Described is a shoe upper for a shoe, in particular an athletic shoe, wherein the shoe upper is laceless and comprises: (a.) a lateral portion; (b.) a medial portion; and (c.) at least an elastic intermediate portion between the lateral portion and the medial portion, wherein the stiffness of at least one of the lateral portion and the medial portion is at least 2 times higher than the stiffness of the elastic intermediate portion.

A composite material contains a nonwoven layer (i) which contains fibers formed from a first thermoplastic elastomer having meshes with a mesh size in the range from 10 to 100 μm, and a membrane layer (ii) which contains a second thermoplastic elastomer and having a layer thickness of less than 30 μm. The membrane is either pore-free (ii.1) or is porous and has pores with an average pore diameter of less than 2000 nm (ii.2). The membrane (ii) is at least partially in direct contact with the fibers of the nonwoven layer (i) and covers the mesh openings in the nonwoven layer (i) at least partially. The fibers of the first nonwoven layer (i) and the membrane (ii) in the contact area are at least partly joined to one another in an interlocking manner.

A waterborne polyurethane dispersion is provided. The waterborne polyurethane dispersion is prepared by using a tri-functionality polyether polyol as part of the polyols for forming the prepolymer and a hydrophilic amino siloxane co-chain extender, and can exhibit superior performance properties such as enhanced color fastness, improved low temperature stability, good anti-stickiness, bally flex resistance, anti-abrasion and mechanical properties. A laminated synthetic leather article prepared with said waterborne polyurethane dispersion as well the method for preparing the synthetic leather article are also provided.

The disclosure relates to seamless manufacturing processes for 3-dimensional waterproof and breathable porous polymer membranes by spraying, dip-coating or painting a substrate with a dispersion having polymer, coated or non-coated particles and diluent and removing the particles by dissolution thus creating porosity after the 3D coating/shaping. The disclosure further relates to dispersions to obtain such membranes, to polymer membranes obtained, to shaped articles containing such membranes; to the use of such membranes, shaped articles and intermediates.

Provided herein are compositions of mycelium material, and methods for production thereof. Also provided herein are articles of footwear includes an upper, a lasting board affixed with the upper to define an interior foot-receiving cavity therewith, and an outsole coupled with the upper opposite the lasting board. The upper includes at least a portion of a mycelium material that includes one or more proteins derived from an organism other than mycelium.

A variety of plates for footwear are provided including a polyolefin resin. Sole structures and articles of footwear formed therefrom are also provided. Methods of making the polyolefin resin compositions, plates, sole structures, and articles of footwear are also provided. In some aspects, the polyolefin resin composition includes an effective amount of a polymeric resin modifier. The effective amount can be an amount effective to allow the resin composition to pass a flex test, and in particular to pass a flex test without significant change in abrasion loss. In some aspects, the resin composition also includes a clarifying agent to improve optical clarity of the plate. In some aspects, the plates include a textile disposed on one or both of a first side and the second side of the plate. The textile can provide for improved bonding of the plate to other components such as a chassis or an upper.

A composite material for footwear where the composite material includes a substrate and a material layer applied to the substrate. The material layer includes at least two transfer coating layers and an adhesive layer that secures the material layer to the substrate.

A method for manufacturing a closed porous composite material includes 1) preparing a mixture that has 30 to 70 parts by weight of water-dispersed resin, 10 to 300 parts by weight of unexpanded thermal expansion microspheres, and 100 to 550 parts by weight of water, and stirring the mixture thoroughly; 2) preparing a carrier; 3) coating the carrier with the mixture acquired in step 1; 4) heating the carrier so that the unexpanded thermal expansion microspheres expand; and 5) repeating steps 3 and 4 multiple times to acquire a closed porous composite material. The closed porous composite material has a large number of closed cavities and polymer walls separating the closed cavities. The closed cavity is 20 μm to 800 μm in size. The ratio of a total volume of the closed cavities to a total volume of the polymer walls is greater than 16.

A method for manufacturing waterproof and breathable shoes is provided. The method includes subjecting shoe sole materials to plastication and mixing, followed by cutting into pieces to be mold to form a shoe sole; stacking a knitted fabric as an outer layer, a polyurethane layer as a middle layer, and a knitted fabric as an inner layer sequentially into a mold for hot-pressing and shaping to form a shoe upper; and bonding the shoe upper to the shoe sole with an adhesive glue so as to form a shoe. The shoe is made flexible and light as the shoe upper is made up of two layers of knitted fabric bonded to a polyurethane layer. Moreover, the middle layer of the shoe upper includes a wavy structure, which is stretchable and helps improve waterproofness and breathability of the shoe upper.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing non-slip socks, which arranges and presses a fabric to which a grapping member is bonded at the inside of the sock and then arranges and presses the fabric to which the grapping member is bonded at the outside of the sock. Here, accuracy of positions of the grapping members at the inside and the outside of the sock may increase by using a unit for guiding a position of the fabric, and productivity may improve.