Article of footwear with a pronation feedback system

Abstract

An article of footwear includes an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper to define an interior cavity. The sole structure comprises a base portion and a sidewall that surrounds a substantial perimeter of the base portion. The article of footwear comprises a pronation feedback system that includes a support structure extending from the sidewall and along the upper at a medial side of the sole structure. The support structure is configured to provide proprioceptive feedback to a wearer corresponding with a rate of pronation of a foot disposed in the interior cavity during a pronation event.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An article of footwear comprising:
 an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper to define an interior cavity;   the sole structure comprising a base portion and a sidewall that surrounds a substantial perimeter of the base portion; and   a pronation feedback system including a support structure extending from the sidewall and along the upper at a medial side of the sole structure;   wherein the support structure is configured to provide proprioceptive feedback corresponding with a rate of pronation of a foot disposed in the interior cavity.   
     
     
         2 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the support structure provides a first impulse to a medial side of wearer's foot in response to a first rate of pronation;   the support structure provides a second impulse to the medial side of the wearer's foot in response to a second rate of pronation; and   the first rate of pronation is different than the second rate of pronation, and the first impulse is different than the second impulse.   
     
     
         3 . The article of footwear of  claim 2 , wherein the first impulse and the second impulse are forces against the foot. 
     
     
         4 . The article of footwear of  claim 2 , wherein the first impulse reduces the first rate of pronation. 
     
     
         5 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the support structure extends only in a midfoot region of the sole structure. 
     
     
         6 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the support structure includes a set of elongated members, and an exterior surface of the set of elongated members is continuously formed with the sidewall of the sole structure. 
     
     
         7 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the support structure includes a set of elongated members, and an interior surface of the set of elongated members is continuous with an interior surface of the sole structure. 
     
     
         8 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the support structure is interior to an inner surface of the upper. 
     
     
         9 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the support structure is exterior to an exterior surface of the upper. 
     
     
         10 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the support structure comprises a set of elongated members. 
     
     
         11 . The article of footwear of  claim 10 , wherein the elongated members splay apart from one another. 
     
     
         12 . The article of footwear of  claim 10 , wherein at least some of the elongated members are spaced apart from and not in contact with one another. 
     
     
         13 . The article of footwear of  claim 10 , wherein at least some of the elongated members have adjacent sides in contact with one another. 
     
     
         14 . The article of footwear of  claim 10 , wherein at least some of the elongated members have different lengths. 
     
     
         15 . The article of footwear of  claim 14 , wherein a forwardmost one of the elongated members and a rearward most one of the elongated members are shorter than at least one of the elongated members between the forwardmost one and the rearward most one. 
     
     
         16 . The article of footwear of  claim 10 , wherein the elongated members extend from a midfoot region of the sole structure, a forwardmost one of the elongated members curves forward toward a forefoot region of the sole structure, and a rearward most one of the elongated members curves rearward toward a heel region of the sole structure. 
     
     
         17 . The article of footwear of  claim 10 , wherein the elongated members are straight. 
     
     
         18 . The article of footwear of  claim 10 , wherein a space between two adjacent ones of the elongated members is entirely above a bite line of the upper and the sole structure forward of and rearward of the support structure. 
     
     
         19 . A method of reducing a rate of pronation of a wearer of an article of footwear, the method comprising:
 providing a first impulse to a medial side of wearer's foot in response to a first rate of pronation; the first impulse provided by a pronation feedback system that includes a support structure extending from a sidewall of a sole structure at a medial side of the sole structure and along an upper secured to the sole structure, the wearer's foot disposed in an interior cavity defined by the upper and the sole structure;   providing a second impulse to the medial side of the wearer's foot in response to a second rate of pronation; the second impulse provided by the pronation feedback system;   wherein the first rate of pronation is different than the second rate of pronation, and wherein the first impulse is different than the second impulse.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the support structure comprises a set of elongated members, and the first impulse and the second impulse are reaction forces provided by the elongated members against the wearer's foot.