An upper for an article of footwear may include a medial side, a lateral side, and a throat area between the medial side and the lateral side. An inner component may form an inner surface of the upper, where the inner component includes an inner throat region in the throat area, where a tensile strand of the inner component forms a loop in the inner throat region, and where the loop includes an opening for receiving a fastening element. An outer shroud may form the outer surface of the upper, where the outer shroud at least partially covers the inner throat region of the inner component such that the loop is located in a pocket formed between the inner component and the outer shroud.

A method for forming a bladder comprises providing a mold including a chamber wall having a first height and a cavity wall having a second height. The cavity wall is surrounded by the chamber wall and defines a plurality of cavities. A first sheet, a second sheet, and a gasket are provided to the mold, whereby the gasket is disposed adjacent to at least one of the first sheet and the second sheet. The mold is moved such that a peripheral portion of the at least one of the first sheet and the second sheet and the gasket are compressed by the chamber wall. A first pressure is provided between the first sheet and the second sheet through the gasket to form a plurality of chambers, and the mold is moved to a second position to seal the first pressure between the first sheet and the second sheet.

An article of footwear includes an outsole that has a bottom portion and a medial arch portion extending upward from the bottom portion. The medial arch portion of the outsole has a base and a plurality of protrusions extending outward from the base. The plurality of protrusions are arranged in vertical alignments. In each one of the vertical alignments, at least one protrusion of the plurality of protrusions is closer to the bottom portion and has a larger effective diameter than at least one other protrusion of the plurality of protrusions that is further from the bottom portion.

A method of forming an upper for an article of footwear includes providing a first material layer over a shoe last, providing a second material layer over the first material layer such that the first and second material layers adhere to each other at an interface between the first and second material layers, where one or both of the first material layer and second material layer is provided by spray forming a polymer material onto the last. The material layers are removed from the last and turned inside out such that the first material layer includes an exposed surface that forms an exterior surface of the upper.

An article of footwear with a dynamic support system that controls arrays of tiles in the upper of the footwear to adjust the level of support provided in different regions of the upper. Sensors in the sole of the footwear, in the upper of the footwear and/or in an article worn by the wearer of the footwear measure the level of stress or other characteristics and provide input to one or more microprocessors that control motors located in the sole or in the upper of the footwear. When the motors are activated, they may compress or loosen arrays of tiles to adjust the stiffness of the upper in one or more regions of the upper.

A method of forming an upper for an article of footwear includes providing a first material layer over a shoe last, providing a second material layer over the first material layer such that the first and second material layers adhere to each other at an interface between the first and second material layers, where one or both of the first material layer and second material layer is provided by spray forming a polymer material onto the last. The material layers are removed from the last and turned inside out such that the first material layer includes an exposed surface that forms an exterior surface of the upper.

A sole structure for an article of footwear is provided and includes a first sole plate formed at least in part from a first material having a first stiffness and including a first ground-engaging portion and a second ground-engaging portion, the first ground-engaging portion defining a first aperture extending around the second ground-engaging portion. The sole structure further including a membrane coupled to the first ground-engaging portion and the second ground-engaging portion and at least partially exposed by the first aperture, the membrane formed at least in part from a second material having a second stiffness that is less than the first stiffness.

Described is a shoe upper for a shoe, in particular an athletic shoe, wherein the shoe upper is laceless and comprises: (a.) a lateral portion; (b.) a medial portion; and (c.) at least an elastic intermediate portion between the lateral portion and the medial portion, wherein the stiffness of at least one of the lateral portion and the medial portion is at least 2 times higher than the stiffness of the elastic intermediate portion.

An article of footwear, such as a shoe, includes an upper and a sole. The upper may be formed with an outer layer and a floating textile layer relative to one or more portions of the outer layer. The floating textile layer has an apparent elongation that is less than an apparent elongation of the outer layer in response to an equal tensile force applied to each of the floating textile layer and the outer layer along a same axis of orientation. The differential in apparent elongation of the outer layer and the floating textile layer may increase wearability and functionability of the upper.

A surface structure for sports boots used for ball games having increased ball-contact properties where each boot has an upper part and a sole and the upper part has an outer surface used for shooting a ball, wherein at least a part of said ball shooting outer surface comprises a coating that has an adhesive substance covering said outer surface and a grained structure embedded in and kept by the adhesive. The grained structure comprises discrete granules of a resilient material, wherein between the adhesive and the outer surface of the upper part and between the adhesive and the granules a stable and durable bonding is provided, and the granules have outer surfaces that provide an improved contact with the ball when getting in contact with it.