Method of manufacturing an article of footwear with a thermoformed siped sole structure

Abstract

A method of manufacturing an article of footwear includes cutting a plurality of sipes into an outer surface of a pre-formed, foamed thermoplastic sole structure that has both an inner surface and an opposite outer surface. An adhesive is then applied to the inner surface of the pre-formed sole structure and the sole structure is heated to permit forming. The heated sole structure is positioned adjacent to a ground-facing surface of a lasted upper, and then is thermoformed against the lasted upper to draw the adhesive into contact with the ground-facing surface of the upper, and such that at least a portion of the pre-formed sole structure bends into contact with a sidewall of the upper.

1 . A method of manufacturing an article of footwear comprising:
 molding a pre-formed sole structure through at least one of a compression molding or an injection molding process, the pre-formed sole structure having a sole portion, a medial sidewall portion, and a lateral sidewall portion;   applying an adhesive to the inner surface of the pre-formed sole structure;   heating the pre-formed sole structure;   positioning the heated, pre-formed sole structure adjacent to a lasted upper having a ground-facing underfoot portion, a medial sidewall and a lateral sidewall, wherein the positioning includes aligning the sole portion of the sole structure is in adjacent contact with the ground facing surface of the upper;   thermoforming the pre-formed sole structure against the lasted upper such that the medial sidewall portion of the sole structure is draw from a first state apart from the upper into a second state in contact with the medial sidewall of the upper, and further such that the lateral sidewall portion of the sole structure is drawn from a first state apart from the upper into a second state in contact with the lateral sidewall of the upper.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the adhesive extends across the inner surface of the sole structure and operatively bonds both the medial sidewall portion and the lateral sidewall portion of the sole structure to the upper. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the adhesive operatively retains the medial sidewall portion and the lateral sidewall portion in the second in contact with the upper. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising cutting a plurality of sipes into an outer surface of the pre-formed sole structure; and
 splaying open the plurality of cut sipes via the thermoforming of the pre-formed sole structure causes the plurality of cut sipes to splay open via deformation of the sole structure.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising bending each of the lateral sidewall portion and the medial sidewall portion of the sole structure around a portion of the lasted upper when the being drawn into the second state. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoforming includes applying a force to the outer surface of the sole structure using a flexible sheet in contact with the outer surface. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the thermoforming further includes creating at least one of a vacuum on a first side of the flexible sheet or a positive pressure on a second side of the sheet to cause the flexible sheet to apply the force to the outer surface of the pre-formed sole structure. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein molding the pre-formed sole structure comprises forming the pre-formed structure such that the inner surface is flat and the outer surface is contoured and tapers to the inner surface around a periphery of the sole structure. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  further wherein heating the pre-formed sole structure includes applying thermal energy to the upper surface, and sinking thermal energy from the outer surface. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein heating the pre-formed sole structure includes irradiating the upper surface using a radiant heating element. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one of receiving or constructing a knit upper that does not include a strobel. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein molding the pre-formed sole structure further includes embedding a reinforcing plate within the sole portion of the pre-formed sole structure.