Patent Description:
In shoe production there are a number of ways to manufacture a pair of shoes, where the manufacturing method, the choice of material, the form of the upper, the form and material of the midsole, and the form and shape of the outsole have a huge impact in how the shoe performs. There are a number of different types of shoes, such as hiking boots, sport shoes, golf shoes, running shoes, where the shoes have different qualities such as the stiffness of the upper, the stiffness of the outsole or midsole, where the qualities of the shoe are controlled by different factors.

One of the important factors for producing a specific type of shoe, that acts in a certain way is the design, shape and hardness of the sole of the shoe. This has traditionally been done by introducing items such as shanks or embedded reinforcement elements to improve the stiffness of the material in a certain area, while maintaining a certain flexibility in other areas or to apply reinforcements to the outer surfaces of the sole in order to change the characteristics of the sole.

In direct injection moulding techniques for shoes, the sole, such as a midsole, and/or the outsole of the shoe is/are injected directly onto the upper of the shoe, where a last holds the upper, and a mould having the shape of the sole is introduced onto the upper and a thermoplastic material is injected directly onto the upper, fixing the midsole and/or the outsole to the upper. This means that the outsole is injected directly onto the upper, and there is no need for adhering or otherwise fixing the midsole/outsole to the upper.

In direct injection moulding techniques, changing the characteristics of the sole and/or the outsole, or providing a more complex sole and/or outsole, where certain areas may be rigid, while other areas are flexible, may require a number of different steps of injection moulding, using a number of different moulds to obtain the required properties. This is both costly and time consuming for manufacturing purposes.

<CIT> relates to a method of forming an article of footwear, wherein a midsole core is direct attached to a footwear upper and wherein a shell is formed to the midsole core and a portion of the footwear upper concurrently.

Thus, there is a need for a structure and manufacturing techniques of a shoe, which mitigate, alleviate or address the existing shortcomings and allow certain properties of the shoe to be obtained through simpler means.

Since the primary sole part has to be durable in order to withstand the friction between the ground facing surface of the primary sole part and the ground, the primary sole part is often made of a material having a higher density than e.g. a midsole of a shoe, where the increased density may contribute to an improved durability, as is an example where the primary sole part is made out of a natural rubber or TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane), while the midsole is made of a PU (Polyurethane). By providing through-going holes in the primary sole part, the weight of the assembled article of footwear may be reduced with improves user comfort. This has however been traditionally done with cemented shoes, i.e. where a primary part is adhered to a midsole, while this has not been viable with direct injection moulded articles of footwear, as the injected material will enter the openings, where there is no sole material to prevent this. This has however been solved by providing a mould part, having mating protrusion that prevent the sole material to enter the openings from a foot facing surface. Furthermore, the provision of through-going holes in the primary sole part increases flexibility of the primary sole part. Thereby the primary sole part may adapt to the shape of the foot of a user of the article of footwear during use, which further increases the comfort of the user of the article of footwear.

By providing the primary mould part with a plurality of protrusions being configured to mate with the through-going holes of the primary sole part, the primary sole part may be moulded to an article of footwear using an injection moulding process. During the injection moulding process injected material fills out all cavities inside a footwear moulding assembly and would also fill out the plurality of through-going holes of the primary sole part. By mating the plurality of protrusions with the plurality of through-holes, the through-holes may be closed which prevents the injected material to enter the through-going holes. Thereby, the characteristics of the primary sole part, such as being lightweight and flexible, may be maintained throughout the injection moulding process. Thereby, an article of footwear comprising the primary sole part can be manufactured in a single moulding step, which is cost and time efficient.

Since the primary sole part has to be durable in order to withstand the friction between the ground facing surface of the primary sole part and the ground, the primary sole part is typically relatively heavy. By providing a plurality of through-going holes in the primary sole part the weight of the primary sole part and the assembled article of footwear comprising the primary sole part may be reduced which improves the comfort for a user of the article of footwear.

The following is an explanation of exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawings, in which.

They are not intended as an exhaustive description of the disclosure or as a limitation on the scope of the disclosure.

A primary sole part is disclosed. The primary sole part has a foot facing surface and ground facing surface. The primary sole part comprises a plurality of through-going holes. The plurality of through-going holes extend in a vertical direction from the foot facing surface to the ground facing surface. The foot facing surface of the primary sole part is configured to receive an injected sole material for attaching the primary sole part to a ground facing surface of an upper of an article of footwear, such as a shoe.

