Patent Description:
Traditionally, a strobel is secured to a footwear upper and then the upper and strobel are stretched on a last. A midsole is then bonded to the strobel with an adhesive while the upper and strobel are on the last.

<CIT> describes a shoe with waterproof and vapor-permeable upper and sole, including an upper assembly including, in a stratified manner, a vapor-permeable or perforated outer upper, a vapor-permeable inner lining, and, between them, a functional element, an insole including at least one waterproof vapor permeation region, and a bottom with a breathable sole.

<CIT> describes a walking shoe having a uniquely shaped platform along the rear peripheral edge of the insole, which is constructed of a rigid backpart material and flexible forepart material. By combining it with a construction of a specially molded outflange counter and using a sturdy stitched lasting construction fastening securely the outward flange of the counter with the specially lasted molded leather upper together with the outward extension of the specially shaped insole platform, a stable support system is formed to control the lateral and longitudinal orientation of the foot when walking.

<CIT> describes a waterproof vapor-permeable shoe, which comprises an upper part, which delimits the foot insertion region, a sole made mainly of plastic material which is provided with at least one region which is diffusely perforated with through holes in the direction of the walking surface, a vapor-permeable or perforated flat element, which is rigidly coupled to the lower part of said sole on which the tread of the sole is formed or rigidly coupled, wherein the flat element is adapted to limit the formation of hollows in the foot insertion region at the projection of the holes of the diffusely perforated region.

<CIT> describes a waterproof and moisture-permeable shoe which includes a moisture-permeable and waterproof upper assembly having a lower outwardly-folded edge an insole having an outer peripheral component to which the lower outwardly-folded edge of the upper assembly is perimetrically connected a plurality of stitches which connect the lower outwardly-folded edge of the upper assembly perimetrically to the outer peripheral component of the insole a waterproof outsole connected below the insole, and a waterproof sealing connecting element which is made of moisture-impermeable sealing material and which connects the lower outwardly-folded edge of the upper assembly to the outer peripheral component of the insole in at least one sealed region such as to provide a waterproof seal in the at least one sealed region.

The claimed invention is defined by the method of manufacturing an article of footwear having the features of the independent claim <NUM>. Additional embodiments are defined in the dependent claims. An article of footwear is configured with an improvement especially useful with direct bottoming manufacturing by injection-molding midsoles to uppers. In a direct bottoming process, a midsole is directly formed on the bottom of the strobel and the upper, instead of being pre-formed and then attached with adhesive or thermal bonding. The article of footwear includes an upper and a strobel stitched to the upper at a series of stitches disposed in stitch holes that extend through the strobel. The strobel and the upper define a foot-receiving cavity with an inner surface of the strobel disposed at the foot-receiving cavity. A midsole is secured to the upper and an outer surface of the strobel is disposed at the midsole. The stitch holes are obstructed such that the stitch holes are not exposed to both the midsole and the foot-receiving cavity. When a flowable polymeric material, such as liquid polyurethane, is injected in a mold cavity to form the midsole with the lower portion of the upper and the strobel in the mold cavity, the stitch holes will not provide a path for entry of the flowable polymeric material into the foot-receiving cavity.

The following discussion focuses on liquid polyurethane as an example flowable polymeric material. However, any suitable flowable polymeric material may be used, such as one or more thermoplastic and/or crosslinkable polymers (e.g., polyurethanes, polyolefins, polyamides, combinations thereof, and the like). The terms "flowable" and "liquid" refer to the polymeric materials being in an injectable state, such as a molten state (e.g., for thermoplastic materials), in a pre-crosslinked state (e.g., for crosslinked materials), and the like. In some embodiments, the one or more polymers exhibit elastomeric properties in their solid and/or crosslinked states. Furthermore the flowable polymeric material may optionally include one or more additives, such as colorants, rheology modifiers, crosslinking agents, processing aids, and the like.

In one or more embodiments, the article of footwear is characterized by the absence of an insole. For example, the strobel may be configured to establish the foot-receiving surface in direct contact with a foot when the article of footwear is worn. The strobel may thus be especially configured to be worn without an insole. The strobel may be relatively thin and inelastic. For example, the strobel may be approximately one-fifth of the thickness of a traditional strobel.

