Sole Structure for an Article of Footwear

Abstract

A sole structure for an article of footwear includes one or more outsole portions. At least some of these outsole portions include a plurality of alternating upward-facing and downward-facing elongate channels. The channels may have a base and two sidewalls, with adjacent channels sharing a common sidewall. The bases of the downward-facing channels form an upper surface of the outsole portion and the bases of the upward-facing channels form a lower surface of the outsole portion. The sidewalls are arranged at non-perpendicular angles to the upper surface. A first outsole portion has a pressure-versus-strain curve having a local maximum at a “trip point” pressure value and a first strain value and wherein the pressure-versus-strain curve has a change in strain of at least approximately 10% before a second occurrence of the “trip point” pressure value is reached. An article of footwear having the sole structure attached to an upper is also provided.

1 . A sole structure for an article of footwear, comprising:
 one or more outsole portions, a first outsole portion having:
 a plurality of alternating upward-facing channels and downward-facing channels; 
 wherein each channel has a base element and two sidewalls, with adjacent upward-facing channels and downward-facing channels sharing a common sidewall, 
 wherein the base elements of the downward-facing channels form an upper surface of the first outsole portion and the base elements of the upward-facing channels form a lower surface of the first outsole portion, and 
 wherein the sidewalls are curved, and wherein adjacent sidewalls curve in opposite directions. 
   
     
     
         2 . The sole structure of  claim 1 , wherein the sidewalls are curved such that the upward-facing channels have a convex configuration and the downward-facing channels have a concave configuration. 
     
     
         3 . The sole structure of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of alternating upward-facing channels and downward-facing channels includes a first upward-facing channel and a first downward-facing channel that share a first common sidewall, and wherein a thickness of the first common sidewall increases in a direction downward from the base element of the first upward-facing channel toward the base element of the first downward-facing channel. 
     
     
         4 . The sole structure of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of alternating upward-facing channels and downward-facing channels includes a first upward-facing channel and a first downward-facing channel that share a first common sidewall, and wherein a thickness of the base element of the first upward-facing channel varies. 
     
     
         5 . The sole structure of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of alternating upward-facing channels and downward-facing channels includes: (a) a first upward-facing channel, (b) a first downward-facing channel, wherein the first upward-facing channel and the first downward-facing channel share a first common sidewall on a first side of the first-upward facing channel, and (c) a second downward-facing channel, wherein the first upward-facing channel and the second downward-facing channel share a second common sidewall on a second side of the first upward-facing channel located opposite from the first side, wherein a thickness of the first common sidewall increases in a direction downward from the base element of the first downward-facing channel toward the base element of the first upward-facing channel, and wherein a thickness of the second common sidewall increases in a direction downward from the base element of the second downward-facing channel toward the base element of the first upward-facing channel. 
     
     
         6 . The sole structure of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of alternating upward-facing channels and downward-facing channels includes: (a) a first downward-facing channel, (b) a first upward-facing channel, wherein the first upward-facing channel and the first downward-facing channel share a first common sidewall on a first side of the first-downward facing channel, and (c) a second upward-facing channel, wherein the first downward-facing channel and the second upward-facing channel share a second common sidewall on a second side of the first downward-facing channel located opposite from the first side, wherein a thickness of the first common sidewall increases in a direction downward from the base element of the first downward-facing channel toward the base element of the first upward-facing channel, and wherein a thickness of the second common sidewall increases in a direction downward from the base element of the first downward-facing channel toward the base element of the second upward-facing channel. 
     
     
         7 . The sole structure of  claim 1 , wherein the first outsole portion is located in a heel region of the sole structure. 
     
     
         8 . The sole structure of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more outsole portions incudes a second outsole portion located in a forefoot region of the sole structure, the second outsole portion having:
 a plurality of alternating upward-facing channels and downward-facing channels;   wherein each channel of the second outsole portion has a base element and two sidewalls, with adjacent upward-facing channels and downward-facing channels of the second outsole portion sharing a common sidewall,   wherein the base elements of the downward-facing channels of the second outsole portion form an upper surface of the second outsole portion and the base elements of the upward-facing channels of the second outsole portion form a lower surface of the second outsole portion, and   wherein the sidewalls of the second outsole portion are curved, and wherein adjacent sidewalls of the second outsole portion curve in opposite directions.   
     
     
         9 . The sole structure of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more outsole portions incudes a second outsole portion having:
 a plurality of alternating upward-facing channels and downward-facing channels;   wherein each channel of the second outsole portion has a base element and two sidewalls, with adjacent upward-facing channels and downward-facing channels of the second outsole portion sharing a common sidewall,   wherein the base elements of the downward-facing channels of the second outsole portion form an upper surface of the second outsole portion and the base elements of the upward-facing channels of the second outsole portion form a lower surface of the second outsole portion, and   wherein the sidewalls of the second outsole portion are curved, and wherein adjacent sidewalls of the second outsole portion curve in opposite directions.   
     