The plurality of through-going holes of the primary sole part reduces the weight of the primary sole part by removing solid material from the primary sole part. Thereby the weight of the primary sole part may be reduced compared to a solid primary sole part typically used for cemented sole assemblies. The through going holes of the primary sole part further reduces rigidity of the primary sole part which provides a flexible primary sole which follows the shape of the foot of a user during use of the article of footwear. By making the primary sole part more flexible, the primary sole part follows the natural foot motion of the user which increase the comfort for a user wearing the article of footwear. Fitness walkers e.g. often desire a flexible, lightweight, and flat shoe as they strike with the heel and roll through each step. By increasing the flexibility, the primary sole part follows the natural foot motion and improves the comfort for the user of the shoe.

The plurality of through-going holes may be arranged in parallel rows extending in a longitudinal direction of the primary sole part. The parallel rows of through-going holes may be offset in relation to each other in a longitudinal direction of the primary sole part. Each through-going hole in a first row of the parallel rows may be offset by half a longitudinal length of the through-going hole in relation to a through-going hole in a neighbouring second row of the parallel rows. In some example embodiments, each through going hole may be offset by half the distance between respective centre points of two through-going holes arranged in the same row in relation to a through-going hole in a neighbouring second row of the parallel rows. By offsetting the rows of through-going holes from each other, the rows of through-going holes may be moved closer together while keeping a minimum of solid material between the holes to ensure structural rigidity of the primary sole part. Moving the rows of through-going holes closer to each other means that a higher number of through-going holes can be fitted onto a predetermined area, thereby further reducing the weight of the primary sole part. The solid sections of the primary sole part also provide the surface to which a second sole part, such as an injected material may bond to the primary sole part.

The plurality of through-going holes of the primary sole part may be tapered towards a foot facing surface of the primary sole part. The through-going holes being tapered towards the foot facing surface of the primary sole part facilitates a mounting and a releasing of the primary sole part to/from the primary mould part.

Depending on the desired characteristics of the primary sole part and/or an article of footwear comprising the primary sole part, the through-going holes may be distributed over different areas of the primary sole part. In one or more example embodiments, the plurality of through going holes may be distributed over a heel area of the primary sole part. Thereby, the flexibility of the primary sole part in the heel area may be increased. In one or more example embodiments, the plurality of through going holes may be distributed over a forefoot area of the primary sole part. Thereby, the flexibility of the primary sole part in the forefoot area may be increased. In one or more example embodiments, the plurality of through going holes may be distributed over a midfoot area of the primary sole part. Thereby, the flexibility of the primary sole part in the midfoot area may be increased.

The plurality of through-going holes may however also be distributed over one or more of the areas mentioned above. In one or more exemplary embodiments the plurality of through-going holes may be distributed over the heel area, the midfoot area and the forefoot area of the primary sole part. The plurality of through-going holes may thus be distributed, e.g. evenly distributed, from a heel end of the primary sole part to a toe end of the primary sole part.

The plurality of through-going holes may be arranged at a predetermined distance from each other. The plurality of through-going holes may be evenly distributed over the primary sole part, so as to create a grid of openings in the primary sole part. Evenly distributed herein means that the plurality of through-going holes may be separated by a first predetermined distance in a longitudinal direction of the primary sole part and/or separated by a second predetermined distance in a lateral direction of the primary sole part. The plurality of through going holes being separated by a first predetermined distance in the longitudinal direction means that the distance between any two adjacent through-going holes in the same row is the predetermined first distance. The plurality of through going holes being separated by a first predetermined distance in the lateral direction means that the distance between any two adjacent through-going holes in adjacent rows is the predetermined second distance. The distance may e.g. be determined from centre point of a first through-going hole to a center point of a second through-going hole. The first and second predetermined distances may be equal for any adjacent holes. The first and second predetermined distances may be selected such that the through-going holes are separated by at least <NUM> of solid material in order to ensure structural rigidity of the primary sole part. The primary sole part may have a thickness in the range of <NUM> to <NUM>. Reducing the thickness of the primary sole part may reduce the weight of the primary sole part and may further increase the flexibility of the primary sole part. However, reducing the thickness of the primary sole part also reduces the structural integrity of the primary sole part. The thickness of the primary sole part may thus be selected within the range to satisfy different requirements on weight, flexibility and structural rigidity depending on type of article of footwear.

The plurality of through-going holes may be oblong and may be arranged on the primary sole part so that the longitudinal direction of the through-going holes extend in a longitudinal direction of the primary sole part.

