A method for the three-dimensional forming of an upper of a footwear, comprises: preparing a sock comprising thermoplastic yarns; fitting the sock on a reference form of an upper to be formed; placing the reference form with the sock in an oven; heating the sock in the oven up to determining the at least partial fusion of thermoplastic material of the thermoplastic yarns of the sock; cooling the sock up to determining the cross-linking of the thermoplastic material and the formation of the upper with more rigid portions and less rigid portions; removing the upper from the reference form.

A yarn or thread may include a plurality of substantially aligned filaments, with at least ninety-five percent of a material of the filaments being a thermoplastic polymer material. Various woven textiles and knitted textiles may be formed from the yarn or thread. The woven textiles or knitted textiles may be thermal bonded to other elements to form seams. A strand that is at least partially formed from a thermoplastic polymer material may extend through the seam, and the strand may be thermal bonded at the seam. The woven textiles or knitted textiles may be shaped or molded, incorporated into products, and recycled to form other products.

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 foamed rubber shoe material is obtained from a rubber shoe base material by vulcanization, foaming, and cutting, the rubber shoe base material includes a rubber sheet and a cloth attached on the rubber sheet, the rubber sheet is prepared from a premixed rubber material in an open mill, the premixed rubber material includes the following components in parts by weight: 44-48 parts of rubber matrix, 24-28 parts of a filler, 5-7 parts of an oil material, 4-5 parts of a vulcanization agent, 1.8-2.2 parts of an antiager, 0.5-0.7 parts of an accelerator, 4-6 parts of triterpenoid saponin, 8-12 parts of n-butanol, 3-5 parts of an unsaturated fatty acid, 7-9 parts of sulfur, 1.6-2.4 parts of dicumyl peroxide, and 10-14 parts of a foaming agent, the foaming agent includes a combination of 4,4-oxybis(benzenesulfonyl hydrazide), petroleum ether, dichloroethane and at least one bicarbonate, and the rubber matrix includes a natural rubber.

A foamed rubber shoe material is obtained from a rubber shoe base material by vulcanization, foaming, and cutting, the rubber shoe base material includes a rubber sheet and a cloth attached on the rubber sheet, the rubber sheet is prepared from a premixed rubber material in an open mill, the premixed rubber material includes the following components in parts by weight: 44-48 parts of rubber matrix, 24-28 parts of a filler, 5-7 parts of an oil material, 4-5 parts of a vulcanization agent, 1.8-2.2 parts of an antiager, 0.5-0.7 parts of an accelerator, 4-6 parts of triterpenoid saponin, 8-12 parts of n-butanol, 3-5 parts of an unsaturated fatty acid, 7-9 parts of sulfur, 1.6-2.4 parts of dicumyl peroxide, and 10-14 parts of a foaming agent, the foaming agent includes a combination of 4,4-oxybis(benzenesulfonyl hydrazide), petroleum ether, dichloroethane and at least one bicarbonate, and the rubber matrix includes a natural rubber.

A 3D shoe blank is an integral knit fabric without any sewn portion made by a double-bed flat knitting machine and includes an upper portion having two technical surfaces and knitted from at least a first yarn by skip-needle double-knitting, a front sole portion connected to the upper portion by a cast-on line and two connection lines to form a pocket structure, a rear portion connected to the front sole portion, and a heel portion extending from a center rear end of the rear portion. A portion of the front sole portion corresponding to the upper portion is knitted from at least a second yarn by skip-needle single-knitting. Two opposite sides of the heel portion are respectively connected to left and right rear ends of the rear portion to form a 3D rear shoe portion with two joining lines formed between the heel portion and the rear portion.

Aspects herein are directed to braided articles and methods for their manufacture. The braided articles may include articles of footwear having braided uppers. The article of footwear may comprise a sole and a braided upper comprising a toe portion having a toe seam, a heel portion comprising a seamless braided structure, and a throat portion. The toe portion may comprise a base yarn. The throat portion may comprise a stretch yarn. Additionally, the heel portion may comprise both the stretch yarn and the base yarn.

An upper for an article of footwear is provided, having a braided structure comprising a first yarn having a first cross-sectional shape and a second yarn having a second cross-sectional shape different than the first cross-sectional shape. The first cross-sectional shape comprises an outer surface parallel to an inner surface in a rectangular orientation. Additionally, the first yarn is oriented such that at least a portion of the outer surface comprises the first side of the first yarn and at least a portion of the inner surface comprises the second side of the first yarn.

A knitted component may include a first surface and a second surface, the first surface facing opposite the second surface, the first surface including at least a first yarn and the second surface including at least a second yarn. The first and second yarns may be different. The first surface and the second surface may be secured via a knit structure of the knitted component, where the first surface includes an exposed first surface area, where at least 65% of the exposed first surface area is formed of the first yarn, and where the first yarn has a tenacity of at least 5 grams per denier (g/d).

A knitted component for an article of footwear may have an overfoot portion and an underfoot portion, a first yarn, where the first yarn at least partially forms the overfoot portion and at least partially forms the underfoot portion, and a second yarn, where the second yarn at least partially forms the overfoot portion and at least partially forms the underfoot portion. The first yarn may include a first material composition with a first melting point and the second yarn may include a second material composition with a second melting point. The first melting point may be at least 20 degrees Celsius higher than the second melting point.