Sole Structures Having Multiple Hardnesses and/or Flex Promoting Structures

Abstract

Footwear and sole structures include structures and properties, e.g., to support urban dance and urban dance moves. Such dance styles include various dance moves and movements that require contact between side edges of the wearer's shoes and the dance floor surface (e.g., made from concrete, asphalt, wood, etc.). Such dance styles also require transition of the body's center of mass along the edge(s) of the foot. Footwear and sole structures in accordance with this technology provide structures and properties to support to support such dance styles and moves, including one or more of: selected materials and/or selected material properties in various areas to promote sliding or gliding along various surfaces and/or other desired interactions with various surfaces; selected sizing and/or dimensional features of components in various areas; various flexion promoting structures and/or characteristics; etc.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sole structure for an article of footwear, comprising:
 an outsole component including: (a) a first material having a first hardness, wherein the first material forms a majority of a ground-contacting surface of the outsole component; and (b) a second material having a second hardness, wherein the second hardness is at least 15 Shore A hardness points higher than the first hardness, and wherein the second material extends from the first material and forms a portion of the ground-contacting surface of the outsole component; and   a first traction element pattern provided on the ground-contacting surface of the outsole component, the first traction element pattern including: (i) a first plurality of traction elements arranged in a first ring around a first center, (ii) a second plurality of traction elements arranged in a second ring around and adjacent the first ring, and (iii) a third plurality of traction elements arranged in a third ring around and adjacent the second ring.   
     
     
         2 . The sole structure according to  claim 1 , further comprising a second traction element pattern provided on the ground-contacting surface of the outsole component, the second traction element pattern including: (i) a fourth plurality of traction elements arranged in a fourth ring around a second center that is spaced from the first center, (ii) a fifth plurality of traction elements arranged in a fifth ring around and adjacent the fourth ring, and (iii) a sixth plurality of traction elements arranged in a sixth ring around and adjacent the fifth ring. 
     
     
         3 . The sole structure according to  claim 2 , wherein the first traction element pattern is provided in a forefoot supporting region of the ground-contacting surface and the second traction element pattern is provided in a heel supporting region of the ground-contacting surface. 
     
     
         4 . The sole structure according to  claim 2 , wherein the first center includes a first central traction element and the second center includes a second central traction element. 
     
     
         5 . The sole structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the first center includes a first central traction element. 
     
     
         6 . The sole structure according to  claim 2 , further comprising a midsole component located opposite the ground-contacting surface of the outsole component. 
     
     
         7 . The sole structure according to  claim 6 , wherein the outsole component includes an outsole sidewall extending from the ground-contacting surface, the outsole sidewall extending continuously from: (i) a forefoot lateral side location of the sole structure to (ii) a forefoot or midfoot medial side location of the sole structure around a forward toe region of the sole structure, wherein the outsole sidewall includes a medial sidewall top edge, and wherein the medial sidewall top edge includes a plurality of medial recesses extending toward the ground-contacting surface, and
 wherein the midsole component includes a lateral sidewall of the sole structure rearward of a lateral side end of the outsole sidewall located at the forefoot lateral side location of the sole structure, wherein the lateral sidewall includes a lateral sidewall top edge, and wherein the lateral sidewall top edge includes a plurality of lateral recesses extending toward the ground-contacting surface.   
     
     
         8 . The sole structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the second material extends upward from the ground-contacting surface and forms at least a first portion of an exterior surface of a sidewall of the sole structure. 
     
     
         9 . The sole structure according to  claim 8 , wherein the first portion of the exterior surface of the sidewall formed by the second material comprises a forefoot sidewall surface that includes at least a portion of a surface area of the exterior surface extending from: (i) a first forward toe location of the sole structure to (ii) a forefoot medial side location of the sole structure, and wherein a perimeter rim portion of the ground-contacting surface of the outsole component is formed by the second material at least at the forefoot medial side location of the sole structure. 
     
     
         10 . The sole structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the outsole component further includes a first slit defined completely through the outsole component and extending from an outermost lateral perimeter side edge of the outsole component to a first closed end located less than 25 mm from a medial sidewall of the sole structure. 
     
     
         11 . A sole structure for an article of footwear, comprising:
 a ground-facing surface;   a forefoot medial sidewall extending from a first forward toe location of the sole structure to a forefoot medial side location of the sole structure rearward of a first metatarsal head support region of the sole structure;   a medial transition region extending from the ground-facing surface to the forefoot medial sidewall, wherein the medial transition region includes a first portion having a first curvature;   a forefoot lateral sidewall extending from a second forward toe location to a forefoot lateral side location of the sole structure rearward of a fifth metatarsal head support region of the sole structure; and   a lateral transition region extending from the ground-facing surface to the forefoot lateral sidewall, wherein the lateral transition region includes a corner or a second curvature.   
     
     
         12 . The sole structure of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a forward toe sidewall extending from the first forward toe location to the second forward toe location and from the forefoot medial sidewall to the forefoot lateral sidewall; and   a forward toe transition region extending from the ground-facing surface to the forward toe sidewall, wherein curvature of the forward toe transition region increases in a direction around the forward toe location from the lateral transition region to the medial transition region.   
     