In one or more example embodiments, the plurality of through-going holes may be oval. The through-going holes being oval herein means that the circumference of the through-going holes is oval, when seen in a direction perpendicular to the foot facing surface and/or the ground facing surface of the primary sole part. The holes having an oval shape means that the holes do not have any sharp edges which removes stress concentrations around the through-going holes, thereby reducing the risk of cracks occurring in the primary sole part around the through-going holes. Thereby, the risk of failure of the primary sole part can be reduced. The oval shape of the through-going holes also allows the rows of through-going holes to be positioned closer to each other when the rows are offset to each other. Due to the oval shape, the amount of solid material between two through-going holes of adjacent rows increases, in comparison to e.g. a rectangular shape of the through-going holes. The edges of the rectangular shape would cause the through-going holes in two adjacent rows to be closer to each other compared to the oval shape. In order to ensure that enough solid material of the primary sole part is available between the through-going holes, the rows would have to be positioned further way from each other if rectangular holes were uses instead of oval holes. Hence, the oval shape of the through-going holes allows the rows of through-going holes to be moved closer to each other which in turns allows a higher number of through-going holes to be fitted to the primary sole part in a predetermined area. Hence, the oval shape of the through-going holes allows the weight of the primary sole to be reduced further while maintaining a required structural stability of the primary sole part.

A radius of the through-going holes may be in the range of <NUM> to <NUM>. When the through-going holes are oval the through-holes may feature two diameters, a first diameter that runs through the shortest part of the oval, which may be referred to as the semi-minor axis, and a second diameter that runs through the longest part of the oval, which may be referred to as the semi-major axis. In this case, the first and the second radius are different, but may both be in the range of <NUM> to <NUM>.

The primary sole part may have an area of through-going holes versus an area of solids in the range of <NUM>:<NUM> to <NUM>:<NUM>. Solids herein refers to a solid material of the primary sole part.

The primay sole part is an outsole, such as an outsole for an article of footwear. Wherein the ground facing surface of the primary sole part is the lowest part of the article of footwear and will thus be the ground contacting surface during use of the article of footwear.

The primary sole part is an outsole and may be provided in a material that is durable, and capable of withstanding contact with the ground. The primary sole part may comprise a thermoplastic polymer, such as thermoplastic rubber (TPR), Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), or polyurethane (PU), or a combination thereof.

In accordance with the present disclosure, there is further provided an article of footwear, the article of footwear comprising the primary sole part as disclosed herein.

The article of footwear may further comprise a secondary sole part having a second foot facing surface and a second ground facing surface, and an upper having a third ground facing surface. The secondary sole part may be arranged between the upper and the primary sole part. The secondary sole part may comprise an injected material. The sole assembly of the article of footwear may in some embodiments comprise one or more additional sole parts, such as e.g. a tertiary sole part.

The secondary sole part may be seen as a part of an article of footwear where the secondary sole part bonds the primary sole part to the ground facing surface of the upper. The primary sole part may have a first hardness and the secondary sole part may have a second hardness, where the first hardness may be greater than the second hardness. The first hardness of the first sole material may be utilized to improve traction by providing traction elements on the ground facing surface of the primary sole part, to improve durability by providing the primary sole in a material that is capable of tolerating friction between the ground surface and the ground facing surface of the primary sole part. The secondary sole part may be provided in a material that has a second hardness that is lower than the first hardness, where the secondary sole part may be positioned between the foot of the wearer, when used, and the primary sole part and the ground. Thus, the softer material may improve the comfort of the article of footwear by providing a dampening layer that can absorb shocks that occur during gait.

In some exemplary embodiments, the secondary sole part extends from the first ground facing surface of the upper to the first foot facing surface of the primary sole part, and/or where the secondary sole part defines a second foot facing surface that is attached to the first ground facing surface of the upper and a third ground facing surface that is attached to the first foot facing surface of the primary sole part. The secondary sole part may be adapted to attach the primary sole part to the upper, where the secondary sole part extends in a vertical direction between the ground facing part of the upper towards the first foot facing surface of the primary sole part. Thus, the secondary sole part may bond to the first foot facing surface and the first ground facing surface. The secondary sole part may extend from a medial side primary sole part to a lateral side of the primary sole part, so that the primary sole part is attached to the upper from a medial side and continuously towards a lateral side.

The secondary sole part may be arranged to extend the entire length of a sole assembly and/or the article of footwear from the toe end to the heel end. The sole assembly may comprise the primary sole part and the secondary sole part. The secondary sole part may extend uninterrupted, so that the secondary sole part may provide dampening and/or shock absorption along the entire length of the sole assembly, from the heel end towards the toe end. Optionally, the secondary sole part may extend the entire width of the sole assembly, from the toe end towards the sole end creating a dampening element between the first sole part and the second sole part along the entire width and length of the sole assembly.

The sole of the article of footwear is a layered construction, where the primary sole part is an outsole for an article of footwear, where the primary sole part defines the part of the footwear that comes into contact with the ground during normal use.

The sole assembly of the article of footwear is a layered construction where the secondary sole part is a midsole for the article of footwear. The midsole may be primarily for shock absorption and/or to provide the article of footwear with a layer that may dampen the contact between the foot of the wearer and the ground.

