Described are shoes, particularly a sports shoe, having an upper and at least one of an outer sole and a midsole connected to the upper. As examples, the outer sole is knitted in a unitary fashion with the upper. As further examples, an insert is positioned within the one-piece knitwear, wherein the insert comprises a profile that increases traction of the outer sole.

In one aspect, the present disclosure provides an article formed of a knitted component. The article may be an upper for an article of footwear. The knitted component may have a first portion and a second portion, where the first portion of the knitted component at least partially forms a foot-receiving portion of the upper, where the second portion of the knitted component at least partially forms a strap of the upper, where the strap includes a first edge and a second edge secured to the first portion of the knitted component, and where the strap includes a third edge that extends from the first edge to the second edge.

An article of footwear includes a sole assembly that has a bladder element with a first outer surface and a second outer surface opposite the first surface. A guide component is fused to one of the outer surfaces. The guide component has at least one groove extending laterally across the guide component. The at least one groove is configured to receive and guide at least one elongated member such that the elongated member is movable lengthwise when positioned in the at least one groove. A method of manufacturing a sole assembly for an article of footwear includes fusing the guide component to one of the first outer surface and the second outer surface of the bladder element.

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 flexible member includes a reinforced area reinforced by first and second reinforcement portions, wherein: the area is defined by the posterior edge of a first reinforcement portion and the anterior edge of a second reinforcement portion; the first and second reinforcement portions are smoothly continuous with each other without gaps; the perimeter of the area is completely surrounded by the first and second reinforcement portions; the virtual first center line of the area extends obliquely forward and upward; and the angle formed between the first center line and the tread surface of the sole is about 40° to 55°.

A method of forming a traced element is disclosed. The method may include printing layers of a traced element and incorporating a textile strand in overlapping polymer layers of the traced element. In some embodiments, the traced element may be formed on a base layer. The traced element may be incorporated into an upper for an article of footwear.

A shoe may include an upper and a sole structure. The upper may include a shell and first, second, third, and fourth sets of tensile restraints. Each of the sets may have one or more tensile restraints extending over and/or through a corresponding portion of the shell. The shell may be engaged with the sole structure and define an interior void configured to receive insertion of a user's foot. The first, second, third, and fourth sets of tensile restraints may be configured so that, upon securing of one or more structures to tighten the upper and connect the sets of tensile restraints, two linear axes of tension with anchors located in the forefoot and heel region extend diagonally across the article from one side to the other.

Aspects herein are directed to braided articles and methods for their manufacture. The braided articles may include articles of footwear having braided uppers. The article of footwear may comprise a sole and a braided upper comprising a toe portion having a toe seam, a heel portion comprising a seamless braided structure, and a throat portion. The toe portion may comprise a base yarn. The throat portion may comprise a stretch yarn. Additionally, the heel portion may comprise both the stretch yarn and the base yarn.

The present invention contemplates a binding system for a snowboards and the like. The system includes a soft-soled boot having a hardened exterior shell consisting of a toe portion and a heel portion, which are linked by at least one sidewall portion. The toe and heel portions include two toe and two heel pegs respectively. The boot includes an instep portion having instep cables for adjusting the boot to the wearer and the cables are adjusted by grommets and tightened in position by at least one resting bar. The binding has a base plate for connecting to the snowboard. The base plate further supports a pair of toe hooks adapted to engage the toe pegs and a pair of heel peg levers adapted to releasably engage the heel pegs of the boot. A grappling hook and ratchet mechanism grabs the resting bar on the boot.

An upper including: a plurality of panels provided in a medial side portion and/or a lateral side portion, the panels being separated from one another in a longitudinal direction of a foot, covering at least a portion of the side surface of the foot, and being pulled by a fastening member toward a center portion between the medial side and the lateral side of the foot; and a plurality of string-like non-stretchable string portions that are extending in the longitudinal direction, the string portions placed between a pair of the plurality of panels that are adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction.