A massaging boot assembly for massaging a foot includes a boot that may be worn on a foot. A massage unit is coupled to the boot and the massage unit selectively massages the foot when the boot is worn. The massage unit is selectively turned on and off. A heating unit is coupled to the boot such that the heating unit is in thermal communication with the boot. The heating unit is selectively turned on to selectively heat the foot thereby enhancing therapeutic relief of the foot.

A knitted upper for an article of footwear. The knitted upper is formed essentially as a single piece in a three-dimensional knitting process. The knitted upper includes at least one activated shrink yarn.

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.

An article of footwear provides improved stability and support by incorporating a strap to overlay over an instep area of an upper component that is comprised of a knitted material. The strap includes engagement members on an underside of the strap that engage ribbing structures that are part of the knitted material on an outer surface of the instep area. By engaging with the ribbing structures, the strap provides improved stability and support.

A needle assembly for a stitching machine comprises a stitching jig comprising a needle holder, a needle clamp hoop and a fixing jig. The needle holder has needle sockets to hold a plurality of needles. The needle clamp hoop is connected to the needle holder to retain needles in the sockets. The fixing jig is connected to the needle clamp hoop to couple with a reciprocating bar of the stitching machine. A method for manufacturing an article of footwear upper comprises laying out a first sheet of material; positioning a second sheet of material to overlap with the first sheet of material at an overlap; positioning a felt material adjacent the overlap so that the second sheet of material is between the first sheet of material and the felt material; and felting the felt material to draw fibers of the felt material through the first and second sheets of material.

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. Between nodes portions of ribbon act like links joining the nodes. The links can be arranged in various geometries, including a rectangular grid and a triaxial grid. The ribbon structure may extend the entire length of the article of footwear, and may extend through a forefoot, midfoot and heel.

A method of manufacturing an upper for an article of footwear includes dispensing ribbon in an overlapping pattern of ribbon sections to form a ribbon structure; and fixedly attaching a first ribbon section to an underlying material with thermal joining.

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.

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.

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.