By making the primary sole part out of a durable and sturdy material, a structural stiffness of a sole assembly comprising the primary sole part and the secondary sole part can be ensured, while the injected material may be softer than the material of the primary sole part, thus the comfort of the article of footwear may be improved by providing a dampening layer that can absorb shocks that occur during gait.

The article of footwear may be manufactured using direct injection moulding equipment, where the upper and the primary sole part may be positioned in a moulding assembly. The moulding assembly may comprise a side part, wherein the side part may form a peripheral part of the moulding assembly. The upper and the primary sole part may be positioned at a distance from each other in the moulding assembly, such that a main volume is created between the upper, the primary sole part and the side part of the moulding assembly. Thus, the injected material may expand and cure inside the moulding assembly, so that the upper and/or the primary sole part are maintained in their position during the expansion of the injected material, so that when the injected material cures, the injected material bonds the primary sole part to the upper. When the injected material has expanded and cured the injected material may form the secondary sole part.

The use of direct injection moulding for forming the secondary sole part means that the secondary sole part will adapt to the form of the primary sole part and the ground facing surface of the upper. This means that the injected material will fill out all open volumes. In other words, the injected material will penetrate and expand into all parts of each of the open volumes. In order to ensure that the injected material does not penetrate and expand into the plurality of through-going holes in the primary sole part, the present disclosure further discloses a footwear sole moulding assembly for moulding a footwear comprising the primary sole part as disclosed herein.

The footwear sole moulding assembly comprises a primary mould part being configured to receive the primary sole part as disclosed herein. The primary mould part comprises a plurality of protrusions configured to mate with the plurality of through-going holes of the primary sole part. The primary mould part may correspond in size and shape to the outer shape of the ground facing surface of the primary sole part.

The plurality of protrusions may correspond, such as in shape and position, to the plurality of through-going holes of the primary sole part. An outer circumference of each of the plurality of protrusions of the primary mould part may be equal to or larger than an inner circumference of a corresponding through-going hole in the primary sole part, so that injected material is prevented from entering into or pass through the through-going holes during injection moulding. The plurality of protrusion having an outer circumference equal to or larger to the inner circumference of a corresponding through-going hole in the primary sole part, means that the plurality of protrusion will fit tightly or snugly into the plurality of through-going holes, thereby closing off the through-going holes during the moulding process so that the injected material cannot enter the through-going holes. The moulding process may e.g. be an injection moulding process.

The plurality of protrusions may have an oblong shape having a length, such as a longest extension, in a longitudinal direction of the primary sole part.

Each of the plurality of protrusions of the primary mould part have a height equal to or higher than a height of the primary sole part at a corresponding through-going hole of the primary sole part. When the protrusions have the height equal to the height of the primary sole part at the corresponding through-hole, an even surface is created for receiving injected material when the primary sole part is arranged on the primary mould part. The even surface may improve a flow of the injected material within the moulding assembly which reduces the likelihood of air pockets forming in the injected material, which may cause stress concentration in the injected material. Thereby the risk of damages to the secondary sole part during use of the article of footwear may be reduced. Furthermore, by providing an even surface for receiving the injected material, seams along the foot facing surface of the primary sole part and the injected material, which may e.g. be a midsole may be reduced or completely eliminated. Thereby a seamless construction of the sole assembly may be provided, which eliminates uneven points on the sole, which may cause rubbing that may be uncomfortable for the user or may even lead to blisters on the foot of the user. Thereby, the comfort of the user of the article of footwear may be further increased.

In one or more exemplary footwear sole moulding assemblies, the plurality of protrusions may have a first height higher than the height of the primary sole part, such that the protrusions protrude above the foot facing surface of the primary sole part. Thereby, an indentation may be provided in the injected material, such as in the secondary sole part, which increases the distance from the injected material to the ground when the article of footwear is being used. This may reduce the risk of the injected material being penetrated by external objects, such as sticks or stones, laying on the ground. Objects penetrating the injected material may lead to moisture entering the secondary sole part which may lead to premature failure of the secondary sole part and thereby to a potential failure of the article of footwear.

In one or more exemplary footwear sole moulding assemblies, the plurality of protrusions may extend in a vertical direction perpendicular to a main surface of the primary mould part, such that, when the primary sole part is arranged on the primary mould part, the plurality of protrusion extend from the ground facing surface of the primary sole part to the foot facing surface of the primary sole part. In one or more exemplary footwear sole moulding assemblies, the plurality of protrusions of the primary mould part may be tapered, so that the plurality of protrusions are wider towards the main surface of the primary mould part and become thinner towards the top of the protrusions towards a foot facing surface of the primary sole part. The tapered shape of the plurality of protrusions may correspond to the tapered shape of the plurality of through-going holes of the primary sole part. By making the through-going holes and the protrusions tapered, a release of the primary sole part from the primary mould part after moulding is facilitated. In other words, the tapered shape of the through-going holes and the protrusions enables easy release of the primary sole part from the primary mould part after moulding.

