A method of customizing dressy or formal footwear with a discreet design or logo on a specific area of a shoe, then painting the design in paint and sealing the design with varnish.

Various articles, such as footwear, apparel, athletic equipment, watchbands, and the like, and methods of forming those articles are presented. The articles are generally formed, in whole or in part, using rapid manufacturing techniques, such as laser sintering, stereolithography, solid deposition modeling, and the like. The use of rapid manufacturing allows for relatively economical and time efficient manufacture of customized articles. The articles may include one or more reinforcements configured to provide added durability to various regions of the articles. In addition, the articles may be formed from two or more materials in a single rapid manufacturing process. The rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique may also include using of varying intensities of the laser to fuse material to form the articles.

Improved soles and insoles for shoes, in particular sports shoes, are described. In an aspect, a sole for a shoe, in particular a sports shoe, with at least a first and a second surface region is provided. The first surface region comprises expanded thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). The second surface region is free from expanded TPU.

As described above, one or more aspects of the present disclosure provide articles having structural color, and methods of making articles having structural color. The present disclosure provides for articles that exhibit structural colors through the use of an optical element having one or more reflective layers, where structural colors are visible colors produced, at least in part, through optical effects (e.g., through scattering, refraction, reflection, interference, and/or diffraction of visible wavelengths of light).

An article with a color change portion and a method of changing color. The article includes at least one color change portion capable of changing colors. The color change portion includes composite material including a photonic lattice. The color change portion can change colors according to one or more performance parameters. The article can be connected to a computer and the color change portion can be controlled using the computer.

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to color compositions and methods of making a printed layer using the color composition as well as an article that can include the printed layer.

Described are articles of wear including with a material with color changing properties. The material includes at least one elastic portion having an unstretched colored appearance and a stretched colored appearance. The material also includes at least one fixed portion having the stretched colored appearance regardless of a magnitude of an external force applied to the at least one fixed portion.

A contact location identification apparatus and method consists of a marking device with a first side and a second side. An attachment device is connected with the first side, where the attachment device removably attaches to an object. A marking receptor surface is provided on the second side, where the marking receptor surface holds a transferable marker substance.

An article of footwear may include an upper with an outer layer, an inner layer, and a chamber element positioned at least partially between the outer layer and the upper layer. The chamber element may be formed of two layers of a transparent colored polymer material and may be sealed to enclose a fluid. The chamber element may also have a plurality of subchambers. The outer layer may have a plurality of apertures. Each subchamber may protrude at least partially through a corresponding one of the apertures.

A shoe fastening device and/or technique used to fasten a shoe is disclosed herein. A shoelace can be laced into a shoe in any number of lacing patterns. The two ends of the shoelace may be secured to the shoe. An overhand knot may be present when the shoelace is in a loosened configuration.