A method of forming a plate for an article of footwear is disclosed. The method includes applying a first strand portion to a base layer including positioning adjacent segments of the first strand portion to form a first layer on the base layer. The adjacent segments of the first strand portion having a greater density across a width of the plate between a medial side and a lateral side at a midfoot region of the plate than at a forefoot region of the plate and at a heel region of the plate. The method also includes applying at least one of heat and pressure to the first strand portion and to the base layer to conform the first strand portion and the base layer to a predetermined shape.

A method of manufacturing a dandelion latex shoe component. Dandelion rubber, CIS polybutadiene rubber (BR), and butadiene styrene rubber (SBR) are mixed together to form a first mixture. The dandelion rubber, CIS polybutadiene rubber (BR), and butadiene styrene rubber (SBR) are mixed at a temperature not less than 60° Celsius and not greater than 80° to form the first mixture. Silicon dioxide is then mixed with the first mixture to form a second mixture. The silicon dioxide is mixed with the first mixture at a temperature not less than 80° Celsius and not greater than 100° Celsius to form the second mixture. The dandelion latex shoe component is then formed from at least the second mixture via a molding process.

An article of footwear includes an upper coupled to a sole structure. The upper has a ground facing surface, and opposing medial and lateral sidewalls disposed on and extending from opposite medial and lateral sides of the ground facing surface. The sole structure is formed from a plurality of non-coextensive, thermoplastic foam layers, where each layer extends across a portion of the ground facing surface of the upper. These layers include at least a first foam layer and a second foam layer. The first foam layer has a different hardness and/or density than the second foam layer. Each of the first foam layer and the second foam layer extends into direct contact with, and is directly adhered to the lateral sidewall and the medial sidewall of the upper, and the first foam layer is secured to the second foam layer via an adhesive or a thermal weld.

A method of forming a sole structure for an article of footwear. The method includes depositing a first outsole material including a first uncured polymeric material upon a mold surface of a mold cavity. The method also includes disposing a midsole element adjacent to the first outsole material within the mold cavity and subjecting the first outsole material and the midsole element to a molding process to form the sole structure having an outsole and a midsole.

An article of footwear includes an upper coupled to a sole structure. The upper has a ground facing surface, and opposing medial and lateral sidewalls disposed on and extending from opposite medial and lateral sides of the ground facing surface. The sole structure is formed from a plurality of non-coextensive, thermoplastic foam layers, where each layer extends across a portion of the ground facing surface of the upper. These layers include at least a first foam layer and a second foam layer. The first foam layer has a different hardness and/or density than the second foam layer. Each of the first foam layer and the second foam layer extends into direct contact with, and is directly adhered to the lateral sidewall and the medial sidewall of the upper, and the first foam layer is secured to the second foam layer via an adhesive or a thermal weld.

An upper may include a plurality of knit elements linked together by a molded thermoplastic polymer element comprising a thermoplastic polymer, each of the knit elements being discrete, where each of the knit elements comprises a border that is at least partially surrounded by the molded thermoplastic polymer element. Further, an article of footwear may include a plurality of knit elements linked together by a molded thermoplastic polymer element comprising a thermoplastic polymer, each of the knit elements being discrete, where each of the knit elements comprises a border that is at least partially surrounded by the molded thermoplastic polymer element.

A method of manufacturing a dandelion latex shoe component. Dandelion rubber, CIS polybutadiene rubber (BR), and butadiene styrene rubber (SBR) are mixed together to form a first mixture. The dandelion rubber, CIS polybutadiene rubber (BR), and butadiene styrene rubber (SBR) are mixed at a temperature not less than 60° Celsius and not greater than 80° to form the first mixture. Silicon dioxide is then mixed with the first mixture to form a second mixture. The silicon dioxide is mixed with the first mixture at a temperature not less than 80° Celsius and not greater than 100° Celsius to form the second mixture. The dandelion latex shoe component is then formed from at least the second mixture via a molding process.

A shoe cover is a natural latex article with reduced amount of sulfur cross linking agent and accelerators including zinc dithiocarbamate that break catalytically soluble sulfur S.sub.8 sulfur rings forming sulfur linear chains. Surfactants present in the pre-vulcanization composition wets natural polyisoprene particles and permeates small sized sulfur into the interior of these particles thereby pre-vulcanizing the particles. The latex emulsion also has post-vulcanization composition with accelerators that crosslink between particles during the post vulcanization cure cycle. The dipped natural polyisoprene article is substantially uniformly cured both in the inter-particle and intra-particle regions and reliably exhibits high cross link density, uniform distribution of double bonds and zinc segregation at the boundaries or original particles. The natural rubber films exhibit high tensile strength, tensile modulus, tear strength, elongation with low modulus of the shoe cover. The bottom surface of the shoe cover is etched to produce a slip resistant surface.

Articles of wear having one or more textiles that include a low processing temperature polymeric composition and a high processing temperature polymeric composition, and methods of manufacturing the same are disclosed. The low processing temperature polymeric composition and the high processing temperature polymeric composition can be selectively incorporated into a textile to provide one or more structural properties and/or other advantageous properties to the article. The textile can be thermoformed to impart such structural and/or other advantageous properties to the article of wear. 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.

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.