     
         13 . The sole structure of  claim 11 , wherein, with the sole structure supported on the ground-facing surface in an unloaded condition, the forefoot lateral sidewall includes:
 a rear top edge,   a rear side edge extending downward from the rear top edge,   a forward top edge,   a forward side edge extending downward from the forward top edge, and   an intermediate top edge extending from the rear side edge to the forward side edge and for a longitudinal distance of at least 25 mm,   wherein the intermediate top edge is spaced vertically downward with respect to the rear top edge and the forward top edge by a distance of at least 10 mm.   
     
     
         14 . The sole structure of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 an upper-facing surface located opposite the ground-facing surface; and   a midsole engaged with the upper-facing surface and extending from the forefoot medial sidewall to the forefoot lateral sidewall, wherein an exterior surface of a sidewall of the midsole is exposed at an exterior surface of the sole structure extending above the intermediate top edge and from the rear side edge to the forward side edge.   
     
     
         15 . The sole structure of  claim 14 , wherein the sidewall of the midsole defines a first cutout extending from a top edge of the midsole. 
     
     
         16 . The sole structure of  claim 14 , wherein the sidewall of the midsole defines a plurality of cutouts extending from a top edge of the midsole. 
     
     
         17 . The sole structure of  claim 11 , wherein a first sole component of the sole structure includes a rearmost end located in a forefoot support region or a midfoot support region of the sole structure. 
     
     
         18 . The sole structure of  claim 17 , wherein a slit is defined completely through the first sole component forward of the rearmost end and extending for at least 50 mm from a lateral perimeter side edge of the first sole component toward but not completely to the forefoot medial sidewall. 
     
     
         19 . The sole structure of  claim 18 , wherein the first sole component further includes an upper-facing surface, wherein the sole structure further comprises: a midsole having a ground-facing surface engaged with the upper-facing surface of the first sole component. 
     
     
         20 . The sole structure of  claim 19 , wherein the ground-facing surface of the midsole includes a first flexion groove defined therein and vertically aligned with the slit. 
     
     
         21 . The sole structure of  claim 20 , further comprising: a second sole component located rearward and spaced from the first sole component by a first gap. 
     
     
         22 . The sole structure of  claim 21 , further comprising: a third sole component located rearward and spaced from the second sole component by a second gap. 
     
     
         23 . The sole structure of  claim 22 , wherein each of the first sole component, the second sole component, and the third sole component defines an upper-facing surface, wherein the sole structure further comprises:
 a midsole having a ground-facing surface engaged with the upper-facing surface of each of the first sole component, the second sole component, and the third sole component.   
     
     
         24 . The sole structure of  claim 23 , wherein the ground-facing surface of the midsole includes: (a) a first flexion groove defined therein and vertically aligned with the slit, (b) a second flexion groove defined therein and vertically aligned with the first gap, and (c) a third flexion groove defined therein and vertically aligned with the second gap. 
     
     
         25 . The sole structure of  claim 21 , wherein each of the first sole component and the second sole component defines an upper-facing surface, wherein the sole structure further comprises:
 a midsole having a ground-facing surface engaged with the upper-facing surface of each of the first sole component and the second sole component.   
     
     
         26 . The sole structure of  claim 25 , wherein the ground-facing surface of the midsole includes: (a) a first flexion groove defined therein and vertically aligned with the slit, and (b) a second flexion groove defined therein and vertically aligned with the first gap. 
     
     
         27 . The sole structure of  claim 11 , wherein a first sole component of the sole structure includes a rearmost end located in a forefoot support region or a midfoot support region of the sole structure, wherein a first slit is defined completely through the first sole component forward of the rearmost end and extending for at least 50 mm from a lateral perimeter side edge of the first sole component toward but not completely to the forefoot medial sidewall, and wherein a second slit is defined completely through the first sole component forward of the first slit and extending for at least 50 mm from the lateral perimeter side edge of the first sole component toward but not completely to the forefoot medial sidewall. 
     
     
         28 . The sole structure of  claim 27 , wherein the first sole component further includes an upper-facing surface, wherein the sole structure further comprises: a midsole having a ground-facing surface engaged with the upper-facing surface of the first sole component. 
     
     
         29 . The sole structure of  claim 28 , wherein the ground-facing surface of the midsole includes a first flexion groove defined therein and vertically aligned with the first slit and a second flexion groove defined therein and aligned with the second slit. 
     
     
         30 . The sole structure of  claim 11 , wherein the sole structure includes a lateral sidewall extending from a heel region to a midfoot region of the sole structure, wherein a first inwardly extending slit is defined in the lateral sidewall, wherein the first inwardly extending slit extends continuously from the heel region to the midfoot region. 
     
     
         31 . The sole structure of  claim 30 , wherein a second inwardly extending slit is defined in the lateral sidewall, wherein the first inwardly extending slit extends continuously from the heel region to the midfoot region and is spaced below the first inwardly extending slit. 
     
     
         32 . The sole structure of  claim 11 , wherein a first inwardly extending slit is defined in the forefoot lateral sidewall. 
     
     
         33 . The sole structure of  claim 11 , further comprising an upper engaged with the sole structure.