The footwear sole moulding assembly may be configured to receive an injected material, wherein the injected material defining a secondary sole part of the footwear. The footwear moulding assembly may be configured to receive the injected material by means of a direct injection process. In order to be able to receive and contain the injected material, the footwear sole moulding assembly may comprise a first and/or a second side frame defining at least a part of a side of the moulding assembly.

Further, a method for moulding a footwear is disclosed. The method comprises mounting the primary sole part as disclosed herein to a footwear sole moulding assembly as disclosed herein, so that the plurality of protrusions of the primary mould part mate with the plurality of through-going holes of the primary sole part and protrude through the plurality of through-going holes The method further comprises injecting a material into the footwear moulding assembly, such that the injected material adheres to the foot facing surface of the primary sole part and defines a secondary sole part of the footwear.

In one or more exemplary methods, the method comprises injecting a material onto the footwear sole moulding assembly, the injected material defining a secondary sole part of the footwear, the secondary sole part being configured to be positioned between the primary sole part and an upper of the footwear.

The article of footwear is manufactured by premanufacturing the upper and the primary sole part. The upper is positioned in the footwear sole moulding assembly relative to the primary sole part, so that a volume, which may also be referred to as a mould cavity, is created between the foot facing surface of the primary sole part and the upper. The volume may further be enclosed by one or more side parts of the mould assembly, wherein the side part may form a peripheral part of the mould. The construction of the article of footwear is finalized by injecting the injected material into the volume created between the upper and the primary sole part, and fills up the volume, thereby creating the secondary sole part. The secondary sole part may comprise a thermoplastic polymer, such as thermoplastic rubber (TPR), Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), or polyurethane (PU), or a combination thereof. In some example embodiments, the secondary sole material may be a polyurethane foam, which expands into the mould cavity.

The primary sole part and a top surface of the plurality of protrusions of the primary mould part define a first mould surface, such as a bottom mould surface of the mould cavity for the secondary sole part. Thus, the injected material and/or the secondary sole part may adhere to the foot facing surface of the primary sole part.

The method for moulding a footwear may further comprise, after the injected material has cured, removing the article of footwear from the footwear sole moulding assembly such that the primary sole part is released from the primary mould part. Thereby, the plurality of through-going holes are released from the plurality of protrusions of the primary mould part.

Exemplary embodiments of the primary sole part, the footwear moulding assembly and the article of footwear will be described in further detail with reference to the figures. The figures are schematic and simplified for clarity, and they merely show details which aid understanding the disclosure, while other details have been left out.

<FIG> shows a top down view of the primary sole part <NUM>, seen in a direction of the foot facing surface <NUM>, according to one or more example embodiments herein. The primary sole part <NUM> comprises a toe end <NUM> and a heel end <NUM>, which is adapted to surround the periphery of the primary sole part <NUM>. The foot facing surface <NUM> is configured to face an upper (not shown in <FIG>). The primary sole part <NUM> comprises a plurality of through-going holes <NUM>. The plurality of open through-going holes <NUM> extend in a vertical direction from the foot facing surface <NUM> to the ground facing surface (not shown in <FIG>) of the primary sole part <NUM>. The foot facing surface of the primary sole part is configured to receive an injected sole material for attaching the primary sole part to a ground facing surface of an upper of an article of footwear.

The plurality of through-going holes <NUM> may be arranged in parallel rows extending in a longitudinal direction of the primary sole part <NUM> (as indicated by the dotted lines in <FIG> extending from the heel end to the toe end). The parallel rows of through-going holes <NUM> may be offset in relation to each other in a longitudinal direction of the primary sole part. The parallel rows of through-going holes <NUM> may e.g. be offset in relation to each other by a distance L<NUM> in a longitudinal direction of the primary sole part. The longitudinal direction extends along the axis Z. The distance of L<NUM> may depend on implementation. In some example embodiments, the distance L<NUM> may be half the distance L<NUM> between the centre points of two through-going holes <NUM> arranged in the same row. In some example embodiments the distance L<NUM> may be half a longitudinal length of the through-going hole <NUM>, such as e.g. the radius along the semi-major axis of an oval through-going hole, in relation to a through-going hole in a neighbouring second row of the parallel rows. By offsetting the rows of through-going holes <NUM> from each other, the rows of through-going holes <NUM> may be moved closer together while keeping a minimum of solid material between the holes to ensure structural rigidity of the primary sole part. Moving the rows of through-going holes closer to each other means that a higher number of through-going holes can be fitted onto a predetermined area, thereby further reducing the weight of the primary sole part.

