A flexible manufacturing system can be used to fuse different layers of material together for forming an article of footwear. The system includes a base portion, an intermediate member and an upper member. The intermediate member includes a flexible membrane. The intermediate member can be sealed with the base portion and a vacuum can be provided to pull the flexible membrane over layers of material placed on the base portion. The upper member can be sealed against the intermediate member so that external pressure can be applied to the flexible membrane. The intermediate member and the upper member can be moved independently.

A method and system for making uppers for articles of footwear is disclosed. The system comprises a last assembly as well as a pressing system for forming uppers with the last assembly. The last assembly includes a last member and a base member. The last member is inverted so that the bottom surface of the last member is oriented away from the base member.

A method and system for making uppers for articles of footwear is disclosed. The system comprises a last assembly as well as a pressing system for forming uppers with the last assembly. The last assembly includes a last member and a base member. The last member is inverted so that the bottom surface of the last member is oriented away from the base member.

Described are shoe uppers for a shoe, in particular, for a sports shoe, with a rear section and a front section, wherein the front section is smaller graded than the rear section, and wherein the front section is more flexible than the rear section.

Waterproof, breathable socks, booties, shoe inserts, and footwear assemblies containing the shoe inserts are provided. The booties and shoe inserts may include a laminate comprising a seamless extensible film, such as a polyurethane film, and at least one textile. The bootie is suitable for a range of sizes and shoe shapes. The bootie may shrink to fit, or, alternatively, be stretched to fit, an asymmetrical last having a desired size to form a shoe insert. A bootie having a seamless extensible film eliminates the need to have multiple sizes of shoe inserts correlating to particular shoe sizes. In embodiments where the polyurethane film is seamless and continuous, the shoe insert eliminates the need for a waterproof seam tape, which is conventionally used to make shoe inserts waterproof. Methods of forming the socks, booties, and shoe inserts are also provided.

A sole structure for an article of footwear includes a unitary cushioning component comprising a plurality of scrap foam pieces configured as a plurality of different polyhedron shapes and a resin binder securing the scrap foam pieces to one another. The sole structure may comprise a midsole including an outer shell defining a central cavity. The cushioning component may be disposed in the central cavity as a core of the midsole. A method of manufacturing an article of footwear cutting the scrap foam body into pieces, mixing the pieces with a resin binder, and compression molding the mixed pieces and resin binder in a mold to form a cushioning component of a sole structure of the article of footwear.

A sole structure for an article of footwear includes a unitary cushioning component comprising a plurality of scrap foam pieces configured as a plurality of different polyhedron shapes and a resin binder securing the scrap foam pieces to one another. The sole structure may comprise a midsole including an outer shell defining a central cavity. The cushioning component may be disposed in the central cavity as a core of the midsole. A method of manufacturing an article of footwear cutting the scrap foam body into pieces, mixing the pieces with a resin binder, and compression molding the mixed pieces and resin binder in a mold to form a cushioning component of a sole structure of the article of footwear.

A method of forming an article of footwear can include providing an upper in a substantially flat orientation, securing a gathering string along at least a portion of a perimeter of a first surface of the upper with a securing member that is attached to the upper, positioning the upper on a last, and applying tension to the gathering string to at least partially conform the upper to a shape of the last.

A method of forming an article of footwear can include providing an upper in a substantially flat orientation, securing a gathering string along at least a portion of a perimeter of a first surface of the upper with a securing member that is attached to the upper, positioning the upper on a last, and applying tension to the gathering string to at least partially conform the upper to a shape of the last.

A method of manufacturing a multicolor-foamed shoe body by supercritical foaming includes step S1 to step S3: step S1: provide a plurality of cold shot model molds and inject a plurality of foaming materials in different colors into a cavity of each of the cold shot model molds to form a plurality of cold shot models in different colors that is unfoamed; step S2: place the cold shot models in a hot-pressing mold for hot pressing to make a contacting surface of any two of the cold shot models that are adjacent engage with each other due to heating to foam a semi-finished product; and step S3: place the semi-finished product in a supercritical foaming autoclave for foam molding to obtain the multicolor-foamed shoe body. Additionally, the multicolor-foamed shoe body manufactured by the method is also disclosed in the present invention.