Footwear with textured skin

Abstract

An article of footwear includes a porous body comprising a lattice of interconnected unit cells and a first porosity. The article of footwear also includes skin layer integrally formed on an exterior of the porous body. The skin layer has a second porosity and defines ribs that extend outward from the porous body. The second porosity is less than the first porosity.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An article of footwear, comprising:
 a porous body comprising a lattice of interconnected unit cells and a first porosity; and   a skin layer integrally formed on an exterior of the porous body, the skin layer comprising a second porosity and defining ribs that extend outward from the porous body,   wherein the second porosity is less than the first porosity.   
     
     
         2 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the skin layer is a solid layer lacking through pores. 
     
     
         3 . The article of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the porous body is a lattice of interconnected unit cells, wherein the unit cells each comprise a base geometry; and   the skin layer does not comprise a lattice of interconnected unit cells comprising the base geometry.   
     
     
         4 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the ribs have a height distribution within a range from 0.5 mm through 10 mm. 
     
     
         5 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the ribs have a width distribution within a range from 0.5 mm through 10 mm. 
     
     
         6 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the ribs are separated by channels, and each channel has a constant width for a length of at least a majority of a length of the rib. 
     
     
         7 . The article of  claim 6 , wherein the ribs are parallel to each other. 
     
     
         8 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of an outsole of the article lacks the skin layer such that the porous body provides part of a ground facing side of the outsole. 
     
     
         9 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein an area occupied by the skin layer covers at least 50% of the exterior of the porous body. 
     
     
         10 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the porous body defines at least a portion of a sole and at least a portion of an upper for the article of footwear. 
     
     
         11 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the article of footwear is a sandal comprising an upper that comprises at least part of the porous body, wherein the skin layer extends across at least a portion of the upper. 
     
     
         12 . The article of  claim 11 , wherein the ribs are separated by channels including respective portions of the skin layer, and an area occupied by the skin layer covers at least 50% of the exterior of the porous body. 
     
     
         13 . The article of  claim 12 , wherein the upper comprises an outer side and an inner side, and the skin layer extends across at least a portion of the outer side and at least a portion of the inner side. 
     
     
         14 . The article of  claim 13 , comprising a sole attached to the upper, wherein:
 the sole comprises a second portion of the porous body; and   the skin layer extends onto the sole.   
     
     
         15 . The article of  claim 1 , comprising a sole comprising at least a portion of the porous body and comprising an insole side, wherein the skin layer extends across at least a portion of the insole side. 
     
     
         16 . A sandal, comprising:
 a porous body comprising a lattice of interconnected unit cells;   a sole comprising a first portion of the porous body;   an upper comprising a second portion of the porous body and connected to the sole;   a first plurality of ribs extending across a portion of an exterior of the sole, wherein the first plurality of ribs defines a first plurality of channels between neighboring ribs among the first plurality of ribs, and the channels among the first plurality of channels are equal in width along at least a portion of their length; and   a second plurality of ribs extending across a portion of an exterior of the upper, wherein the second plurality of ribs defines a second plurality of channels between neighboring ribs among the second plurality of ribs, and the channels among the second plurality of channels are equal in width along at least a portion of their length.   
     
     
         17 . The sandal of  claim 16 , comprising a skin layer that has a lower porosity than the porous body, the sole comprises an insole side configured to face a bottom of a wearer's foot when the sandal is worn, and the skin layer extends onto the insole side of the sole. 
     
     
         18 . The sandal of  claim 17 , wherein the first plurality of ribs, the second plurality of ribs, or both, is defined by the skin layer. 
     
     
         19 . The sandal of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the insole side of the sole comprises a recessed portion and a raised perimeter; and   the first plurality of ribs extends across the recessed portion.   
     
     
         20 . The sandal of  claim 19 , wherein the ribs among the first plurality of ribs have a first height defined relative to the first plurality of channels, the raised perimeter has a second height defined relative to the first plurality of channels, and the second height is greater than the first height.