Methods for manufacturing at least a portion of an upper for an article of footwear that include thermo-forming a pattern on the upper. The methods may include disposing a skin for forming an upper over and inflatable bladder and disposing a mold insert between the skin and a surface of a mold cavity. The mold insert may include a mold pattern including surface features formed in the mold insert. The inflatable bladder may be inflated such that the skin is pressed against the mold insert within a heated mold cavity to form a pattern on an exterior surface of the skin and cause the skin to take on the shape of at least a portion of an upper. In some embodiments, the surface features may be disposed in a gradient pattern configured to provide varying degrees of one or more characteristics to different areas of an upper.

A method of processing a sheet material (20) for use in the manufacture of products such as, but not limited to, a shoe upper blank (10). The method comprises providing a sheet material (20); providing a two-dimensional mark (30) on a surface of the sheet material (20); imposing an indentation (40) on said surface of the sheet material (20), wherein at least part of the indentation (40) is arranged with respect to at least part of the two-dimensional mark (30) to create a three-dimensional mark (50) on said surface. A blank for such a product is also related. The blank (10) comprises a sheet material (20) shaped in accordance with the product such as a shoe upper, the sheet material (20) comprising a two-dimensional mark (30) is provided thereon and is positioned with respect to an indentation (40) formed in the sheet material (20) to thereby provide a three-dimensional mark (50) on said surface.

A polymeric composition which can be used for the manufacture of rubber articles, in general, such as soles, shoes, boots, sealing rings, rugs, footwear straps and sandals, by the same thermoplastic injection process in equipment (injectors) used for plastics without the need for vulcanization or crosslinking and with different embodiments, according to the final product of interest. The basic components of the present polymeric composition are ethylene vinyl acetate, which may be a combination of ethylene vinyl acetate having a VA content of 19% and ethylene vinyl acetate having a VA content of 28%, and a copolymer of alpha olefin ethylene.

A method of forming a shoe upper includes obtaining a mold defining a shoe component, spraying a polymer formulation onto the mold to form a sprayed polymer formulation layer, curing the sprayed polymer formulation layer to form a polymer film, removing the film from the mold, and incorporating the film into the shoe upper.

The present invention relates to an upper for a shoe, including an inner layer; an outer layer overlapping the inner layer at least partially; wherein the outer layer includes a plurality of cuts; wherein the inner layer includes a plurality of protrusions; wherein each cut at least partially overlaps at least one protrusion; wherein each protrusion causes an extension in width of its corresponding cut when the shoe is worn.

A sole structure for an article of footwear may include a chamber for receiving a pressurized fluid, the chamber having a first chamber barrier layer and a second chamber barrier layer bonded to the first chamber barrier layer about peripheral portions of the first chamber barrier layer and the second chamber barrier layer to define an interior void between the first chamber barrier layer and the second chamber barrier layer. The sole structure may also include a tensile member bonded to, and extending between, the first chamber barrier layer and the second chamber barrier layer. The sole structure may include a bond inhibiting material located between the tensile member and the first chamber barrier layer, the tensile member and the first chamber barrier layer being unbonded in an unbonded area in which the bond inhibiting material is disposed. The chamber may include an outwardly extending bulge in the unbonded area.

A method of manufacturing an article of footwear includes positioning an upper on a last that defines openings connected by one or more channels in the last, injecting a material through the one or more channels in the last, and forming a structure on the upper with the material.

A last for forming an upper of an article of footwear includes an exterior surface, where the exterior surface includes a plurality of three dimensional structural surface components disposed over at least 50% of the exterior surface of the last.

A method of manufacturing a non-woven fabric includes the steps of: (a.) providing a substrate, wherein the substrate is air permeable in at least a portion of its surface; (b.) providing a fiber transfer device adapted to transfer fibers onto the substrate; (c.) transferring a first plurality of fibers onto the substrate; and (d.) applying a pressure differential to the air permeable portion of the substrate, wherein the strength of the pressure differential is varied across the surface of the substrate.

Foamed articles including a foamed thermoplastic elastomeric material, methods of making the articles, and methods for manufacturing articles of footwear, apparel, and athletic equipment incorporating the articles are provided. One exemplary method for making a foamed article comprises placing an article comprising a foamable fibrous element and carbon dioxide in a vessel, the foamable fibrous element comprising a plurality of filaments, fibers, and/or yarns, wherein each member of the plurality comprises a foamable material; maintaining the vessel at a first pressure and first temperature at which the carbon dioxide is a liquid and carbon dioxide is soluble in the foamable material; optionally exposing the infused article to a second temperature and second pressure; and subjecting the article to a third pressure and third temperature at which the infused carbon dioxide phase transitions to a gas, thereby expanding the foamable material into a foamed material and forming the foamed article.