In one or more embodiments, the strobel may include a first layer and a second layer. For example, the first layer may be a relatively soft textile. An inner surface of the first layer may be disposed at a foot-receiving cavity of the upper. An outer surface of the second layer may be disposed at the midsole. The second layer may be a material that inhibits a flowable polymeric material from penetrating the second layer. By obstructing the stitch holes, the function of the second layer in inhibiting entry of the flowable polymeric material is not diminished.

The stitch holes may be obstructed in a variety of ways. According to the method of manufacturing an article of footwear of the claimed invention, the article of footwear further includes a gasket secured to the outer surface of the strobel, extending over the stitch holes, and configured to seal the stitch holes. For example, the gasket may have an inner surface contacting the strobel and extending over the stitch holes. The gasket may include an adhesive on the inner surface of the gasket that secures the gasket to the strobel. In another alternative, the gasket may be thermally bonded to the strobel. The gasket prevents the flowable polymeric material from passing through the stitch holes during the direct bottoming process.

The gasket may be a flat, elongated strip of a material wide enough to cover the stitch holes, but narrower than the width of the strobel, so that a portion of the outer surface of the strobel is exposed to the flowable polymeric material and therefore in contact with the formed midsole. A medial portion of the gasket may extend over the stitch holes at a medial side of the strobel and a lateral portion of the gasket may extend over the stitch holes at a lateral side of the strobel. The outer surface of the strobel may be exposed to the midsole between the medial portion of the gasket and the lateral portion of the gasket.

In an aspect, the series of stitches may border the perimeter of the strobel in a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region of the strobel, and the gasket may extend over the stitches in the heel region and the midfoot region. In one or more embodiments, the gasket further extends in the forefoot region, and may extend around the entire perimeter. In one or more other embodiments, the gasket does not extend around the entire perimeter, and so does not obstruct all of the stitch holes. For example, the gasket may have a U-shaped heel portion, a medial arm portion extending forward from the U-shaped heel portion, and a lateral arm portion extending forward from the U-shaped heel portion. The medial arm portion and the lateral arm portion may terminate rearward of a foremost extent of the strobel. Accordingly, at least some of the stitch holes at which the strobel is stitched to the upper are forward of the medial arm portion and the lateral arm portion and are exposed at the outer surface of the strobel.

In one or more examples for better understanding the claimed invention and that is not covered by the claims, no gasket is used, as the orientation of the stitch holes is such that they are displaced from the foot-receiving cavity by the upper and the strobel (i.e., the upper and the strobel themselves obstruct the stitch holes). More specifically, the inner surface of the strobel abuts an inner surface of the upper along a periphery of the strobel to define a peripheral flange. The stitch holes extend through the peripheral flange from the outer surface of the strobel to the outer surface of the upper and are displaced from the foot-receiving cavity. For example, because the inner surfaces of the strobel and the upper are abutted to form the peripheral flange, the peripheral flange extends away from the foot-receiving cavity, and the stitch holes do not extend toward or into the peripheral cavity in order to extend through the peripheral flange.

A method of manufacturing an article of footwear comprises obstructing stitch holes that extend through a strobel. A series of stitches are disposed in the stitch holes and secure the strobel to an upper so that the strobel and the upper define a foot-receiving cavity. The method further comprises injecting a flowable polymeric material into a mold cavity configured as a midsole mold such that the a flowable polymeric material contacts an outer surface of the strobel. Obstructing the stitch holes inhibits the flowable polymeric material from passing through the strobel to the foot-receiving cavity via the stitch holes.

The method may include stitching the strobel to the upper to establish the series of stitches and the stitch holes. For example, the strobel may be positioned adjacent to the upper so that the strobel and the upper define the foot-receiving cavity with a first layer of the strobel disposed at the foot-receiving cavity of the upper and a second layer of the strobel is exposed. In an example for better understanding the claimed invention, prior to stitching the strobel to the upper, the method may comprise abutting an inner surface of the strobel to an inner surface of the upper along a periphery of the strobel to define a peripheral flange, and then the stitching results in the stitch holes extending through the peripheral flange from the outer surface of the strobel to the outer surface of the upper so that the stich holes are displaced from the foot-receiving cavity.

According to the claimed invention, obstructing the stitch holes is by securing a gasket to the outer surface of the strobel over the stitch holes. In one or more embodiments, securing the gasket to the strobel is by adhering the gasket to the strobel. Alternatively, securing the gasket to the strobel may be by thermally bonding the gasket to the strobel. The gasket seals those stitch holes over which it extends.

