A variable thickness knitted component including a first region having a spacer knit construction, the first region having a first thickness, and a second region having the spacer knit construction, the second region having a second thickness different than the first thickness. The knitted component may be an integral one-piece element.

A shoe including a knit upper and a sole secured to the upper. The knit upper has a knitted element formed of a unitary one-piece construction during a knitting process on a knitting machine. The knitted element includes a circular vamp oxford pattern. The upper toe region, the upper lateral and medial ball regions, and the upper lateral and medial metatarsal regions of the knit upper collectively are knitted with the circular vamp oxford pattern during the knitting process. The circular vamp oxford pattern is knit with a first knit structure, a second knit structure, and a third knit structure. The first knit structure has a smaller gauge than the second and third knit structures, and the third knit structure has a larger gauge than the second knit structure. The first and third knit structures are separated by the second knit structure.

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.

The invention is a high heel shoe with an upper that will provide comfort and flexibility for the wearer. In a preferred embodiment the upper consists of two at least two materials: 1) a firm fabric, such as leather, that will hold the shape of the design and have limited flexibility; 2) a flat knitted elastic, such as knit elastic, which will not narrow, or not narrow significantly, when stretched. In addition, the firm fabric is configured to have a flex-point and in a preferred embodiment is formed of two pieces of the firm material having a split between them providing the desired flex-point.

An upper for an article of footwear includes a first upper panel, a second upper panel, and an extruded component. The extruded component is disposed along a border between the first upper panel and the second upper panel. The extruded component joins the first upper panel to the second upper panel.

An article of footwear includes a sole structure and an upper secured to the sole structure. The upper is configured to receive a foot of a wearer and has a peripheral region. Further, the upper includes a ribbon structure formed of a plurality of ribbon sections, and a plurality of ribbon loops extending from a peripheral region of the upper.

An article of footwear with an upper including a ribbon structure is disclosed. The ribbon structure comprises ribbon sections running in at least two different directions. Ribbon sections are connected at nodes that may move substantially independently of other nodes. The ribbon structure can provide strength along one of the directions and may simultaneously remain slack in the other direction.

The present invention concerns a shoe upper comprising a woven portion, wherein the woven portion comprises a plurality of warp yarns; a plurality of weft yarns; at least one stitching yarn, wherein the stitching yarn is integrally woven into the fabric during the weaving process by laterally displacing the stitching yarn substantially along the weft direction and moving the stitching yarn in and out of at least one open reed gap in a reed.

Hot melt sequins and methods of applying these sequins are disclosed. A method of attaching two components includes stitching a hot melt sequin to one of the components and heating the hot melt sequin to bond the two components together. Sequins can also be applied to articles to create structural elements such as heel counters, toe covers, and lace cages. Sequins can be applied in 1D, 2D, and 3D patterns as well as in dispersive patterns. Sequins can be applied to vary the abrasion properties of a portion of an article.

An article of footwear includes a sole and an upper at least partially formed of a textile element. The textile element includes a yarn matrix having a plurality of interlocked strands oriented in predetermined directions. A structural element may be captured within the matrix at selected locations. In operation, the matrix is stitched onto a temporary substrate. The substrate is removed and the article coupled to a sole structure to form the article of footwear.