Changeable decorative slippers with decorative top elements that may be changed with other decorative top elements as desired.

A midsole protection device is provided. The device includes a closed loop elastomeric sidewall band. In a fully relaxed state, the sidewall approximates the outer shape of a sneaker and cooperates with the sneaker to substantially cover and protect its midsole while leaving the upper substantially exposed. The device grips the sneaker between an upper edge and a bottom flange. The upper edge and flange structures cooperate to retain the device in a fixed position on the sneaker. The midsole protection device may also include one or more iridescent colors, a camouflage or other pattern, or a logo such as a logo of a favorite sports team or a logo of a sneaker manufacturer.

A sole assembly for an article of footwear includes a midsole that is formed from at least a bladder and foam midsole component. The midsole has a ground facing surface and a sidewall, and the bladder meets the foam midsole at a component boundary on the sidewall. An etching extends into both the foam midsole and the bladder. The etched channel has a depth into the sidewall of between about 2 μm and about 1000 μm and continuously extends across the component boundary.

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 article includes the optical element (e.g., a single layer reflector, a single layer filter, a multilayer reflector or a multilayer filter) including one or more layers (e.g., a reflective layer(s), a constituent layer(s), and the like). The surface of the article can include the optical element with regions that impart different structural colors. The different structural colors imparted are due at least in part to the different structure (e.g., cross-sectional structure) of the optical element in certain regions.

An upper for an article of footwear includes a first material defining a void operable to selectively receive a foot. The first material includes an outer surface. The upper also includes a first edge at least partially circumscribing the void at an uppermost extremity of the upper and a second edge disposed at a lowermost extremity of the upper. The upper further includes a first biasing member (i) disposed at the outer surface of the upper, (ii) attached to the first material, and (iii) spaced apart from the first edge and the second edge. The first biasing member is operable to exert a biasing force on the first material to bias the first edge away from the second edge.

Described is a shoe, in particular an athletic shoe. The shoe can include a sole and a shoe upper. The shoe upper can include (a.) a lateral portion; (b.) a medial portion; and (c.) intermediate portion between the lateral portion and the medial portion. The intermediate portion can include a cupped portion uncoated by a first coating portion on the lateral portion and a second coating portion on the medial portion. When the shoe upper is separate from the sole at least a majority of the cupped portion may be cupped above surrounding areas of the shoe upper.

An article of adornment for wear by a user wearing a shoe. The article of adornment has a pliable strip of material sized to extend over and around the dorsum of the user and under the sole of the shoe near the heel of the shoe, the strip of material having a length to width ratio of at least 15:1. Fixedly attached to the strip is a first mating element located on one end of the strip and multiple second mating elements located on the other end of the strip. The first mating element is adapted to engage in a releasably mating relationship with the multiple second mating elements thereby permitting the pliable strip of material to be adjusted into different sized loops. Also attached to the strip are decorative elements such as rhinestones, beads/pearls, lace, glass/crystal extending along a majority of the strip.

An article of footwear may be constructed of a matrix of beads. For example, by preconfiguring the row length and the number of beads in a given row, the bead matrix may be configured to form a three dimensional shape that pulls towards a centerline or is concave.

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 bladder includes a first polymeric film, a second polymeric film attached to the first polymeric film to form a chamber, and one or more grooves formed in an exterior surface of the chamber. In one configuration, the grooves are formed in the exterior surface of the chamber by subjecting the chamber to a laser-etching process.