Embroidered Foaming Cords For Midsoles

Abstract

In one embodiment, a midsole for an article of footwear is described that includes a first foaming cord made of a first material and a second foaming cord made of a second material. The first material is different than the second material. The first foaming cord and the second foaming cord are embroidered into a shape of the midsole. The first foaming cord and the second foaming cord may be embroidered to a substrate material by thread. A midsole can include multiple layers of foaming cords. Customized midsoles may be formed by selective placement of one or more foaming cords in different locations or layers to provide different properties or characteristics to the midsole.

1 . A method of forming a midsole for an article of footwear, the method comprising:
 embroidering a first foaming cord to a substrate material with a thread;   embroidering a second foaming cord to the substrate material with the thread;   wherein the first foaming cord and the second foaming cord are made of different materials.   
     
     
         2 . The method of forming a midsole according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first foaming cord and the second foaming cord is embroidered to the substrate material from a continuous feed on a spool. 
     
     
         3 . The method of forming a midsole according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining a midsole arrangement;   wherein the step of embroidering the first foaming cord comprises embroidering the first foaming cord to the substrate material to form a first region of the midsole according to the determined midsole arrangement; and   wherein the step of embroidering the second foaming cord comprises embroidering the second foaming cord to the substrate material to form a second region of the midsole according to the determined midsole arrangement, the second region being different from the first region.   
     
     
         4 . The method of forming a midsole according to  claim 3 , wherein the step of determining the midsole arrangement comprises using data associated with a foot of a wearer to determine the midsole arrangement. 
     
     
         5 . The method of forming a midsole according to  claim 4 , further comprising providing a customized midsole arrangement using the data associated with the foot of the wearer;
 wherein, according to the customized midsole arrangement, the first foaming cord forming the first region of the midsole has a first density that is less than a second density of the second foaming cord forming the second region of the midsole.   
     
     
         6 . The method of forming a midsole according to  claim 5 , wherein the first region is a forefoot region of the midsole and the second region is a heel region of the midsole. 
     
     
         7 . The method of forming a midsole according to  claim 5 , wherein the first region is a front portion of a forefoot region of the midsole and the second region is a portion of the forefoot region and/or a portion of a midfoot region of the midsole that is configured to lie underneath a ball of the foot of the wearer. 
     
     
         8 . The method of forming a midsole according to  claim 1 , further comprising removing the portion of the substrate material including the first foaming cord and the second foaming cord from the remaining substrate material to form a midsole preform. 
     
     
         9 . The method of forming a midsole according to  claim 5 , further comprising:
 placing one or more midsole preforms into a corresponding mold cavity in a mold; and   molding the one or more midsole preforms into midsoles by applying heat and/or pressure to cause the first foaming cord and the second foaming cord to expand.   
     
     
         10 . The method of forming a midsole according to  claim 1 , further comprising embroidering at least one additional foaming cord on top of the first foaming cord or the second foaming cord to form a multiple layer midsole. 
     
     
         11 . An article of footwear comprising:
 an upper; and   a sole assembly;   wherein the sole assembly includes a midsole comprising at least a first foaming cord made of a first material and a second foaming cord made of a second material, the first material being different than the second material;   wherein the first foaming cord and the second foaming cord are embroidered into a shape of the midsole; and   wherein the first foaming cord is embroidered in a different portion of the midsole than the second foaming cord.   
     
     
         12 . The article of footwear according to  claim 11 , wherein the midsole includes a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region;
 wherein the first foaming cord is embroidered in at least the forefoot region or the midfoot region to provide a first region of the midsole having a first level of compressibility; and   wherein the second foaming cord is embroidered in at least the heel region to provide a second region of the midsole having a second level of compressibility different than the first region.   
     
     
         13 . The article of footwear according to  claim 11 , wherein the midsole includes a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region;
 wherein the first foaming cord is embroidered in a front portion of the forefoot region of the midsole;   wherein the second foaming cord is embroidered in a portion of the forefoot region and/or a portion of the midfoot region of the midsole that is configured to lie underneath a ball of the foot of the wearer; and   wherein the first material forming the first foaming cord has a first density that is less than a second density of the second material forming the second foaming cord.   
     
     
         14 . The article of footwear according to  claim 13 , further comprising a third foaming cord embroidered to the midsole in the heel region; and
 wherein the third foaming cord is made of a third material.   
     
     
         15 . The article of footwear according to  claim 14 , wherein the third material is different than the first material and the second material; and
 wherein the third material has a third density that is different from the first density and the second density.   
     
     
         16 . The article of footwear according to  claim 11 , wherein the first material forming the first foaming cord has a first density; and
 wherein the second material forming the second foaming cord has a second density that is greater than the first density.   
     
     
         17 . The article of footwear according to  claim 11 , wherein the first foaming cord is disposed along an outer perimeter of the midsole, the outer perimeter defining the shape of the midsole; and
 wherein the second foaming cord is disposed within an interior of the outer perimeter of the midsole.   
     
     
         18 . A midsole for an article of footwear, wherein the midsole includes a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region, the midsole comprising:
 a first foaming cord, the first foaming cord made of a first material;   a second foaming cord, the second foaming cord made of a second material different from the first material;   wherein the first foaming cord and the second foaming cord are embroidered to a substrate material by thread;   wherein the first foaming cord is embroidered to the substrate material in at least the forefoot region or the midfoot region to provide a first region of the midsole having a first level of compressibility; and   wherein the second foaming cord is embroidered to the substrate material in at least the heel region to provide a second region of the midsole having a second level of compressibility different than the first region.   
     
     
         19 . The midsole for an article of footwear according to  claim 18 , wherein the first material forming the first foaming cord has a first density; and
 wherein the second material forming the second foaming cord has a second density that is greater than the first density.   
     
     
         20 . The midsole for an article of footwear according to  claim 18 ,
 wherein the first foaming cord repeatedly extends between a lateral side and a medial side of the substrate material in a generally continuous manner such that the first foaming cord repeatedly turns at the lateral side and the medial side and extends back in an opposite direction in the first region; and   wherein the second foaming cord repeatedly extends between the lateral side and the medial side of the substrate material in a generally continuous manner such that the second foaming cord repeatedly turns at the lateral side and the medial side and extends back in an opposite direction in the second region.