A printing system is used to selectively print a layer material on a surface that is initially in a planar or two-dimensional shape. After the layer material is printed onto the surface, it is exposed to an amount of radiation from a radiation source and partially cured. Several layer materials may be placed on top of one another and are also partially cured. The flat surface may be reshaped into a nonplanar or three-dimensional shape, and the layer materials are again exposed to an amount of radiation and fully cured.

A footwear assembly having an upper that comprises a neoprene sock with a foot portion integrally connected to a leg portion. The foot portion has heel, vamp and under-foot portions. The leg portion has front shin, side wall, and rear calf-side portions. The upper has a unitary, outer, injection molded layer molded directly onto the foot and shin portions of the neoprene sock, while the sidewall and rear calf-side portions remain substantially uncovered by the injection molded layer. The injection molded layer encases the foot portion of the neoprene sock. The injection molded layer on the shin portion defines a shin guard portion having a necked down area integrally connected to the injection molded layer at the vamp portion, wherein the shin guard extends upwardly from the necked-down portion in an outwardly diverging shape away from the vamp.

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.

A method of forming and shaping a waterproof and moisture permeable shoe upper includes disposing a shoe upper and a waterproof and moisture permeable film on a shoe last, wherein at least one of the shoe upper and the waterproof and moisture permeable film includes microwave treatable material, and heating the shoe last with the shoe upper and the waterproof and moisture permeable film thereon by microwave, so that the shoe upper and the waterproof and moisture permeable film are combined by the microwave treatable material and shaped to form the waterproof and moisture permeable shoe upper after cooling.

A last system and a method of making the last system are disclosed. The last system includes a last member and an exterior layer. The exterior layer becomes deformable when heated above a characteristic temperature. The method can include forming a braided footwear component on the last system. The exterior layer may be joined with the braided footwear component by heating the last system above the characteristic temperature.

An article of footwear having a multi-layer upper is provided. The upper has a medial side and a lateral side, and a toe end and a heel end. The upper has an inner booty, at least partially surrounded by an outer braided shell, made from a number of yarns that are braided together. In selected locations, a layer couples the inner booty and the outer braided shell together.

Articles of footwear, including athletic footwear, include one or more of: (a) a sole structure; (b) an upper having lateral and medial side elements engaged with the sole structure, the upper made from a polymer matrix structure that extends through at least a heel region; (c) a size adjustment mechanism located at the heel region; (d) a heel tongue element located adjacent the size adjustment mechanism; (e) a shoe securing mechanism; (f) an instep tongue member; and/or (g) a bootie member located at least partially within the foot-receiving chamber. Methods of manufacturing such articles of footwear also are disclosed.

An article of footwear having printed structures disposed on the article by a three-dimensional printer is disclosed. The printed structures include extended portions and fastener receiving portions. The extended portions are at least partially embedded in the upper. The fastener receiving portions are at least partially spaced apart from an exterior surface of the upper.

A 3D shoe upper fabrication method includes the steps of (A) preparing a shoe upper fabric, (B) preparing a non-woven fabric containing 2030 wt % low melting staple fiber and 7080 wt % general fiber, (C) bonding two pieces of woven fabric to opposing top and bottom surfaces of the non-woven fabric to form a sandwich middle material and cutting the sandwich middle material into a predetermined shape, (D) bonding the shoe upper fabric to the middle material to form a substrate, (E) preparing a mold, (F) putting the substrate in the mold and then heating and pressurizing the mold to mold the substrate into a 3D shoe upper, and (G) opening the mold and removing the 3D shoe upper thus formed.

Articles of footwear, including athletic footwear, include one or more of: (a) a sole structure; (b) an upper having lateral and medial side elements engaged with the sole structure, the upper made from a polymer matrix structure that extends through at least a heel region; (c) a size adjustment mechanism located at the heel region; (d) a heel tongue element located adjacent the size adjustment mechanism; (e) a shoe securing mechanism; (f) an instep tongue member; and/or (g) a bootie member located at least partially within the foot-receiving chamber. Methods of manufacturing such articles of footwear also are disclosed.