A lightweight, breathable and high-strength upper formed from a half-gauge knit or lesser gauge knit, at least in part from alternating courses of a first monofilament and a second multifilament yarn, is described. The upper may include a skin layer. Methods of manufacture of an article of footwear including the lightweight upper are also described.

An upper for an article of footwear includes a mesh textile portion including pillars including one or more first yarns aligned in a first direction and defining a major axis of the mesh textile portion and links including one or more second yarns and aligned in a second direction defining a minor axis of the mesh textile portion. The minor axis is transverse the major axis, the pillars have a greater thickness and/or greater denier than the links, and the major axis is offset from a lengthwise dimension of the upper by a bias angle ranging from about 30 to about 60.

Aspects herein are directed to a reinforced knit channel for an upper configured to receive a lace. The knit channel includes a first knit layer and a second knit layer that at least partially overlaps the first knit layer and is interlooped with the first knit layer at a first interlooped area and a second interlooped area. A channel region is present between the first and second interlooped areas. A first portion of a tensile strand is integrated into the first knit layer in the channel region, and a second portion of the tensile strand extends over a surface of the first knit layer within the channel region. The tensile strand helps to reinforce openings into the channel region.

An upper for a shoe, particularly a sports shoe. The upper includes a base layer having a one-way stretchable material, in which the one-way stretchable material is stretchable in a first direction. The upper further includes at least one reinforcement element, in which the reinforcement element is arranged such as to limit the stretchability of the one-way stretchable material at least in the first direction.

A shoe includes a knit upper and a sole secured to the knit upper. The knit upper is formed with a first type of knit structure knitted with a thermoplastic yarn in a first area. The first area is in at least the toe region of the knit upper. In a second area including at least the medial and lateral metatarsal regions of the knit upper, the knit upper is formed with a second type of knit structure knitted with a second yarn having a higher melting temperature than the thermoplastic yarn. A rear boundary line of the first area and a forward boundary line of the second area define a boundary line between the first and second areas.

Footwear upper components include a fabric element and a bladder component that defines a sealed interior chamber. The bladder component includes: (a) a first major surface engaged with the fabric element, wherein this first major surface defines at least part of a first perimeter seam surface and at least part of a first surface of the sealed interior chamber, (b) a second major surface opposite the first major surface, wherein this second major surface defines at least part of a second perimeter seam surface opposite the first perimeter seam surface and at least part of a second surface of the sealed interior chamber opposite the sealed interior chamber's first surface, and (c) and a fluid chamber between the first and second major surfaces. The first major surface (and optionally the second major surface) may include texturing, e.g., texturing corresponding to texture present on a surface of the fabric element.

An article of footwear, having a first end portion; a second end portion opposite the first end portion; and an upper extending between the first end portion and the second end portion, wherein the second end portion of the upper comprises a medial side and a lateral side opposite the medial side; and a heel portion, comprising: a heel seam coupling the medial side and the lateral side of the upper, the heel seam having an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the upper portion has an asymmetrical bias. The heel seam may have an asymmetrical bias toward the medial side of the upper to improve the comfort while contouring the article of footwear to a foot of the wearer, creating a tighter fitting article of footwear.

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.

An article of footwear includes an upper, a strobel secured to a lower extent of the upper, and a midsole secured to the strobel. The strobel defines an aperture extending transversely across a longitudinal midline of the midsole and over a foot-facing surface of the midsole. The strobel includes a medial portion extending from a medial outer edge of the strobel at a medial side of the strobel to a medial inner edge of the strobel at a medial extent of the aperture, a lateral portion extending from a lateral outer edge of the strobel at a lateral side of the strobel to a lateral inner edge of the strobel at a lateral extent of the aperture. The aperture has a maximum transverse width greater than a sum of transverse widths of the medial portion and the lateral portion at the maximum transverse width of the aperture.

The present invention concerns a shoe upper, including (a) a first sheet, (b) a second sheet, (c) a connecting region in which the first sheet is connected to the second sheet, and (d) a first coating. The first coating is applied onto a first region of the first sheet, a second region of the second sheet, and a third region of the connecting region. The first region, the second region, and the third region are connected.