The method may further comprise inserting a last in a foot-receiving cavity formed by the upper and the strobel prior to injecting the flowable polymeric material. While the last is inserted in the foot-receiving cavity, the method may include disposing a lower portion of the upper and the strobel in a mold cavity configured as a midsole mold. The method may include solidifying the flowable polymeric material in the mold cavity so that a midsole is secured to the upper and covers the gasket in embodiments that have a gasket, and covers the peripheral flange in embodiments that have a peripheral flange. The upper and the strobel with the midsole secured thereto may then be withdrawn from the mold cavity.

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference numbers refer to like components throughout the views, <FIG> shows a portion of an article of footwear <NUM> that includes an upper <NUM>, a strobel <NUM> stitched to the upper <NUM>, and a gasket <NUM>. The article of footwear <NUM> also includes a midsole <NUM>, shown in <FIG>, that is secured to the strobel <NUM> and the upper <NUM> over the gasket <NUM> in a direct bottoming manufacturing process discussed herein.

The upper <NUM> and the strobel <NUM> together define a foot-receiving cavity <NUM> that is configured to receive and retain a foot so that the foot is supported on the strobel <NUM> and the midsole <NUM> which are positioned below the foot and between the foot and the ground during normal wear. As best shown in <FIG>, the upper <NUM> and the strobel <NUM> both include and extend in a forefoot region <NUM>, a midfoot region <NUM>, and a heel region <NUM> of the article of footwear <NUM>. The midfoot region <NUM> is between the heel region <NUM> and the forefoot region <NUM>. As is understood by those skilled in the art, the forefoot region <NUM> generally underlies the toes and metatarsal-phalangeal joints of an overlying foot disposed in the foot-receiving cavity <NUM>, the midfoot region <NUM> generally underlies the arch region of the foot, and the heel region <NUM> generally underlies the calcaneus bone of the foot. The position of a foot (not shown) is best represented by the footwear last <NUM> of <FIG>. The footwear last <NUM> is shaped and sized to be representative of a foot having the specific footwear size for which the article of footwear is dimensioned.

Referring to <FIG>, the strobel <NUM> is specifically configured for a direct bottoming manufacturing process. The strobel <NUM> is relatively, thin, soft, and inelastic. For example, the strobel <NUM> may be approximately one-fifth of the thickness of a traditional strobel, which may enhance its comfortable feel. The strobel <NUM> includes a first layer <NUM> and a second layer <NUM>. When the strobel <NUM> is secured to the upper <NUM>, an inner surface <NUM> of the first layer <NUM> is disposed at and defines the extremity of the foot-receiving cavity <NUM> which is completely filled by the last <NUM> in <FIG>.

The first layer <NUM> may be a relatively thin, soft textile material that is thinner and softer than, for example, the textile material of a traditional strobel. The inner surface <NUM> may also be referred to as the foot-receiving surface as it is in direct contact with a foot (or a sock, if any is worn on the foot) when the article of footwear <NUM> is worn, as the article of footwear <NUM> is characterized by the absence of an insole. Stated differently, the first layer <NUM> is specifically selected to be soft for comfort during wear as the article of footwear <NUM> is configured to be worn without an insole.

With continued reference to <FIG>, an outer surface <NUM> of the first layer <NUM> is secured to an inner surface <NUM> of the second layer <NUM>, such as by adhesive bonding or thermal bonding. As shown in <FIG>, an outer surface <NUM> of the second layer <NUM> is exposed to the flowable polymeric material <NUM> in liquid form that is used to form the midsole <NUM>, as described herein. Accordingly, the second layer <NUM> is a material specifically selected for its ability to inhibit or entirely prevent the flowable polymeric material <NUM> from penetrating the second layer <NUM>. For example, the second layer <NUM> may be a relatively thin polymeric film that functions as a barrier film with respect to the flowable polymeric material <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, the strobel <NUM> is stitched to the upper <NUM> at a series of stitches <NUM> that extend through stitch holes <NUM> in the strobel <NUM>. The stitches <NUM> may be, for example, a portion of a continuous, elongated thread. The stitch holes <NUM> extend completely through the strobel <NUM> (i.e., through both the first layer <NUM> and the second layer <NUM> from the outer surface <NUM> to the inner surface <NUM>), and also extend through the upper <NUM> along a lower periphery of the upper <NUM>. The stitch holes <NUM> are made by a needle during the stitching process. The series of stitches <NUM> and the respective stitch holes <NUM> of the stitches border the perimeter <NUM> of the strobel <NUM> in the forefoot region <NUM>, the midfoot region <NUM>, and the heel region <NUM> along both a medial side <NUM> and a lateral side <NUM> of the strobel <NUM>, around the foremost extent <NUM> of the forefoot region <NUM>, and around the rearmost extent <NUM> of the heel region <NUM>. The stitch holes <NUM> are obstructed such that the stitch holes <NUM> are not exposed to both the midsole <NUM> and the foot-receiving cavity <NUM>. If the stitch holes <NUM> were to be exposed to the flowable polymeric material <NUM> used to form the midsole <NUM>, they would provide a direct route for the flowable polymeric material to pass through the strobel <NUM> onto, for example, the inner surface <NUM> of the first layer <NUM>. This may not be aesthetically pleasing given that no insole covers the inner surface <NUM>.

