An upper for an article of footwear, the upper including a base layer defining a least a portion of the upper and polymer threads stitched to the base layer. The polymer threads may include a core composed of a first material and a coating composed of a second material, where the melting point of the first material is higher than the melting point of the second material. The polymer threads may be bonded to the base layer by the coating of the polymer threads. The polymer threads may include one or more polymer thread sets stitched in pattern(s) on area(s) of an outer surface of the base layer to provide targeted characteristics to area(s) on the upper. In some embodiments, the polymer threads may be bonded to the base layer with heat and/or pressure.

Footwear for covering a foot of a wearer includes an outsole configured for supporting the foot of the wearer, an upper secured to the outsole and configured for covering the foot of the wearer, an insole located above the outsole within the upper, a midsole located above the outsole and below the insole and first and second laterally adjacent shanks located above the outsole and below the insole. The first shank angles forward and outward from the heel portion to a lateral side of the middle portion and the second shank angles forward and outward from the heel portion to a medial side of the middle portion to form an acute angle therebetween and provide balance and torsional stability for sides of the wearer's foot.

A method of making an article of footwear with an upper including a ribbon structure is disclosed. The method includes laying down ribbon elements in straight and winding sections. The method includes stitching or otherwise attaching the ribbon elements to a backing layer. The method also includes embroidering a periphery of the ribbon structure to tack down any raised portions of the ribbon at the periphery. The method also includes inserting a lace through loops in the ribbon structure.

A last for forming an upper of an article of footwear includes a first portion including a lateral side and a medial side that opposes the lateral side, and a second portion connected with and extending upward and transversely outward in an angled manner away from the first portion such that a terminal end of the second portion is distanced from the first portion. An exterior surface of the last can include a plurality of three dimensional structural surface components disposed over at least 50% of the exterior surface of the last.

An upper for an article of footwear may include a medial side, a lateral side, and a throat area between the medial side and the lateral side. An inner component may form an inner surface of the upper, where the inner component includes an inner throat region in the throat area, where a tensile strand of the inner component forms a loop in the inner throat region, and where the loop includes an opening for receiving a fastening element. An outer shroud may form the outer surface of the upper, where the outer shroud at least partially covers the inner throat region of the inner component such that the loop is located in a pocket formed between the inner component and the outer shroud.

Systems and methods for manufacturing knitted shoe uppers. An article of fully finished three-dimensionally weft knitted footwear is manufactured through a knitting process which can be performed by an automated V-bed flat knitting machine. The knitting process includes manipulating one or more double-knit stitch types and joining the stitches exclusively in the knitting process to create a seamless upper to fit a foot. A resulting upper advantageously has no sewn seams and requires no manual post process to cut or sew the upper to create the dimensional shape. The process creates a seamless, full gauge, dimensionally stable footwear upper, as a unitary textile construction with an integrated anatomically appropriate heel. The entire upper, including the closure element of the upper, may be completed exclusively by the knitting machine, ready for the following shoe making process.

A separable footwear article may comprise an outsole oriented at the bottom of the footwear and configured for ground contact, the outsole comprising a first material; an upper portion releasably coupled to the outsole with thread using chain stitching, the upper portion comprising a second material different from the first material; and an insole removeably disposed adjacent the upper portion and the outsole, the insole comprising a third material different from the first material and the second material; wherein the outsole, the upper portion, and insole are capable of being separated by releasing the thread and hand pulling the thread from the footwear article.

A method may include one or more of the following steps: knitting a first knit layer and a second knit layer on a knitting machine, where the first knit layer and the second knit layer each include a plurality of intermeshed loops, and where at least one loop of the first knit layer is intermeshed with at least one loop of the second knit layer; inlaying an inlaid strand between the first knit layer and the second knit layer during the knitting of the first knit layer and the second knit layer, where the inlaid strand includes a thermoplastic material having a melting point; and applying heat to at least a portion of the thermoplastic material of the inlaid strand such that the portion of the thermoplastic material rises to a temperature at or above the melting point.

An upper of an article of footwear comprises a plurality of stretch zones each having a respective stretching capability. Suitable example stretch zones may include four-way stretch zones, two-way stretch zones, and/or lock-out zones. In some examples, an upper having a plurality of stretch zones comprises a single continuous piece of material configured to have regions of different stretching capability. The single piece of material may comprise a layered material having two stretchable outer layers, wherein a plurality of stretch zones of the piece of material are defined by corresponding intermediate layers disposed at selected locations between the outer layers. Examples of intermediate layers providing two-way stretch, four-way stretch, and little or no stretch are disclosed.

The present invention relates to a shoe upper which comprises first and second upper elements that are joined to form a foot-receiving chamber for accommodating a foot of a wearer, wherein the second upper element forms a footbed and wherein the second upper element comprises at least a first set of wings protruding from the lateral and medial sides of the second upper element, wherein the first set of wings comprise a first merging area configured to attach the first upper element to the second upper element.