The foot facing surface <NUM> of the primary sole part is configured to be joined to the upper by receiving an injected material, such that the injected material extends between the upper, such as between a ground facing surface of the upper, and the foot facing surface <NUM> of the primary sole part <NUM>. The primary sole part <NUM> may further comprise a solid section 10A surrounding the plurality of through-going holes <NUM> and/ or the area in which the plurality of through-going holes <NUM> is arranged. The solid section 10A provides rigidity to the primary sole part <NUM> and also provides a contacting and bonding surface for the injected material of the secondary sole part.

In the example embodiment shown in <FIG> the plurality of through-going holes <NUM> are oval. The through-going holes <NUM> being oval herein means that the circumference of the through-going holes <NUM> is oval, when seen in a direction perpendicular to the foot facing surface <NUM> and/or the ground facing surface of the primary sole part. The oval shape of the through-going holes <NUM> allows the rows of through-going holes <NUM> to be positioned closer to each other when the rows are offset to each other. Due to the oval shape, the amount of solid material between two through-going holes <NUM> of adjacent rows increases, in comparison to e.g. a rectangular shape of the through-going holes <NUM>. Hence, the oval shape of the through-going holes <NUM> allows the rows of through-going holes <NUM> to be moved closer to each other which in turns allows a higher number of through-going holes to be fitted to the primary sole part <NUM> in a predetermined area. The oval shape of the through-going holes <NUM> allows the weight of the primary sole <NUM> to be reduced further while maintaining a required structural stability of the primary sole part. Furthermore, the oval shape of the through-going holes reduces the risk of cracks forming around the circumference of the through-going holes <NUM> since the circumference does not comprise any sharp edges or corners, which otherwise may lead to premature failure of the article of footwear.

Depending on the desired characteristics of the primary sole part <NUM> and/or an article of footwear comprising the primary sole part <NUM>, the through-going holes <NUM> may be arranged in different areas of the primary sole part. <FIG> shows different arrangements of through-going holes on the primary sole part. <FIG> shows an example embodiment of the primary sole part <NUM>, wherein the plurality of through going holes <NUM> are distributed over a forefoot area <NUM> of the foot facing surface <NUM> in a plurality of parallel rows extending in a lateral direction of the primary sole part <NUM>. Thereby, the flexibility of the primary sole part <NUM> in the forefoot area <NUM> may be increased. <FIG> shows an example embodiment of the primary sole part <NUM>, wherein the plurality of through going holes <NUM> are distributed over a midfoot area <NUM> of the primary sole part <NUM>. Thereby, the flexibility of the primary sole part <NUM> in the midfoot area <NUM> may be increased. <FIG> shows an example embodiment of the primary sole part <NUM>, wherein the plurality of through going holes <NUM> are distributed over a heel area <NUM> of the primary sole part <NUM>. Thereby, the flexibility of the primary sole <NUM> part in the heel area <NUM> may be increased.

<FIG> shows the primary mould part <NUM>. The primary mould part <NUM> is configured to receive the primary sole part <NUM>. The primary mould part <NUM> comprises a plurality of protrusions <NUM> being configured to mate with the plurality of through-going holes <NUM> of the primary sole part <NUM>. In order to receive the primary sole part <NUM>, the primary mould part <NUM> is shaped as the ground facing surface of the primary sole part and thus mirrors the shape of the ground facing surface of the primary sole part <NUM>. The plurality of protrusions <NUM> may correspond, such as in shape and position, to the plurality of through-going holes <NUM> of the primary sole part <NUM>. The plurality of protrusions may thus also have an oblong shape, such as an oval shape as show in <FIG>. The plurality of protrusions <NUM> may thus also be arranged in parallel rows extending in a longitudinal direction of the primary mould part, in correspondence with the arrangement of the through-going holes <NUM> of the primary sole part. The parallel rows of protrusions <NUM> may be offset in relation to each other in a longitudinal direction of the primary mould part in a similar way as the rows of through-going holes <NUM> of the primary sole part. <FIG> shows the primary mould part in an embodiment where the through-going holes <NUM> of the primary mould part <NUM> are distributed from a toe end to a heel end of the primary sole part <NUM>. In case the plurality of through-going holes <NUM> are only distributed over certain areas of the primary sole part <NUM>, such as over the heel area, the forefoot area and/or the midfoot area, the plurality of protrusions of the primary mould part <NUM> may be arranged accordingly.

