An improved article of footwear is disclosed herein. The upper of the footwear is disposed on the sole, where the upper is constructed from an inner textile layer, an outer textile layer, and a plurality of compressible segments disposed between the inner and outer textile layers. The upper may further contain numerous portions, or zones. Each zone may differ from the other zones of the upper by the number, shape, size, layout, and material of each compressible segment in that zone. The number, shape, size, layout, and material of the compressible segments in each zone gives each zone a specific degree of flexibility, support, and comfort.

An upper may include a first knitted portion configured to form an outer surface of the upper, a second knitted portion configured to form an inner surface of the upper, where the second knitted portion is at least partially coextensive with the first knitted portion, an interstitial space between the first knitted portion and the second knitted portion, and a knitted connection structure connecting the first knitted portion to the second knitted portion. The knitted connection structure may extend at least partially along at least one of a tongue and a collar of the upper, and the second knitted portion may include at least one double jersey knit structure that is coextensive with the first knitted portion.

A first item of footwear is provided including a midsole; an upper, releasably coupled to the midsole; and a sole releasably coupled to the midsole. A second item of footwear is provided including a sole; an upper, releasably coupled to the sole; and a toe support releasably coupled to the sole. A third item of footwear is provided including: a sole; a first upper portion attached to the sole; and a second upper portion releasably coupled to first upper portion, such that the second upper portion can be coupled to the first upper portion while the shoe is being worn.

Footwear includes one or more of: (a) an upper portion at least partially defining a foot-receiving chamber; (b) a track component integrally formed or engaged with the upper portion; (c) a heel engaging component movable with respect to the upper portion via the track component between a closed configuration and an open configuration; (d) a locking system, e.g., holding the heel engaging component in the closed configuration; (e) a biasing system, e.g., applying force to the heel engaging component toward the open configuration; (f) a stop system, e.g., keeping the heel engaging component from completely disengaging from the track component; and/or (g) a sole structure. When the footwear is supported upright on a horizontal surface, the heel engaging component may move rearward (and in some examples upward) via the track component when changing from the closed to the open configuration.

The invention relates to a mould (1) for manufacturing three-dimensional items, comprising a body (2); a lid (4) configured to close said body (2); and incorporated closing and opening means (5) configured to keep the body (2) and the lid (4) joined during the movement thereof. A machine (M1) for manufacturing three-dimensional items, comprising a receiving module (M2) configured to receive the mould (1); a conditioning module (M3) configured to receive the mould (1) from the receiving module (M2) and act on the incorporated closing and opening means (5) in order to separate the lid (4) from the body (2); and a handling module (M4) configured to receive the body (2) from the conditioning module (M3) and enable the placement of the components of the item to be manufactured. A method for manufacturing three-dimensional items and manufacturing plant associated with said machine (M1).

An article of footwear may include a knitted component formed of multiple knitted component portions. The knitted component includes a body portion and a heel portion. The body portion is formed of unitary knit construction and extends through a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and at least partially into a heel region of the article of footwear. The heel portion is formed of unitary knit construction and extends through the heel region and includes a cuff that defines a throat opening of the upper for receiving a foot. The body portion and the heel portion are joined along adjacent edges to form the knitted component. Knitting directions of the knitted component portions vary along the adjacent edges. An overlay element may also be provided to cover a seam attaching the adjacent edges of the knitted component portions.

A hot-molding method using a plastic elastomer to fabricate a vamp comprises steps: fabricating a hot-molding mold according to a pattern design of a vamp; fabricating blanks of different thicknesses, shapes, sizes, colors and materials; placing the blanks in the hot-molding mold; placing the hot-molding mold in a hot-molding machine to undertake a hot-molding process; and taking the hot-molding mold out of the hot-molding machine and then taking out the vamp from the mold after cooling. The method enables a single vamp to simultaneously use blanks of different thicknesses, shapes, colors and materials and diversifies vamp designs. The method fixes blanks securely in the mold and joins blanks of different colors to an identical vamp in a single process. The blanks are hard to peel off the vamp after molding. The method features a short fabrication cycle, high efficiency and high yield.

A method of manufacturing a shoe includes preparing a flexible shell having an internal space, preparing an upper body in a form of a bag, the upper body being provided with an opening in a portion corresponding to a topline, preparing a sole body, accommodating the upper in the shell, partially fixing the shell and the upper body, and forming the upper body with a last being located in the upper body accommodated in the shell, taking the last out of the formed upper body, and inserting the sole body in the shell.

An article of footwear includes a sole structure and an upper secured to the sole structure. The upper includes a heel section, lateral side section, medial side section, instep and toe cage that define an interior cavity operable to receive a foot of a wearer. At least a portion of the upper includes a laminate, where the laminate includes an inner layer facing the cavity, an outer layer forming an exterior of the shoe, and an intermediate layer disposed between inner and outer layers, the intermediate layer comprising a reinforcing layer having a rigidity that is greater than the rigidity of the inner and outer layers. The reinforcing layer extends from the lateral side section to the medial side section.

Methods for manufacturing uppers for articles footwear that include thermo-forming an upper composed of one or more low melting point thermoplastic polymers. The methods may include disposing a skin for forming an upper over and inflatable bladder. The skin may include at least one of a base layer composed of a low melting point thermoplastic polymer and a grid layer including a yarn composed of a low melting point thermoplastic polymer. The skin and inflatable bladder may be placed into a mold cavity and the mold may be heated to a predetermined temperature. The inflatable bladder may be inflated such that the skin is pressed against an interior surface of the heated mold cavity to cause the skin to take on the shape of the internal surface of the mold cavity, thereby forming an upper for an article of footwear.