Composite materials are described herein. An example composite material may comprise a shell fiber layer. The example composite material may comprise a membrane disposed adjacent the shell fiber layer.

One or more aspects of the present disclosure provide articles of manufacture and components of articles that incorporate an optical element that imparts a structural color to the component or the article. The component comprises a thermoplastic polymeric material, and can include or be made to have a textured surface.

Films, fibers, filaments, yarns and textiles including thermoplastic elastomeric compositions are described, as are methods of making the films, fibers, filaments, yarns and textiles. These films, fibers, filaments, yarns and textiles can be used to make articles of apparel, footwear, and sporting equipment. When thermoformed, the thermoplastic elastomeric compositions can impart abrasion resistance, traction, and other advantageous properties to the articles. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.

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.

The present invention relates to a method for the production of plastic footwear (10; 100) of the “full plastic” type by means of moulding using a polyurethane mixture (M; P). The method comprises the steps of: —providing a mould (20) having a mould cavity (22) defined by at least two impressions (28, 30) and designed to receive a shoe last (24) so as to define, when the mould (20) is closed, an interspace (26) having the shape and dimensions of the plastic footwear (10; 100) to be produced; —spraying a polyurethane mixture (M, P) onto said at least two impressions (28, 30) of the mould cavity (22); —inserting the shoe last (24) inside said mould cavity (22); —closing the mould cavity (22) so that the sprayed polyurethane mixture (M, P) occupies said interspace (26); —opening the mould (20), once at least the demoulding time (td) for the sprayed polyurethane mixture (M, P) has lapsed, such that the sprayed polyurethane mixture (M, P) has solidified inside the interspace (26) forming said plastic footwear (10, 100); —extracting the shoe last (24) from the mould cavity (22); —removing the plastic footwear (10, 100) from the shoe last (24).

A last for forming an upper of an article of footwear includes an exterior surface, where the exterior surface includes a plurality of three dimensional structural surface components disposed over at least 50% of the exterior surface of the last.

A shoe cover comprises a shoe cover upper comprised of non-woven fabric; a shoe cover opening formed in the shoe cover upper; a shoe cover sole integrated with the shoe cover upper; a first sealing part extending from the top edge to the bottom surface of the shoe cover sole towards the front end of the shoe cover upper; a second sealing part extending from the top edge to the bottom surface of the shoe cover sole towards a rear end of the shoe cover upper; an elastic ring provided within a first accommodating space of the shoe cover upper proximate the shoe cover opening; an elastic strip provided on the shoe cover sole and extending along a front-rear direction; and a plurality of anti-slip strips disposed on the outer bottom surface of the shoe cover sole and comprised of an isotactic polypropylene polymer and/or an isotactic polypropylene derivative.

One or more aspects of the present disclosure provide articles of manufacture and components of articles that incorporate an optical element that imparts a structural color to the component or the article. The component comprises a thermoplastic polymeric material, and can include or be made to have a textured surface.

Described are shoes, in particular a sports shoe, wherein at least a portion of an upper of the shoe includes a first layer and a functional second layer, wherein the functional second layer is directly printed onto the first layer.

An article of footwear includes a sole structure and an upper that is attached to the sole structure. The upper defines a cavity that is configured to receive a foot of a wearer. The upper is at least partially defined by a textile. The textile includes a first area that is substantially smooth. The first area defines a reference boundary that conforms to the cavity. The textile includes a second area. The second area includes a plurality of projection structures that project away from the reference boundary and outwardly from the cavity at varying heights. The second area includes a plurality of recess structures that recess away from the reference boundary and inwardly toward the cavity. The plurality of projection structures and the plurality of recess structures are in an alternating arrangement across the textile.