An article of footwear includes an upper defining apertures spaced apart from one another in a first arrangement. A footwear element has pegs spaced apart from one another in the first arrangement and extending through the apertures in the upper. The pegs are secured at a surface of the upper. A method of manufacturing an article of footwear includes placing a footwear element between an inner layer of an upper and an outer layer of the upper. The footwear element includes at least one peg extending outward toward the outer layer. The method includes inserting the peg through the outer layer so that the peg extends through the outer layer and is exposed at an exterior surface of the outer layer. After inserting the peg of the footwear element through the outer layer of the upper, the peg is secured at the exterior surface of the outer layer.

A shoe including a sole and a shoe upper, the shoe upper including a shoe opening for entering the shoe, the shoe opening defined by a rear part, a medial part, a lateral part, and a front part, the rear part including a top portion, reinforced by a firm material, an optional bottom portion reinforced by a firm material, a center portion, located between the top portion and the bottom portion, the center portion made of a flexible material, and a spring element. The top part of the spring element being attached to the top portion of the rear part, and the bottom part of the spring element being attached to either the bottom portion of the rear part, or to the sole.

A shoe including a sole and a shoe upper, the shoe upper including a shoe opening for entering the shoe, the shoe opening defined by a rear part, a medial part, a lateral part, and a front part, the rear part including a top portion, reinforced by a firm material, an optional bottom portion reinforced by a firm material, a center portion, located between the top portion and the bottom portion, the center portion made of a flexible material, and a spring element. The top part of the spring element being attached to the top portion of the rear part, and the bottom part of the spring element being attached to either the bottom portion of the rear part, or to the sole.

An article of footwear including a sole structure, an upper attached to the sole structure and including an opening providing access to an interior void of the upper, a support attached to the upper at a posterior end of the upper and including a first rail disposed adjacent to the opening of the upper and a second rail extending between the first rail and the sole structure and continuously along the posterior end from a medial side of the upper to a lateral side of the upper, and a bladder disposed between the first rail and the second rail.

An article of footwear including a sole structure, an upper attached to the sole structure and including an opening providing access to an interior void of the upper, a support attached to the upper at a posterior end of the upper and including a first rail disposed adjacent to the opening of the upper and a second rail extending between the first rail and the sole structure and continuously along the posterior end from a medial side of the upper to a lateral side of the upper, and a bladder disposed between the first rail and the second rail.

An article of footwear has a footwear upper that includes a base layer defining a throat opening, a tongue having a forward end fixed to the base layer forward of the throat opening, and a strap having an anchored end fixed at the base layer and a securing end selectively securable at the base layer. The tongue is pivotable about the forward end between an access position and a use position, extends over and covers the throat opening in the use position, and rests against an exterior of the base layer at a medial side of the base layer and at a lateral side of the base layer in the use position. The strap crosses over an exterior of the tongue with the securing end secured at the base layer and the tongue in the use position.

Articles of footwear having an upper including a dynamic fit heel portion and a main body. The dynamic fit heel portion may include a lower heel counter and an upper heel collar. The upper heel collar may define at least in part, a foot-receiving chamber. An expandable joint may be provided between the lower heel counter and the upper heel collar. A material forming the expandable joint may have a higher flexibility and a higher stretch than the lower heel counter and the upper heel collar. The lower heel counter, the upper heel collar, and the expandable joint may be configured to align with portions of a heel and ankle of a wearer so as to provide a flexible heel and ankle fit.

An upper for an article of footwear includes a first material defining a void operable to selectively receive a foot. The first material includes an outer surface. The upper also includes a first edge at least partially circumscribing the void at an uppermost extremity of the upper and a second edge disposed at a lowermost extremity of the upper. The upper further includes a first biasing member (i) disposed at the outer surface of the upper, (ii) attached to the first material, and (iii) spaced apart from the first edge and the second edge. The first biasing member is operable to exert a biasing force on the first material to bias the first edge away from the second edge.

An upper for an article of footwear includes a first material defining a void operable to selectively receive a foot. The first material includes an outer surface. The upper also includes a first edge at least partially circumscribing the void at an uppermost extremity of the upper and a second edge disposed at a lowermost extremity of the upper. The upper further includes a first biasing member (i) disposed at the outer surface of the upper, (ii) attached to the first material, and (iii) spaced apart from the first edge and the second edge. The first biasing member is operable to exert a biasing force on the first material to bias the first edge away from the second edge.

An article of footwear includes an upper defining a throat configured to receive a foot. The article of footwear also includes a sole structure coupled to the upper. The article of footwear further includes a panel having a first side coupled to the upper for movement between an open position and a closed position. The panel exposes a portion of the throat in the open position and covers the portion of the throat in the closed position. The article of footwear also includes a strap having a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The first end and the second end are disposed on a first side of the upper with a body portion of the strap disposed between the first end and the second end surrounding the upper.