Footwear with transformable sole system

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for transforming footwear. A footwear system includes one or more portions configured in a first profile. The footwear system includes one or more sensors configured to generate a value based on a surface in contact with at least one of the one or more portions. The footwear system includes an actuator configured to change, responsive to determining that the value satisfies a profile configuration condition, a configuration of the one or more portions from the first profile to a second profile in accordance with the surface.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A footwear system comprising:
 one or more portions including an outsole configured in a first profile, the one or more portions comprising an electroactive polymer; and   an electrical actuator configured to apply a varying electrical current to the electroactive polymer of the one or more portions to transform the electroactive polymer to change a configuration of the one or more portions from the first profile to a second profile,   wherein the one or more portions configured in the first profile includes one or more protrusions extending from the outsole at a first length, and wherein the one or more portions configured in the second profile includes the one or more protrusions extending from the outsole at a second length.   
     
     
         2 . The footwear system of  claim 1 , wherein the electrical actuator is configured to apply a second varying electrical current to the electroactive polymer of the one or more portions to transform the electroactive polymer to change the configuration of the one or more portions from the second profile to a third profile. 
     
     
         3 . The footwear system of  claim 1 , wherein the electrical actuator is coupled with a memory and configured to identify the second profile from a plurality of profiles stored in the memory. 
     
     
         4 . The footwear system of  claim 1 , wherein the electrical actuator is configured to cause expansion of at least one portion of the one or more portions in at least one of a longitudinal or lateral direction to change the configuration of the one or more portions from the first profile to the second profile. 
     
     
         5 . The footwear system of  claim 1 , wherein to change the configuration of the one or more portions from the first profile to the second profile, the electrical actuator is configured to apply the varying electrical current to alter a state of the electroactive polymer of the one or more portions to cause the first profile to change to the second profile. 
     
     
         6 . The footwear system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more portions configured in the first profile includes a sole configured in a first sole pattern and wherein the one or more portions configured in the second profile includes the sole configured in a second sole pattern. 
     
     
         7 . The footwear system of  claim 6 , wherein the first sole pattern comprises at least one of a first number of protrusions, a first shape of protrusions, a first dimension of protrusions, a first rigidity of protrusions, or a first set of locations of protrusions, and wherein the second sole pattern comprises at least one of a second number of protrusions, a second shape of protrusions, a second dimension of protrusions, a second rigidity of protrusions, or a second set of locations of protrusions. 
     
     
         8 . The footwear system of  claim 1 , comprising a user record configured to store information related to the one or more protrusions in accordance with a schedule.