The present invention relates to an upper for a shoe, comprising: a medial padding located in a medial portion of a heel area of the upper, wherein the medial padding comprises a first shape; a lateral padding located in a lateral portion of the heel area of the upper, wherein the lateral padding comprises a second shape; wherein the first shape differs from the second shape, wherein the lateral padding is arranged closer to a sole of the shoe than the medial padding, and wherein the lateral padding is arranged closer to a rear of the shoe upper than the medial padding.

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.

A footwear article is provided comprising an upper and a wear guard. In at least one example, the wear guard may include an overlay formed with bellows positioned along a lacing structure of the footwear article, wherein the wear guard is a different material than the upper of the footwear article.

A shoe including a sole and a shoe upper, the shoe upper including a shoe opening for entering the shoe, the shoe opening defined by a rear part, a medial part, a lateral part, and a front part, the rear part including a top portion, reinforced by a firm material, an optional bottom portion reinforced by a firm material, a center portion, located between the top portion and the bottom portion, the center portion made of a flexible material, and a spring element. The top part of the spring element being attached to the top portion of the rear part, and the bottom part of the spring element being attached to either the bottom portion of the rear part, or to the sole.

Footwear upper components include a fabric element having a first thermoplastic polyurethane component and a bladder component that defines a sealed interior chamber for containing a fluid. The bladder component includes an outer perimeter seam that extends at least partially around the sealed interior chamber, and at least a portion of this outer perimeter seam is engaged with the first thermoplastic polyurethane component of the fabric element. The outer perimeter seam seals two thermoplastic sheets together to form the bladder component. At least a portion of a major exterior surface of one thermoplastic sheet that defines the sealed interior chamber may be bonded to the thermoplastic polyurethane component of the fabric element in an adhesive free manner, and/or the portion of the outer perimeter seam that is bonded to the first thermoplastic polyurethane component of the fabric element may be bonded in an adhesive free manner.

Footwear uppers include a footwear upper base formed from one or more component parts and including: (i) an instep region including at least one of a tongue base region or instep base region and (ii) a heel-containing region. A bladder is engaged with the footwear upper. The bladder includes: (i) at least a first instep chamber engaged with the instep region, (ii) at least a first heel and/or ankle support chamber engaged with the heel-containing region, and (iii) a first fluid line connecting the first instep chamber and the first heel and/or ankle support chamber and placing the first instep chamber in fluid communication with the first heel and/or ankle support chamber. Fluid moving from the first instep chamber to the first heel and/or ankle support chamber (e.g., under force applied by a footwear securing strap) provides further support for the wearer's heel and/or ankle.

An upper for a sports shoe may include a component such as a vamp or a rear portion. The shoe component may include a UV curable microlattice structure with a plurality of regions such that each region has a different density. In some cases, the microlattice structure may include a high density microlattice structure, a mid-level density microlattice structure, and a non-structural region with a low density microlattice structure.

A footwear article is provided having an upper and a wear guard arranged across a vamp of the upper. In one embodiment, the wear guard is configured with a grid pattern of raised articulations extends entirely across a width of the vamp. In another embodiment, the footwear article also include a heel guard positioned above a heel region of the upper. In yet another embodiment, a tab may be coupled to the heel guard.

An embroidered vamp process includes the following steps: (1) designing a vamp manufacture drawing by a computer; (2) according to the design drawing of step (1), cutting different pieces of cloth into base fabric of the vamp and a splice component of the vamp respectively by a laser; (3) typesetting the splice component cut in step (2) on the base fabric, then embroidering the splice component on the base fabric according to an embroidery thread pattern of the drawing by an embroidery machine; (4) cutting out the redundant base fabric of the vamp along the edge the splice component by, once again, the laser, forming the vamp of the finished product shoe model. An embroidered vamp comprises a vamp body, said vamp body comprising the base fabric and the splice component, said splice component being embroidered on the surface of base fabric by embroidery thread.

An article of apparel includes a base layer defined by a Poisson's ratio, and a polymer structure coupled to the base layer. The polymer structure is configured to lower the Poisson's ratio of the base layer. The polymer structure includes a plurality of interconnected members forming an array of cell units. The plurality of interconnected members form cell walls with interior recesses defined within the cell walls.