One way to obstruct the stitch holes <NUM> in order to avoid such a leakage route is to provide the gasket <NUM> that is configured to cover and seal at least some of the stitch holes <NUM>, so that the function of the second layer <NUM> in inhibiting entry of the a flowable polymeric material <NUM> is not diminished. The gasket <NUM> is secured to the outer surface <NUM> of the strobel <NUM> over at least some of the stitch holes <NUM> as best shown in <FIG> and <FIG>. The gasket <NUM> may be thermally bonded to the strobel <NUM>. Alternatively, the gasket <NUM> may be self-adhering. For example, the inner surface <NUM> of the gasket <NUM> contacts the outer surface <NUM> of the second layer <NUM> of the strobel <NUM> over the stitch holes <NUM>, and the gasket <NUM> includes an adhesive on the inner surface <NUM> so that the inner surface <NUM> adheres to the strobel <NUM>. Like the second layer <NUM>, the gasket <NUM> is configured of a material impenetrable to a flowable polymeric material <NUM> so that it inhibits or entirely prevents the a flowable polymeric material <NUM> from passing through the gasket <NUM>.

As best shown in <FIG>, the gasket <NUM> is a flat, elongated strip and is wide enough to cover the stitch holes <NUM> and may also be wide enough to cover a portion of the lower extent of the upper <NUM> where the stitches <NUM> enter through the upper <NUM>, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>. Referring to <FIG>, the gasket <NUM> has a U-shaped heel portion <NUM>, a medial arm portion <NUM> (also referred to as a medial portion) extending forward from the U-shaped heel portion <NUM>, and a lateral arm portion <NUM> (also referred to as a lateral portion) extending forward from the U-shaped heel portion <NUM>. The U-shaped heel portion <NUM> extends in the heel region <NUM>, and the medial and lateral arm portions <NUM>, <NUM> extend in the midfoot region <NUM> and in a rear portion of the forefoot region <NUM>.

The gasket <NUM> is much narrower than the width of the strobel <NUM> from the medial side <NUM> of its perimeter <NUM> to the lateral side <NUM> of its perimeter <NUM>. The medial arm portion <NUM> extends over the stitch holes <NUM> at the medial side <NUM> of the strobel <NUM>, and the lateral arm portion <NUM> extends over the stitch holes <NUM> at the lateral side <NUM> of the strobel <NUM>. In the embodiment shown, the gasket <NUM> does not obstruct all of the stitch holes <NUM>, however, as the gasket <NUM> does not extend around the entire perimeter <NUM>. The medial arm portion and the lateral arm portion <NUM>, <NUM> terminate rearward of the foremost extent of the strobel <NUM>, so that a some of the stitch holes <NUM> (i.e., as sub-set of the stitch holes <NUM>) forward of the medial arm portion and the lateral arm portion <NUM>, <NUM> are exposed at the outer surface <NUM> of the strobel <NUM> before the midsole <NUM> is secured to the strobel <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>. The stitch holes of the exposed sub-set are indicated with reference number 44A in <FIG>. Although the flowable polymeric material <NUM> may extend through these stitch holes 44A during the direct bottoming process, the inner surface <NUM> of the strobel at this forward extent of the forefoot region <NUM> may be difficult to view within the foot-receiving cavity <NUM>, and the aesthetic qualities of the footwear <NUM> will thus not be diminished.

