Footwear midsoles with bridge components

Abstract

An example article of footwear includes a forward midsole component, a rearward midsole component, and a bridge component mated with an outsole side of the forward midsole component and an outsole side of the rearward midsole component to permanently attach the forward midsole component and the rearward midsole component to form a midsole of the article of footwear.

1 . An article of footwear comprising:
 a forward midsole component;   a rearward midsole component;   a bridge component mated with an outsole side of the forward midsole component and an outsole side of the rearward midsole component to permanently attach the forward midsole component and the rearward midsole component to form a midsole of the article of footwear.   
     
     
         2 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the bridge component comprises:
 a body extending along a gap between the forward midsole component and the rearward midsole component.   
     
     
         3 . The article of footwear of  claim 2 , wherein the bridge component further comprises:
 a leg extending from the body, the leg shaped to provide a planar surface to contact the outsole side of the forward midsole component.   
     
     
         4 . The article of footwear of  claim 2 , wherein the bridge component further comprises:
 a leg extending from the body, the leg shaped to provide a planar surface to contact the outsole side of the rearward midsole component.   
     
     
         5 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the forward midsole component and the rearward midsole component comprise gas-entraining structure and wherein the bridge component comprises solid structure. 
     
     
         6 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the bridge component comprises a plurality of recesses or protrusions to mate with a complementary plurality of protrusions or recesses on the outsole side of the forward midsole component, the rearward midsole component, or both the forward midsole component and the rearward midsole component. 
     
     
         7 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein an edge of the bridge component is shaped to mate with a groove on the forward midsole component, the rearward midsole component, or both the forward midsole component and the rearward midsole component. 
     
     
         8 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein a shape and a material of the bridge component are selected to provide an orthopedic correction to the midsole. 
     
     
         9 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the bridge component is a lower bridge component, the article of footwear further comprising:   an upper bridge component to mate with an upper side of the forward midsole component and an upper side of the rearward midsole component to permanently attach the forward midsole component and the rearward midsole component.   
     
     
         10 . A method of manufacturing an article of footwear comprising:
 bonding a planar surface of a bridge component to an outsole;   bonding a bottom of a first midsole component and a bottom of a second midsole component to the bridge component and to the outsole;   bonding an upper to the first midsole component and the second midsole component.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 before bonding the bottom of the first midsole component and the bottom of the second midsole component to the outsole, mechanically securing the first midsole component and the second midsole component to the bridge component.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 mechanically securing the first midsole component and the second midsole component to the bridge component by mating an edge of the bridge component with a groove on the first midsole component and the second midsole component.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 three-dimensional printing the bridge component.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 selecting the bridge component, the first midsole component, and the second midsole component from a library of modular components.   
     
     
         15 . A midsole comprising:
 forward and rearward midsole components; and   upper and lower bridge components sandwiching adjacent ends of the forward and rearward midsole components;   wherein the upper and lower bridge components are bonded to the forward and rearward midsole components; and   wherein the upper and lower bridge components meet at a joint between the adjacent ends forward and rearward midsole components.