Sole structures and articles of footwear having conformable heel counter structures

Abstract

Articles of footwear in accordance with some aspects of this technology include a foot support component and/or heel counter structure that includes openings, voids, and/or grooves around the heel area. These openings, voids, or grooves may make the heel counter structure more conformable, lightweight, and/or flexible. The openings, voids, or grooves may allow the heel or heel counter structure to conform better to the heel/foot of a user, providing and an “adaptive” response, adapting differently to different heels. The openings, voids, or grooves may be customized within the heel counter component based on the shape of the foot and/or heel of the user. Additionally or alternatively, these openings, voids, or grooves may make the heel construction better to conform to the wearer's heel and better to contain and move with the wearer's heel, e.g., during use and to improve flexion, comfort, and fit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A footwear structure comprising:
 an outer cage component that includes: (i) an outsole portion, and (ii) an upper portion, the outer cage component defining an interior chamber;   an inner upper component that defines a foot-receiving chamber including a bottom surface, a heel-containing region, a midfoot-containing region, and a forefoot-containing region; and   a foot support component releasably engaged with the outer cage component and the inner upper component to form the footwear structure, with the inner upper component fitting inside the outer cage component, the foot support component comprising:
 a top surface for supporting an entire plantar surface of a wearer's foot; 
 a bottom surface opposite the top surface; and 
 an integrally formed heel counter structure extending from the top surface at a heel region of the foot support component, the heel counter structure including a sidewall defined by a lateral sidewall, a medial sidewall, and a rear sidewall formed between the lateral sidewall and the medial sidewall, the heel counter structure further including a void structure formed in the sidewall, the void structure defined by one or more of openings, voids, or grooves, wherein the void structure includes a groove that extends from a portion of the medial sidewall through the rear sidewall to a portion of the lateral sidewall. 
   
     
     
         2 . The footwear structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the foot support component is formed as a unitary, one-piece construction. 
     
     
         3 . The footwear structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the groove extends in a continuous curve that extends multiple times between a bottom portion of the heel counter structure and a top portion of the heel counter structure. 
     
     
         4 . The footwear structure according to  claim 3 , wherein the groove is a continuous groove with plural local minima at the bottom portion of the heel counter structure and plural local maxima at the top portion of the heel counter structure. 
     
     
         5 . The footwear structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the groove extends in a vertical continuous V-shape from a bottom portion of the heel counter structure to an upper portion of the heel counter structure. 
     
     
         6 . The footwear structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the bottom surface includes a plurality of cleat inserts. 
     
     
         7 . The footwear structure according to  claim 6 , wherein one or more of the plurality of cleat inserts is configured to extend into a corresponding one of a plurality of recesses defined in the outsole portion of the outer cage component. 
     
     
         8 . The footwear structure according to  claim 7 , wherein the outsole portion includes a plurality of cleat shells. 
     
     
         9 . The footwear structure according to  claim 8 , wherein the interior chamber includes a footbed portion formed by an interior surface of the outsole portion, the footbed portion including the plurality of recesses. 
     
     
         10 . The footwear structure according to  claim 9 , wherein one or more of the plurality of recesses extends into an interior of a respective one of the plurality of cleat shells and defines an undercut within an interior of one or more of the plurality of cleat shells. 
     
     
         11 . A foot support component configured to releasably engage with an outer cage component and an inner upper component to form an article of footwear, the outer cage component including an outsole portion and an upper portion, with the inner upper component fitting inside the outer cage component, the foot support component comprising:
 a top surface for supporting an entire plantar surface of a wearer's foot;   a bottom surface opposite the top surface; and   an integrally formed heel counter structure extending from the top surface at a heel region of the foot support component, the heel counter structure including a sidewall having a lateral sidewall, a medial sidewall, and a rear sidewall extending between the lateral sidewall and the medial sidewall, the heel counter structure further including a void structure formed in the sidewall, the void structure defined by one or more of openings, voids, or grooves, wherein the void structure includes a groove that extends from a portion of the medial sidewall through the rear sidewall to a portion of the lateral sidewall.   
     
     
         12 . The foot support component according to  claim 11 , wherein the groove extends in a continuous curve that extends multiple times between a bottom portion of the heel counter structure and a top portion of the heel counter structure. 
     
     
         13 . The foot support component according to  claim 12 , wherein the groove is a continuous groove with plural local minima at the bottom portion of the heel counter structure and plural local maxima at the top portion of the heel counter structure. 
     
     
         14 . The foot support component according to  claim 11 , wherein the groove extends in a vertical continuous V-shape from a bottom portion of the heel counter structure to an upper portion of the heel counter structure. 
     
     
         15 . A footwear structure comprising:
 an outer cage component that includes: (i) an outsole portion including a plurality of cleat shells, and (ii) an upper portion, the outer cage component defining an interior chamber;   an inner upper component that defines a foot-receiving chamber including a bottom surface, a heel-containing region, a midfoot-containing region, and a forefoot-containing region; and   a foot support component releasably engaged with the outer cage component and the inner upper component to form the footwear structure, with the inner upper component fitting inside the outer cage component, the foot support component comprising:
 a top surface for supporting an entire plantar surface of a wearer's foot; 
 a bottom surface opposite the top surface, wherein the bottom surface includes a plurality of cleat inserts, wherein one or more of the plurality of cleat inserts is configured to extend into a corresponding one of a plurality of recesses defined in the outsole portion of the outer cage component; and 
 an integrally formed heel counter structure extending from the top surface at a heel region of the foot support component, the heel counter structure including a sidewall defined by a lateral sidewall, a medial sidewall, and a rear sidewall formed between the lateral sidewall and the medial sidewall, the heel counter structure further including a void structure formed in the sidewall, the void structure defined by one or more of openings, voids, or grooves, wherein the void structure includes a groove that extends from a portion of the medial sidewall through the rear sidewall to a portion of the lateral sidewall. 
   
     
     
         16 . The footwear structure according to  claim 15 , wherein the interior chamber includes a footbed portion formed by an interior surface of the outsole portion, the footbed portion including the plurality of recesses. 
     
     
         17 . The footwear structure according to  claim 16 , wherein one or more of the plurality of recesses extends into an interior of a respective one of the plurality of cleat shells and defines an undercut within an interior of one or more of the plurality of cleat shells. 
     
     
         18 . The footwear structure according to  claim 15 , wherein the groove extends in a continuous curve that extends multiple times between a bottom portion of the heel counter structure and a top portion of the heel counter structure. 
     
     
         19 . The footwear structure according to  claim 18 , wherein the groove is a continuous groove with plural local minima at the bottom portion of the heel counter structure and plural local maxima at the top portion of the heel counter structure. 
     
     
         20 . The footwear structure according to  claim 15 , wherein the groove extends in a vertical continuous V-shape from a bottom portion of the heel counter structure to an upper portion of the heel counter structure.