Footwear sole structure and upper with an embedded plate

Abstract

A sole structure includes an outsole defining an inner outsole surface and an outer outsole surface opposite the inner outer surface. The inner outsole surface is spaced apart from the outer outsole surface along a first direction. The sole structure further includes a midsole disposed on the outsole and a footwear plate is directly coupled to the midsole. The footwear plate includes a composite material and includes a first plate portion, a second plate portion is connected to the first plate portion, and a third plate portion is connected to the second plate portion. The second plate portion is connected between the first plate portion and the third plate portion. The second plate portion is obliquely angled relative to the first plate portion and the third plate portion so that the first plate portion is spaced apart from the third plate portion along the first direction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of manufacturing an article of footwear, comprising:
 inserting a footwear plate through an opening of a midsole to directly couple the footwear plate to the midsole, wherein the footwear plate includes a composite material, the footwear plate includes a first plate portion, a second plate portion is connected to the first plate portion, and a third plate portion is connected to the second plate portion, and the second plate portion is connected between the first plate portion and the third plate portion, and the second plate portion is obliquely angled relative to the first plate portion and the third plate portion so that the first plate portion is spaced apart from the third plate portion along a first direction;   attaching the midsole to the outsole, wherein the outsole is elongated along a longitudinal axis, the first direction is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, a sole structure includes the midsole and the outsole, the sole structure has a forefoot region, a heel region, and a midfoot region between the forefoot region and the heel region, and the opening of the midsole is disposed at the midfoot region; and   attaching an upper to the sole structure.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the opening of the midsole is a thru-hole extending along an entirety of a thickness of the midsole. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the opening of the midsole extends along a portion of a thickness of the midsole. 
     
     
         4 . A method of manufacturing a sole structure of an article of footwear, the method comprising:
 forming a footwear plate from a polymer composite material, the footwear plate having a first plate portion, a second plate portion connected to the first plate portion, and a third plate portion connected to the second plate portion, wherein the second plate portion is obliquely angled relative to the first plate portion and the third plate portion to space apart the first and third plate portions along a first direction, the footwear plate further including a first, ground-facing side, and a second, upper side that is opposite the first side;   inserting the footwear plate into an opening provided in a foamed polymeric midsole to directly couple the footwear plate to the midsole, wherein:
 the foamed polymeric midsole includes a heel region, a midfoot region, and a forefoot region arranged along a longitudinal axis, and the opening is provided in the midfoot region; 
 the longitudinal axis is perpendicular to the first direction when the footwear plate is coupled to the midsole; and 
 a first portion of the midsole is in contact with the ground-facing side of the first plate portion and a second portion of the midsole is in contact with the upper side of the third plate portion when the footwear plate is coupled to the midsole; and 
   attaching the midsole to an outsole.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the polymer composite material comprises a carbon fiber reinforced polymer. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein inserting the footwear plate comprises disposing a portion of the second plate portion to be spaced apart from the foamed polymeric midsole within the opening. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the opening extends entirely through the foamed polymeric midsole from an inner midsole surface to an outer midsole surface. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising wrapping an upper around the footwear plate prior to insertion into the opening of the foamed polymeric midsole. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein attaching the foamed polymeric midsole comprises securing the foamed polymeric midsole directly to the outsole using at least one of stitching, adhesive bonding, and thermal bonding. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein attaching the foamed polymeric midsole comprises disposing the foamed polymeric midsole entirely within an interior void of an upper such that the foamed polymeric midsole is not directly secured to the outsole. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein attaching the foamed polymeric midsole comprises securing only one discrete foamed polymeric midsole section to the outsole at one of the forefoot region, midfoot region, and heel region. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein attaching the foamed polymeric midsole comprises securing two discrete foamed polymeric midsole parts to the outsole with a gap therebetween at the midfoot region receiving the second plate portion. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising enhancing stability by angling the second plate portion to space apart the first plate portion and the third plate portion. 
     
     
         14 . A method of manufacturing a contoured midsole for an article of footwear, the method comprising:
 forming polymeric midsole body having an inner surface, an outer surface opposite the inner surface, a forefoot portion including a toe region, a midfoot portion including an arch region, a heel portion including a calcaneus region, the midsole body having a variable thickness between the forefoot, midfoot, and heel regions that collectively define a contoured profile along a midsole longitudinal axis extending through the forefoot portion, the midfoot portion and the heel portion; the midsole body further defining an opening extending through the midsole body along a midsole vertical axis defined perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the opening extending from the inner surface to the outer surface of the midsole body within the midfoot portion of the midsole body; and   inserting a composite plate member having multiple portions obliquely angled relative to one another through the opening of the midsole body to couple the plate member directly to the midsole body, the oblique angling of the plate member portions operative to space apart a first plate portion in the toe region and a third plate portion in the calcaneus region along the vertical axis.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein inserting the composite plate member orients a lower plate surface in the toe region to contact a first inwardly facing portion of the midsole body and orients an upper plate surface in the calcaneus region to contact a second inwardly facing portion of the midsole body. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein inserting the plate member comprises positioning the lower plate surface to directly contact the inner surface in the toe region and positioning the upper plate surface to directly contact the inner surface in the calcaneus region. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising positioning the first plate portion to be at least partially disposed inside a forefoot aperture of an outsole longitudinal passage extending adjacent the outsole. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising securing an upper to at least one of the inner surface and outer surface in the forefoot, midfoot, and heel regions of the contoured midsole body. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein securing the upper comprises wrapping the upper completely around the contoured midsole body and carbon fiber composite plate member. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising attaching the midsole body directly to an upper surface of an outsole elongated along the longitudinal axis.