<FIG> shows an alternative embodiment of an article of footwear <NUM>, alike in all aspects to the article of footwear <NUM>, except that the gasket <NUM> is replaced by a gasket <NUM> identical to gasket <NUM> except that it extends around the entire perimeter <NUM> of the strobel <NUM> and covers all of the stitch holes <NUM>.

Whether the gasket <NUM> or the gasket <NUM> is used, <FIG> and <FIG> show that a portion of the outer surface <NUM> of the strobel <NUM> is exposed between the gasket <NUM> or <NUM> at the medial side <NUM> and at the lateral side <NUM>, such as between the medial arm portion <NUM> and the lateral arm portion <NUM>. As best shown in <FIG>, this portion of the outer surface <NUM> is thus exposed to the flowable polymeric material <NUM> during the direct bottoming manufacturing process disclosed herein, and interfaces with the solidified midsole <NUM> which bonds to the upper <NUM> around the strobel <NUM>. The bonding may occur by heat bonding (i.e., thermal bonding) during the manufacturing process described herein.

<FIG> show a strobel <NUM> stitched to an upper <NUM> and disposed on a last <NUM> according to an example for better understanding the claimed invention that is not covered by the claims. In this example, a peripheral portion 34A of the inner surface <NUM> of the strobel <NUM> abuts the inner surface <NUM> of the upper at or near the perimeter <NUM> of the strobel <NUM> and a lower portion 12A of the upper <NUM>. The stitches <NUM> extend through the abutting portions of the strobel <NUM> and the upper <NUM> to form a peripheral flange <NUM>. As best shown in <FIG>, the stitch holes <NUM> extend from the outer surface <NUM> of the strobel <NUM> to the outer surface <NUM> of the upper <NUM> through the peripheral flange <NUM>. Due to the peripheral flange <NUM>, the stitch holes <NUM> are oriented so that they do not extend toward or into the foot-receiving cavity <NUM> and thus do not create a path for the flowable polymeric material <NUM> to reach the inner surface <NUM> of the first layer <NUM> at the foot-receiving cavity <NUM> during manufacturing. Stated differently, due to the abutting inner surfaces <NUM>, <NUM> of the strobel <NUM> and the lower portion 12A of the upper <NUM>, the peripheral flange <NUM> extends away from the foot-receiving cavity <NUM>, not into the foot-receiving cavity <NUM>. Accordingly, no gasket <NUM> or <NUM> is needed in this example. As shown in <FIG>, when the midsole <NUM> is solidified, the peripheral flange <NUM> is covered by the midsole <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrate the steps of a method <NUM> of manufacturing an article of footwear such as article of footwear <NUM>, <NUM>, or <NUM>. The steps of the method <NUM> are listed in the flow diagram of <FIG>. The method <NUM> begins with step <NUM>, positioning the strobel <NUM> adjacent to the upper <NUM> so that the first layer <NUM> of the strobel <NUM> is disposed at the foot-receiving cavity <NUM> of the upper <NUM>, and the second layer <NUM> of the strobel <NUM> is exposed (i.e., at an exterior of the connected upper <NUM> and strobel <NUM>). The strobel <NUM> is subsequently stitched to the upper <NUM> in step <NUM>. In step <NUM>, the strobel <NUM> is stitched to the upper <NUM> at a series of stitches <NUM> that secure the strobel <NUM> to the upper <NUM>. The stitches <NUM> secure the strobel <NUM> to the upper <NUM> but create stitch holes <NUM> in the strobel <NUM>.

In the manufacturing of the article of footwear <NUM>, step <NUM> results in the obstructing of the stitch holes <NUM> to inhibit the flowable polymeric material <NUM> from passing through the strobel <NUM> to the foot-receiving cavity <NUM> via the stitch holes <NUM> during step <NUM> and specifically sub-step <NUM>. In the manufacturing of the article of footwear <NUM> or <NUM>, obstructing the stitch holes <NUM> includes both step <NUM> and step <NUM> in which the gasket <NUM> or <NUM> is secured to the strobel <NUM> over the series of stitches <NUM> so that the gasket seals at least some of the stitch holes <NUM> in the strobel <NUM> as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>. Non-limiting examples of ways by which the gasket <NUM> or <NUM> may be secured to the strobel include adhering the gasket <NUM> or <NUM> to the strobel <NUM>, or thermally bonding the gasket <NUM> or <NUM> to the strobel <NUM>. Step <NUM> is skipped in the manufacturing of the article of footwear <NUM>.

