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.

Provided is a method for producing a shoe, the method including; arranging a first shoe member and a second shoe member to form an interface through direct contact therebetween, indirect contact with a bonding aid member interposed therebetween, or a combination of the direct contact and the indirect contact, and arranging a conductive material at a position at which the interface can be heated; and inductively heating the conductive material to add heat to the interface and thereby bond the first shoe member and the second shoe member to each other.

Provided is a method for producing a shoe, the method including; arranging a first shoe member and a second shoe member to form an interface through direct contact therebetween, indirect contact with a bonding aid member interposed therebetween, or a combination of the direct contact and the indirect contact, and arranging a conductive material at a position at which the interface can be heated; and inductively heating the conductive material to add heat to the interface and thereby bond the first shoe member and the second shoe member to each other.

The present invention relates to a method for interconnecting components of a sporting good, in particular a sports shoe, and a sports shoe manufactured with such a method. The method may include (a.) forming a pattern element having at least one removable at least partially non-transparent or non-reflective portion, (b.) irradiating at least one of the first and the second component via the pattern element with heat radiation and (c.) interconnecting the irradiated first and second component.

The present invention relates to a method for interconnecting components of a sporting good, in particular a sports shoe, and a sports shoe manufactured with such a method. The method may include (a.) forming a pattern element having at least one removable at least partially non-transparent or non-reflective portion, (b.) irradiating at least one of the first and the second component via the pattern element with heat radiation and (c.) interconnecting the irradiated first and second component.

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.

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.

The present invention relates to a method for interconnecting components of a sporting good, in particular a sports shoe, and a sports shoe manufactured with such a method. The method may include (a.) forming a pattern element having at least one removable at least partially non-transparent or non-reflective portion, (b.) irradiating at least one of the first and the second component via the pattern element with heat radiation and (c.) interconnecting the irradiated first and second component.

The present invention relates to a method for interconnecting components of a sporting good, in particular a sports shoe, and a sports shoe manufactured with such a method. The method may include (a.) forming a pattern element having at least one removable at least partially non-transparent or non-reflective portion, (b.) irradiating at least one of the first and the second component via the pattern element with heat radiation and (c.) interconnecting the irradiated first and second component.

Described are methods for the manufacture of sporting goods, in particular a shoe, sporting goods manufactured by such methods, for example a shoe, as well as a device for performing such methods. The method for the manufacture of sporting goods, in particular a shoe, is provided, wherein the sporting goods has a first component with a first connection surface and a second component with a second connection surface. The method includes activating at least one portion of the first connection surface by providing heat energy without contact, and connecting the first component with the second component by joining the first connection surface and the second connection surface.