     
         10 . The sole structure of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more outsole portions incudes a third outsole portion having:
 a plurality of alternating upward-facing channels and downward-facing channels;   wherein each channel of the third outsole portion has a base element and two sidewalls, with adjacent upward-facing channels and downward-facing channels of the third outsole portion sharing a common sidewall,   wherein the base elements of the downward-facing channels of the third outsole portion form an upper surface of the third outsole portion and the base elements of the upward-facing channels of the third outsole portion form a lower surface of the third outsole portion, and   wherein the sidewalls of the third outsole portion are curved, and wherein adjacent sidewalls of the third outsole portion curve in opposite directions.   
     
     
         11 . The sole structure of  claim 1 , wherein the first outsole portion is located in a forefoot region of the sole structure. 
     
     
         12 . The sole structure of  claim 1 , wherein widths of the base elements of the downward-facing channels of the first outsole portion are greater than 2.0 mm. 
     
     
         13 . A sole structure for an article of footwear, comprising:
 a first outsole portion having:
 a first upward-facing channel defined by a first base element, a first sidewall, and a second sidewall, wherein the first sidewall and the second sidewall are curved in opposite directions, 
 a first downward-facing channel defined by a second base element, the second sidewall, and a third sidewall, wherein the third sidewall is curved in an opposite direction from the second sidewall, 
 a second upward-facing channel defined by a third base element, the third sidewall, and a fourth sidewall, wherein the fourth sidewall is curved in an opposite direction from the third sidewall, and 
 a second downward-facing channel defined by a fourth base element, the fourth sidewall, and a fifth sidewall, wherein the fifth sidewall is curved in an opposite direction from the fourth sidewall. 
   
     
     
         14 . The sole structure of  claim 13 , wherein the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth sidewalls are curved such that the first and second upward-facing channels have a convex configuration and the first and second downward-facing channels have a concave configuration. 
     
     
         15 . The sole structure of  claim 13 , wherein a thickness of the first base element varies, and wherein a thickness of the third base element varies. 
     
     
         16 . The sole structure of  claim 13 , wherein the first outsole portion is located in a heel region of the sole structure. 
     
     
         17 . The sole structure of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a second outsole portion having:
 a third upward-facing channel defined by a fifth base element, a sixth sidewall, and a seventh sidewall, wherein the sixth sidewall and the seventh sidewall are curved in opposite directions, 
 a third downward-facing channel defined by a sixth base element, the seventh sidewall, and an eighth sidewall, wherein the eighth sidewall is curved in an opposite direction from the seventh sidewall, 
 a fourth upward-facing channel defined by a seventh base element, the eighth sidewall, and a ninth sidewall, wherein the ninth sidewall is curved in an opposite direction from the eighth sidewall, and 
 a fourth downward-facing channel defined by an eighth base element, the ninth sidewall, and a tenth sidewall, wherein the tenth sidewall is curved in an opposite direction from the ninth sidewall. 
   
     
     
         18 . The sole structure of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a third outsole portion having:
 a fifth upward-facing channel defined by a ninth base element, an eleventh sidewall, and a twelfth sidewall, wherein the eleventh sidewall and the twelfth sidewall are curved in opposite directions, 
 a fifth downward-facing channel defined by a tenth base element, the twelfth sidewall, and a thirteenth sidewall, wherein the thirteenth sidewall is curved in an opposite direction from the twelfth sidewall, 
 a sixth upward-facing channel defined by an eleventh base element, the thirteenth sidewall, and a fourteenth sidewall, wherein the fourteenth sidewall is curved in an opposite direction from the thirteenth sidewall, and 
 a sixth downward-facing channel defined by an twelfth base element, the fourteenth sidewall, and a fifteenth sidewall, wherein the fifteenth sidewall is curved in an opposite direction from the fourteenth sidewall. 
   
     
     
         19 . An article of footwear, comprising:
 an upper; and   a sole structure engaged with the upper, the sole structure including a first outsole portion having:
 a first upward-facing channel defined by a first base element, a first sidewall, and a second sidewall, wherein the first sidewall and the second sidewall are curved in opposite directions, 
 a first downward-facing channel defined by a second base element, the second sidewall, and a third sidewall, wherein the third sidewall is curved in an opposite direction from the second sidewall, 
 a second upward-facing channel defined by a third base element, the third sidewall, and a fourth sidewall, wherein the fourth sidewall is curved in an opposite direction from the third sidewall, and 
 a second downward-facing channel defined by a fourth base element, the fourth sidewall, and a fifth sidewall, wherein the fifth sidewall is curved in an opposite direction from the fourth sidewall. 
   
     
     
         20 . The article of footwear of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 a second outsole portion having:
 a third upward-facing channel defined by a fifth base element, a sixth sidewall, and a seventh sidewall, wherein the sixth sidewall and the seventh sidewall are curved in opposite directions, 
 a third downward-facing channel defined by a sixth base element, the seventh sidewall, and an eighth sidewall, wherein the eighth sidewall is curved in an opposite direction from the seventh sidewall, 
 a fourth upward-facing channel defined by a seventh base element, the eighth sidewall, and a ninth sidewall, wherein the ninth sidewall is curved in an opposite direction from the eighth sidewall, and 
 a fourth downward-facing channel defined by an eighth base element, the ninth sidewall, and a tenth sidewall, wherein the tenth sidewall is curved in an opposite direction from the ninth sidewall.