With the strobel <NUM> secured to the upper <NUM> and the gasket <NUM> or <NUM> secured over at least some of the stitch holes <NUM> in the article of footwear <NUM> or <NUM>, the upper <NUM> and the strobel <NUM> are ready to be lasted in step <NUM> by inserting a last <NUM> in the foot-receiving cavity <NUM> formed by the upper <NUM> and the strobel <NUM> as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>. The upper <NUM> and strobel <NUM> may be adjusted to a predetermined position on the last <NUM>, such as may be indicated by alignment features on the strobel <NUM> aligning with markings on the last <NUM>.

With the last <NUM> inserted in the foot-receiving cavity <NUM>, the method <NUM> proceeds to step <NUM>, disposing a lower portion 12A of the upper <NUM> and the strobel <NUM> into a mold cavity <NUM> formed in part by a first mold portion <NUM> of a mold assembly <NUM>. Step <NUM> is illustrated in <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>. In <FIG> and <FIG>, the last <NUM> with the upper <NUM> and strobel <NUM> thereon are moved toward the mold cavity <NUM> as indicated by arrow A. Once the last <NUM> is sufficiently moved toward the mold cavity <NUM> so that a lower extent of the upper <NUM> and the strobel <NUM> extend into the mold cavity <NUM>, the mold assembly <NUM> is closed such as by moving a second mold portion <NUM> into place around the upper <NUM> and last <NUM> at the mold cavity <NUM> to further define the mold cavity <NUM> as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>. The mold cavity <NUM> is configured in the shape of the midsole <NUM>, and may be referred to as a midsole mold. The gasket <NUM>, <NUM> and the peripheral flange <NUM> are disposed in the mold cavity via step <NUM>.

Next, in step <NUM>, the midsole <NUM> is injection molded so that it will secure to the upper <NUM> and the strobel <NUM> over the gasket <NUM> or <NUM> or the peripheral flange <NUM>. Step <NUM> includes sub-step <NUM>, injecting a flowable polymeric material <NUM> in liquid form into the mold cavity <NUM>. This is referred to as a direct bottoming process, as the midsole <NUM> is directly formed from a flowable polymeric material 17on the bottom of the strobel <NUM> and the upper <NUM>, instead of being pre-formed and then attached with adhesive or by thermal processes. <FIG> and <FIG> shows the a flowable polymeric material <NUM> directed into the mold cavity <NUM> from a supply <NUM> of the flowable polymeric material, as indicated by arrow B, such as by pumping the flowable polymeric material <NUM>. The gasket <NUM>, <NUM> secured over the stitch holes <NUM> or the peripheral flange <NUM> is exposed to the flowable polymeric material <NUM> in the mold cavity <NUM> and prevents flowable polymeric material injection-molded in the mold cavity <NUM> for the midsole <NUM> from entering the stitch holes <NUM> during the direct bottoming process.

Step <NUM> also includes sub-step <NUM>, solidifying the flowable polymeric material in the mold cavity <NUM> so that the polymeric material is formed as the midsole <NUM> secured to the upper <NUM> and the strobel <NUM> and covering over the gasket <NUM> or <NUM> or the peripheral flange <NUM>. Solidifying the flowable polymeric material in sub-step <NUM> may include waiting a predetermined time period for the liquid flowable polymeric material <NUM> to solidify, and may also include controlling and/or monitoring the temperature of the polymeric material in the mold cavity <NUM>.

Next, the method <NUM> moves to step <NUM>, in which the lower extent of the upper <NUM>, the strobel <NUM> with the gasket <NUM> or <NUM> or the peripheral flange <NUM> and the midsole <NUM> secured thereto are withdrawn from the mold cavity <NUM> as illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>. Step <NUM> may include the sub-steps of opening the mold assembly <NUM> and moving the last <NUM> away from the mold assembly <NUM>. The article of footwear <NUM>, <NUM>, or <NUM> may then be removed from the last <NUM>. Additional steps such as securing an outsole or discrete outsole elements to the midsole <NUM> may be carried out after step <NUM>, either while the article of footwear <NUM>, <NUM>, or <NUM> is on the last <NUM> or after the article of footwear is removed from the last <NUM>.

