The present invention relates to a shoe upper, in particular an upper knitted on a circular knitting machine, including an elongated hollow knit structure, including: a first zone including a first predetermined property; a second zone including a second predetermined property; wherein the elongated hollow knit structure includes less than ten distinct ply types of yarn including less than five distinct materials.

A method of forming an upper for an article of footwear includes depositing a fibrous material over a shoe last to form a fibrous material layer, where the fibrous material layer forms a portion of an upper of the article of footwear, flowing a polymer material within a mold so as to conform with a lower portion of the upper including the fibrous material layer, and drying the polymer material to form a sole structure for the article of footwear.

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.

A knitted component for an article of footwear comprises a knit element and a tongue integrally knitted with the knit element. The knit element includes a lateral throat portion overlapping a lateral edge of the tongue and a medial throat portion overlapping a medial edge of the tongue. The lateral throat portion and the tongue are joined by a first knit structure, and the medial throat portion and the tongue are joined by a second knit structure. The first and second knit structures each include one or more courses having a plurality of knit stitches. Each knit structure may also span multiple adjacent courses. A method of manufacturing the knitted component is also described herein.

The present disclosure provides a moc-toe style boot comprising a sole and an upper, the upper including a foot covering portion connected to the sole and a lower leg covering portion located above the foot covering portion, wherein the foot covering portion includes a toe covering portion, a heel covering portion, and an instep covering portion. The foot covering portion defines at least a portion having a one-piece molded polymeric construction, wherein the one-piece molded polymeric construction defines a vertical toe wall of the toe covering portion and an upper vamp of the instep covering portion that extends to at least the eyestays defined by the upper of the boot.

An article of footwear includes an upper having a ribbon structure. The ribbon structure includes a first set of ribbon sections oriented substantially in a first direction, a second set of ribbon sections oriented substantially in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, and a third set of ribbon sections oriented substantially in a third direction that is different from the first direction and the second direction. The first set of ribbon sections includes at least a first ribbon portion and the second set of ribbon sections includes at least a second ribbon portion, wherein the first ribbon portion and the second ribbon portion intersect at a node.

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.

A knitted component comprising a spacer knit construction having a first knitted layer and a second knitted layer facing opposite the first knitted layer, the second knitted layer spaced relative to the first knitted layer and defining a cavity therebetween, and a spacer strand traversing the cavity between the first knitted layer and the second knitted layer to secure the first knitted layer to the second knitted layer. The first knitted layer is at least partially formed with a first monofilament and a second monofilament such that both of the first monofilament and the second monofilament are exposed on an outer surface of the first knitted layer. The first monofilament comprises a first denier and the second monofilament comprises a second denier, the first denier being at least 250% greater than the second denier.

An article of footwear includes a sole defining a length direction and a width direction of the article of footwear. An upper is connected to the sole and includes at least one panel having a plurality of layers that are secured together by an embroidery stitching pattern. The plurality of layers include a first layer arranged outward from a second layer, wherein a plurality of cells are formed on the first layer by the embroidery stitching pattern such that a perimeter of each cell is defined along the embroidery stitching pattern. An outer surface of the first layer is buckled such that an interior portion defined within the perimeter of each cell bulges outward on the first layer of the upper. A plurality of gripping pads are disposed on the outer surface of the first layer. Each of the gripping pads are arranged on the interior portion of each of the plurality of cells.

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.