A toe box installed in a shoe tip of work footwear for protecting a toe includes a toe box body integrally formed by a shell body to cover the toe. The shell body connects a tip wall, a left side wall, a right side wall, and an upper wall with a smoothly curved surface. The tip wall, the left side wall, the right side wall, and the upper wall are made of a synthetic resin material. A front surface and a back surface of the upper wall are formed as a smooth surface, and the front surface of the upper wall is provided with a woven fabric formed of nylon resin fiber through an adhesive layer.

An article, such as an article of footwear or an article of apparel, includes an upper having a gradient-like coloring pattern. The article further includes protruding elements configured in a pattern that corresponds to the coloring pattern. The article may have a layered structure including a base layer, a coloring ink layer and a layer of protruding elements.

Described are materials for a shoe upper, in particular for soccer shoes, with a particularly low weight. The material includes an inner polyurethane layer, an outer polyurethane layer, and a textile reinforcing layer. The textile reinforcing layer is arranged between the inner polyurethane layer and the outer polyurethane layer. The inner polyurethane layer and the outer polyurethane layer comprise thermoset polyurethane. The textile reinforcing layer comprises apertures through which the inner polyurethane layer and the outer polyurethane layer are connected to each other.

Described are materials for a shoe upper, in particular for soccer shoes, with a particularly low weight. The material includes an inner polyurethane layer, an outer polyurethane layer, and a textile reinforcing layer. The textile reinforcing layer is arranged between the inner polyurethane layer and the outer polyurethane layer. The inner polyurethane layer and the outer polyurethane layer comprise thermoset polyurethane. The textile reinforcing layer comprises apertures through which the inner polyurethane layer and the outer polyurethane layer are connected to each other.

A method and apparatus of affixing padding, or a padding alternative, or a buffer material, to the interior and entirety of a formal shoe is disclosed, capable of being adapted to a plurality of formal shoe designs, including but not limited to women's, men's, and youth boots, mules, wedges, loafers, and various other shoes, in order to prevent the discomfort commonly associated with said wearing, while preserving the aesthetic appeal of a formal shoe, as well as providing maximum comfort for long periods of wear, dramatically reducing likelihood of the user experiencing sore foot regions, specifically bruised toes, cut heels, and bunions and blisters and without having to place any additional, temporary, or ancillary padded inserts into a formal shoe.

An article of footwear may have an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. The upper includes a base layer, a plurality of strand segments, and a deposition layer. The base layer has a first surface and an opposite second surface. The strand segments are located adjacent to the first surface and extend substantially parallel to the first surface for a distance of at least five centimeters. The deposition layer is deposited upon the first surface and the strand segments, and the deposition layer is joined with the first surface and the strand segments. The deposition layer is applied using a screen printing process. Different inks can be used during the screen printing process to form the deposition layer and an indicia layer.

A fiber bound engineered material is provided that imparts an intended characteristic at an intended relative location. A fiber layer is entangled with additional fibers in a manner to create a non-uniform engineered material. The lack of uniformity of a fiber bound engineered material may be accomplished through manipulation of the fibers and/or through fiber binding a scrim. The fiber layer binds with additional fibers through entanglement such that a mechanical connection between the entangled fibers is provided. This entanglement allows the fibers to bind without supplemental adhesives, interlacing, or connections. Variations in the fibers and/or inclusion of scrim materials prior to entanglement allows for an intended characteristic (e.g., a functional characteristic) at an intended relative location (e.g., a position determined by an article to be formed therefrom).

Described are materials for a shoe upper, in particular for soccer shoes, with a particularly low weight. The material includes an inner polyurethane layer, an outer polyurethane layer, and a textile reinforcing layer. The textile reinforcing layer is arranged between the inner polyurethane layer and the outer polyurethane layer. The inner polyurethane layer and the outer polyurethane layer comprise thermoset polyurethane. The textile reinforcing layer comprises apertures through which the inner polyurethane layer and the outer polyurethane layer are connected to each other.

Articles of footwear may include an upper with a forward lace-receiving element and a plurality of strands that extend forward from the lace-receiving element. In some configurations, the strands are located between a pair of material layers and lay substantially parallel to the material layers.

A last system and a method of making the last system are disclosed. The last system includes a last member and an exterior layer. The exterior layer becomes deformable when heated above a characteristic temperature. The method can include forming a braided footwear component on the last system. The exterior layer may be joined with the braided footwear component by heating the last system above the characteristic temperature.