Assembled, ready to wear footwear articles (e.g., shoes, sandals, boots, etc.), as well as discrete components of footwear articles (such as a midsole, an outsole, an upper component, etc.) prior to final assembly into ready to wear footwear articles, are considered and alternatively referred to herein in either the singular or plural as "article(s) of footwear" or "footwear".

As used in the description and the accompanying claims, unless stated otherwise, a value is considered to be "approximately" equal to a stated value if it is neither more than <NUM> percent greater than nor more than <NUM> percent less than the stated value.

The term "any of" is understood to include any possible combination of referenced claims of the appended claims, including "any one of' the referenced claims.

Those having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that terms such as "above", "below", "upward", "downward", "top", "bottom", etc., may be used descriptively relative to the figures.

The term "longitudinal" refers to a direction extending a length of a component. For example, a longitudinal direction of an article of footwear extends between a forefoot region and a heel region of the article of footwear. The term "forward" or "anterior" is used to refer to the general direction from a heel region toward a forefoot region, and the term "rearward" or "posterior" is used to refer to the opposite direction, i.e., the direction from the forefoot region toward the heel region. In some cases, a component may be identified with a longitudinal axis as well as a forward and rearward longitudinal direction along that axis. The longitudinal direction or axis may also be referred to as an anterior-posterior direction or axis.

The term "transverse" refers to a direction extending a width of a component. For example, a transverse direction of an article of footwear extends between a lateral side and a medial side of the article of footwear. The transverse direction or axis may also be referred to as a lateral direction or axis or a mediolateral direction or axis.

The term "vertical" refers to a direction generally perpendicular to both the lateral and longitudinal directions. For example, in cases where a sole structure is planted flat on a ground surface, the vertical direction may extend from the ground surface upward. It will be understood that each of these directional adjectives may be applied to individual components of a sole structure. The term "upward" or "upwards" refers to the vertical direction pointing towards a top of the component, which may include an instep, a fastening region and/or a throat of an upper. The term "downward" or "downwards" refers to the vertical direction pointing opposite the upwards direction, toward the bottom of a component and may generally point towards the bottom of a sole structure of an article of footwear.

The "interior" of an article of footwear, such as a shoe, refers to portions at the space that is occupied by a wearer's foot when the article of footwear is worn. The "inner side" of a component refers to the side or surface of the component that is (or will be) oriented toward the interior of the component or article of footwear in an assembled article of footwear. The "outer side" or "exterior" of a component refers to the side or surface of the component that is (or will be) oriented away from the interior of the article of footwear in an assembled article of footwear. In some cases, other components may be between the inner side of a component and the interior in the assembled article of footwear. Similarly, other components may be between an outer side of a component and the space external to the assembled article of footwear. Further, the terms "inward" and "inwardly" refer to the direction toward the interior of the component or article of footwear, such as a shoe, and the terms "outward" and "outwardly" refer to the direction toward the exterior of the component or article of footwear, such as the shoe. In addition, the term "proximal" refers to a direction that is nearer a center of a footwear component, or is closer toward a foot when the foot is inserted in the article of footwear as it is worn by a user. Likewise, the term "distal" refers to a relative position that is further away from a center of the footwear component or is further from a foot when the foot is inserted in the article of footwear as it is worn by a user. Thus, the terms proximal and distal may be understood to provide generally opposing terms to describe relative spatial positions.

While various embodiments have been described, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible within the scope of the appended claims.

Claim 1:
A method of manufacturing an article of footwear (<NUM>) comprising:
obstructing stitch holes (<NUM>) that extend through a strobel (<NUM>); wherein a series of stitches (<NUM>) are disposed in the stitch holes (<NUM>) and secure the strobel (<NUM>) to an upper (<NUM>) so that the strobel (<NUM>) and the upper (<NUM>) define a foot-receiving cavity (<NUM>); wherein obstructing the stitch holes (<NUM>) is by securing a gasket (<NUM>) to the outer surface (<NUM>) of the strobel (<NUM>) over the stitch holes (<NUM>); and
injecting a flowable polymeric material (<NUM>) into a mold cavity (<NUM>) configured as a midsole mold such that the flowable polymeric material (<NUM>) contacts an outer surface (<NUM>) of the strobel (<NUM>); wherein the obstructing the stitch holes (<NUM>) inhibits the flowable polymeric material (<NUM>) from passing through the strobel (<NUM>) to the foot-receiving cavity (<NUM>) via the stitch holes (<NUM>).