In certain aspects, the inventive subject matter is directed to production of constructs of footwear and components thereof by jet extrusion. The inventive subject matter contemplates novel processes for making such constructs using jets or streams of materials that solidify as fibers, and which form into two- or three-dimensional webs as they are collected. The webs may be in the nature of films, membranes, or mats. In some embodiments, the inventive subject matter generally relates to nonwoven textiles consisting of webs of superfine fibers, i.e., fibers with diameters in nanoscale or micronscale ranges.

Articles of footwear may include a knitted component defining at least part of a void and joined with a sole structure. The knitted component may include an interior knit layer, an exterior knit layer, and a plurality of inlaid courses of a high tenacity yarn between the interior and exterior knit layers. The plurality of inlaid courses of high tenacity yarn may include at least three courses of the high tenacity yarn, each of which may be separated from an adjacent course of the plurality by no more than five courses.

A shoe may include an upper portion constructed from a continuous textile (e.g., a knit textile) that includes multiple regions having different textile properties to improve the performance of the shoe, including durability and comfort. In some cases, the multi-region upper portion may include regions having different thickness and/or flexibility based on a location relative to a wearer's foot to better support the wearer's foot. For example, the multi-region upper portion may include a reinforcement region having a first thickness and a flex region having a second thickness less than the first thickness. As another example, the multi-region upper portion may include a reinforcement region having a first stiffness and a flex region having a second stiffness less than the first stiffness.

A knitted component may form at least a portion of an article of footwear. For example, a first knit layer may be located on an inner side of an article of footwear such that the first layer is adjacent to a void, and a second layer may at least partially surround the first layer and form an outer surface of the article of footwear. An interstitial space may be formed between the first layer and the second layer. At least one pocket may be located within the interstitial space.

Footwear includes an inner knitted fabric (5) and an outer knitted fabric (4) that are connected by a stitch row at a top line (6). In the footwear, wale directions of the inner knitted fabric and the outer knitted fabric are different, and/or, the outer knitted fabric is provided with a portion made of a knitted structure (50) with holes, and the inner knitted fabric arranged on the inner side of that portion is made of a knitted structure (60) whose stretchability is lower than that of another portion of the inner knitted fabric. A difference in stretchability between the vertical and horizontal directions of the footwear provided with a double layer knitted fabric is reduced, or a difference in stretchability depending on the position in the footwear is reduced.

An article of footwear with an upper including a ribbon structure is disclosed. The ribbon structure comprises ribbon sections winding back and forth between the peripheral edges of the upper. At the peripheral edges, the ribbon loops around and some portions along the loops may raise up from a backing layer. An embroidered border element is applied over the peripheral edges to tack down or cover the raised portions of ribbon. The loops of ribbon may also be used as lace loops.

A first fabric of footwear comprising a closed lower end forming a toe and an open upper end and a second fabric that is open on a side opposite the first fabric is knitted on on front and back needle beds of a flat knitting machine. Double stitches formed between stitches at the upper end of the first fabric and between stitches at the upper end of the second fabric are taken from the needle beds. Remaining stitches at the first fabric upper end are held on one needle bed, and remaining stitches at the second fabric upper end are held on the other needle bed. Fabrics that follow the remaining stitches at the first fabric upper end and the remaining stitches at the second fabric upper end are knitted toward the heel of the footwear.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, a knitted component may include a knitted layer at least partially formed with a plurality of first yarns and a retention system formed in the knitted layer. The retention system may include a plurality of floating portions of the first yarns, and may be movable from a first state to a second state. In the first state, the plurality of floating portions of the first yarns may assume a slack state, where a float length of the first yarns may be greater than a dimension of the retention system.

An article and method includes a nonwoven textile forming at least part of an upper of an article of footwear and binding fibers entangled with fibers of the folded portion and the major portion, the edge being secured, at least in part, to the major surface. The nonwoven textile is comprised of fibers and has a major portion and a folded portion, the folded portion including an edge of the nonwoven textile folded over to bring the edge in contact, at least in part, with a major surface of the major portion to form a folded edge.

Methods are described for printing a three-dimensional structural component onto a base. For example, a method of printing is provided, including receiving a set of predetermined thicknesses for the three-dimensional structural component. The set of predetermined thicknesses has a first thickness and a second thickness. The first thickness is greater than the second thickness. The method further includes instructing a printing device to print a single layer for the three-dimensional structural component using the set of predetermined thicknesses. The method further includes printing a first portion of the single layer onto the base so that the first portion has the first thickness. The method further includes printing a second portion of the single layer onto the base so that the second portion has the second thickness.