An outer circumference of each of the plurality of protrusions <NUM> of the primary mould part <NUM> may be equal to or larger than an inner circumference of a corresponding through-going hole <NUM> in the primary sole part <NUM>, so that the plurality of protrusions <NUM> fit tightly or snugly into the plurality of through-going holes <NUM> when the primary sole part <NUM> is mounted on the primary mould part <NUM>. Thereby closing off the through-going holes <NUM> during the moulding process so that the injected material cannot enter the through-going holes <NUM>.

<FIG> show a cross sectional view of the primary sole part <NUM> and the primary mould part <NUM> according to one or more of the embodiments herein. <FIG> shows the cross sectional view of the primary sole part <NUM> along the cut-line A-A of <FIG>. The primary sole part <NUM> has a first foot facing surface <NUM> and a first ground facing surface <NUM>.

The plurality of through-going holes <NUM> extend in a vertical direction from the foot facing surface <NUM> to the ground facing surface <NUM> of the primary sole part and are open towards both the foot facing surface <NUM> to the ground facing surface <NUM>. The foot facing surface <NUM> of the primary sole part <NUM> is configured to receive an injected sole material for attaching the primary sole part <NUM> to a ground facing surface of an upper of an article of footwear. The primary sole part <NUM> has a height h<NUM>, which may also be referred to as a thickness in the area of the through-going holes <NUM> of the primary sole <NUM> part at a corresponding through-going hole <NUM> of the primary sole part <NUM>. The plurality of through-going holes <NUM> are configured to mate with the plurality of protrusions <NUM> of the primary mould part <NUM> when the primary sole part <NUM> is arranged on the primary mould part <NUM>, such that the plurality of protrusions <NUM> protrude through the plurality of through-going holes <NUM>.

<FIG> shows the cross sectional view of the primary mould part <NUM> along the cut-line B-B of <FIG>. The plurality of protrusions <NUM> extend in a vertical direction perpendicular to a main surface <NUM> of the primary mould part <NUM>, such that, when the primary sole part <NUM> is arranged on the primary mould part <NUM>, the plurality of protrusions <NUM> extend from the ground facing surface <NUM> of the primary sole part to the foot facing surface <NUM> of the primary sole part <NUM>. Each of the plurality of protrusions <NUM> of the primary mould part <NUM> may have a height h<NUM> equal to or higher than a height h<NUM> of the primary sole <NUM> part at a corresponding through-going hole <NUM> of the primary sole part <NUM>. The height h<NUM> may be the distance from the main surface <NUM> of the primary mould part to a top surface 31A of the plurality of protrusions <NUM>. When the protrusions <NUM> have the height h<NUM> equal to the height h<NUM> of the primary sole part at the corresponding through-hole <NUM>, an even surface is created for receiving injected material when the primary sole part <NUM> is arranged on the primary mould part <NUM>. The even surface may improve a flow of the injected material within the moulding assembly.

<FIG> shows a cross-sectional view along the cut axes A-A and B-B of the primary sole part <NUM> mounted to the primary mould part <NUM>. As can be seen in <FIG>, the plurality of protrusions <NUM> of the primary mould part <NUM> mate with the plurality of through-going holes <NUM> of the primary sole part <NUM>, such that the plurality of protrusions <NUM> close the plurality of through-going holes <NUM>. The plurality of protrusions <NUM> mating with the plurality of through-going holes <NUM> means that the plurality of protrusions <NUM> protrude into the plurality of through-going holes <NUM>, such that the plurality of through-going holes <NUM> receive the plurality of protrusions <NUM>. The plurality of protrusions <NUM> are configured such that they fit tightly or snugly in the plurality of through-going holes <NUM>, thereby sealing of the plurality of through-going holes <NUM>. The combination of the primary sole part <NUM> and the primary mould part <NUM> may define part of a mould cavity of the secondary sole part. By closing and/or sealing off the plurality of through-going holes <NUM> in the primary sole part <NUM> with the protrusions <NUM> of the primary mould part <NUM>, the injected material of the secondary sole part is prevented from entering into the plurality of through-going holes <NUM> during the injection moulding process. When the primary sole part <NUM> is mounted to the primary mould part <NUM> such that the plurality of protrusions <NUM> have mated with the plurality of through-going holes <NUM> and when the height h<NUM> is equal to the height h<NUM>, the foot facing surface <NUM> of the primary sole part <NUM> may align with the top surface 31A of the plurality of protrusions. Thereby, a flat surface may be provided, which flat surface defines a lower boundary of the mould cavity for receiving the injected material. After the injected material has cured in the mould cavity and the primary mould part has been removed, the secondary sole part <NUM> formed by the injected material bonds to the foot facing surface <NUM> of the primary sole part <NUM> and may span the entire foot facing surface <NUM>. The secondary sole part <NUM> may thus also span the plurality of through-going holes <NUM> without protruding into the through-going holes <NUM>.

