In one aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a sole member for an article of footwear, comprising a sole member, the sole member including an outer surface, and the outer surface comprising an upper surface and a lower surface. The sole member has an interior portion, where the interior portion is disposed between the upper surface and the lower surface, as well as a forefoot region and a heel region. Furthermore, the sole member has a set of apertures, where at least one aperture of the set of apertures is a blind-hole aperture, and where each aperture of the set of apertures is disposed along a portion of the outer surface of the sole member. Each aperture of the set of apertures has a cross-sectional diameter, and at least a portion of the set of apertures are arranged along the outer surface of the sole member to comprise a first column of apertures. The first column of apertures extends from the forefoot region to the heel region, and the first column of apertures includes at least a first aperture, a second aperture disposed adjacent to the first aperture, and a third aperture disposed adjacent to the second aperture. In addition, the first aperture has a first cross-sectional diameter, the second aperture has a second cross-sectional diameter, and the third aperture has a third cross-sectional diameter, where the first cross-sectional diameter is smaller than the second cross-sectional diameter, and where the second cross-sectional diameter is smaller than the third cross-sectional diameter.
In another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a sole member for an article of footwear, comprising a sole member, the sole member including an outer surface, and the outer surface comprising an upper surface and a lower surface. The sole member has a forefoot region and a heel region. Furthermore, the sole member has a set of apertures, where each aperture of the set of apertures is a blind-hole aperture, and where at least a portion of the set of apertures is disposed along a portion of the outer surface of the sole member to form a first column of apertures. The first column of apertures extends from the forefoot region to the heel region. In addition, each aperture of the set of apertures is associated with a cross-sectional diameter, where the size of a majority of the apertures comprising the first column of apertures generally increases in a direction approaching a midfoot region of the sole member.
In another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a sole member for an article of footwear, comprising a sole member, the sole member including an outer surface, and the outer surface comprising an upper surface and a lower surface. The sole member also has a set of pinpoint apertures, where each aperture of the set of pinpoint apertures is a blind-hole aperture, and where the set of pinpoint apertures are disposed along the outer surface of the sole member to form at least a first distribution of apertures and a second distribution of apertures. Furthermore, the first distribution of apertures is associated with a first density, the second distribution of apertures is associated with a second density, and the first density is greater than the second density.
In another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a method for customizing a cushioning sole system for an article of footwear, the method comprising obtaining information related to a pressure distribution of a wearer's foot, and producing a first pattern comprising a first set of apertures arranged to form at least a first column of apertures. The method further includes generating instructions to form the first pattern in a sole member, and executing the instructions to form the first set of apertures in the sole member, where each aperture of the first column of apertures increases in cross-sectional diameter in a direction approaching a center of the sole member.
Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the embodiments will be, or will become, apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features and advantages be included within this description and this summary, be within the scope of the embodiments, and be protected by the following claims.
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