Patent ID: 10085513

Abstract:
The disclosure relates to articles of footwear and components thereof, including outsoles, which can be used in conditions normally conducive to the accumulation of soil on the outsoles. In particular, the disclosure relates to articles of footwear and components thereof including an outsole with an external hydrogel film that compositionally includes a crosslinked polymeric network having a plurality of copolymer chains with one or more hard segments physically crosslinked to other hard segments of the copolymer chains, and one or more hydrophilic soft segments covalently bonded to the hard segments. The outsoles can prevent or reduce the accumulation of soil on the footwear during wear on unpaved surfaces such as sporting fields. When the outsoles are wetted with water, the outsoles can become more compliant and/or can rapidly uptake and/or expel water, which can prevent soil from adhering to the outsole and/or can assist in shedding soil present on the outsole.