ARTICLE OF FOOTWEAR WITH MULTIPLE HARDNESSES AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE

• Main Authors: CHANG CHIUNG YAO LYNN, LUEDECKE TOM, SPANKS JEFFREY C, AVAR ERIC P
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; Korean
• Published: 02.03.2012
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; FOOTWEAR; HUMAN NECESSITIES; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCESIN A PLASTIC STATE; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; TRANSPORTING; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

A method of forming an article of footwear includes injecting a first material into a first cavity of a mold assembly to form a sole assembly, injecting a second material into a second cavity of the mold assembly, a first last being suspended within the second cavity, to form an upper of the article of footwear about the first last. The upper and the sole assembly are positioned in contact with one another. The upper and the sole assembly are cured and bonded together to form an article of footwear. The article of footwear is removed from the mold assembly and from the first last and allowed to expand to a first size. The article of footwear is placed on a second last having a second size that is smaller than the first size, and heated and cooled until it shrinks to the second size.