a ground-facing surface, wherein the ground-facing surface of the rigid plate component is engaged with the upper-facing surface of the first impact force attenuating component, and wherein the rigid plate component extends continuously: (a) from a heel support area to a forefoot support area of the sole structure and (b) from a lateral side edge to a medial side edge of the sole structure; and   a second impact force attenuating component that includes an upper-facing surface and a ground-facing surface, wherein the ground-facing surface of the second impact force attenuating component is engaged with the upper-facing surface of the rigid plate component, and   wherein (a) at a rear heel location of the sole structure, the upper-facing surface of the first impact force attenuating component is engaged directly with the ground-facing surface of the second impact force attenuating component and (b) at a forward toe location of the sole structure, the upper-facing surface of the first impact force attenuating component is engaged directly with the ground-facing surface of the second impact force attenuating component, such that the rigid plate component is not exposed at an exterior of the sole structure at a rearmost heel location of the sole structure and the rigid plate component is not exposed at an exterior of the sole structure at a forwardmost toe location of the sole structure.   
     
     
         23 . The sole structure according to  claim 22 , wherein a medial side edge of the rigid plate component is exposed at an exterior of the sole structure between the first impact force attenuating component and the second impact force attenuating component, and/or wherein a lateral side edge of the rigid plate component is exposed at the exterior of the sole structure between the first impact force attenuating component and the second impact force attenuating component.