<FIG> shows a cross sectional view of an example article of footwear <NUM>, taken along the longitudinal axis Z, where the article of footwear comprises a sole assembly, the sole assembly comprising the primary sole part <NUM>, the secondary sole part <NUM> and the upper <NUM> as shown in <FIG>. The sole assembly may comprise one or more additional sole parts, such as e.g. a tertiary sole part. The primary sole part <NUM> extends from a toe end <NUM> of the article of footwear <NUM> towards a heel end <NUM> of the article of footwear <NUM>, where the upper <NUM> and an insole <NUM> are attached to the primary sole part <NUM> via the secondary sole part <NUM>. The secondary sole part <NUM> may extend uninterrupted from the toe end <NUM> to the heel end <NUM>, creating a dampening layer that is arranged between the primary sole part <NUM> and the upper <NUM> along the entire longitudinal length along the axis Z of the article of footwear. The plurality of through-going holes <NUM> are arranged from the heel end <NUM> of the primary sole part <NUM> to the toe end <NUM> of the primary sole part <NUM> in a plurality of parallel rows extending in a longitudinal direction of the primary sole part <NUM>. Thereby, the flexibility of the primary sole part <NUM> and the article of footwear <NUM> may be increased. The weight of the primary sole part <NUM> and the article of footwear <NUM> may also be reduced. The reduced weight of the primary sole part <NUM> and the article of footwear <NUM> improves the comfort of the article of footwear during use. The secondary sole part <NUM> may spans the plurality of through-going holes <NUM> without protruding into the through-going holes <NUM>. The plurality of through-going holes <NUM> in the primary sole part <NUM> may also improve the grip of the primary sole part <NUM> and the article of footwear <NUM> in the longitudinal direction during use. The inside 14A, such as an inner side wall, of the plurality of through-going holes <NUM> form one or more surfaces being perpendicularly arranged in relation to the ground facing surface <NUM> of the primary sole part <NUM>. These perpendicularly arranged surfaces may configured to take up forces in the longitudinal and in the lateral direction of the article of footwear <NUM> and may thus improve the grip of primary sole part <NUM> during use of the article of footwear <NUM>.

The primary sole part <NUM> may have a first hardness and the secondary sole part <NUM> may have a second hardness, where the first hardness may be greater than the second hardness. The first hardness of the first sole material may be utilized to provide and/or improve durability by providing the primary sole <NUM> in a material that is capable of tolerating friction between the ground surface and the ground facing surface <NUM> of the primary sole part <NUM>. The secondary sole <NUM> part may be provided in a material that has a second hardness that is lower than the first hardness, where the secondary sole part <NUM> may be positioned between the foot of the wearer, when used, and the primary sole part <NUM> and the ground. Thus, the softer material may improve the comfort of the article of footwear <NUM> by providing a dampening layer that can absorb shocks that occur during gait. The secondary sole part may be arranged between the upper and the primary sole part. The secondary sole part may further comprise an injected material. The injected material may have been injected onto the primary sole part <NUM> arranged on the primary mould part <NUM> of a footwear moulding assembly as shown in <FIG> during an injection moulding procedure. Since the plurality of protrusions <NUM> of the primary mould part <NUM> mate with the through-going holes during the injection procedure, the injected material has not been able to enter the through-going holes <NUM> of the primary sole part <NUM>. Hence, the secondary sole part <NUM> is arranged flush with the foot facing surface <NUM> of the primary sole part <NUM> also in the regions of the through-going holes <NUM>.

As can be seen in <FIG> the ground facing surface <NUM> may comprise or may be a ground contacting surface. The ground contacting surface may be located in a heel area <NUM> and in a forefoot area <NUM> or may, as shown in <FIG>, be located over the entire ground facing surface <NUM> of the primary sole part <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A footwear sole moulding assembly comprising:
- a premanufactured primary sole part (<NUM>) configured for forming part of an article of footwear, said premanufactured primary sole part being an outsole and having a foot facing surface (<NUM>), and a ground facing surface (<NUM>), wherein the premanufactured primary sole part (<NUM>) comprises a plurality of through-going holes (<NUM>), wherein the plurality of through-going holes (<NUM>) extends in a vertical direction from the foot facing surface (<NUM>) to the ground facing surface (<NUM>); wherein the foot facing surface (<NUM>) is configured to receive an injected sole material for attaching the premanufactured primary sole part (<NUM>) to a ground facing surface of an upper; and
- a primary mould part (<NUM>) comprising a plurality of protrusions (<NUM>) configured to mate with the plurality of through-going holes (<NUM>) of the premanufactured primary sole part (<NUM>).