An article of footwear includes a sole structure and an upper that is attached to the sole structure. The upper defines a cavity that is configured to receive a foot of a wearer. The upper is at least partially defined by a textile. The textile includes a first area that is substantially smooth. The first area defines a reference boundary that conforms to the cavity. The textile includes a second area. The second area includes a plurality of projection structures that project away from the reference boundary and outwardly from the cavity at varying heights. The second area includes a plurality of recess structures that recess away from the reference boundary and inwardly toward the cavity. The plurality of projection structures and the plurality of recess structures are in an alternating arrangement across the textile.

Various articles, such as footwear, apparel, athletic equipment, watchbands, and the like, and methods of forming those articles are presented. The articles are generally formed, in whole or in part, using rapid manufacturing techniques, such as laser sintering, stereolithography, solid deposition modeling, and the like. The use of rapid manufacturing allows for relatively economical and time efficient manufacture of customized articles. The articles may include one or more reinforcements configured to provide added durability to various regions of the articles. In addition, the articles may be formed from two or more materials in a single rapid manufacturing process. The rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique may also include using of varying intensities of the laser to fuse material to form the articles.

A boot includes a boot shell having first and second side portions each including eyelets defined in an instep region thereof and a respective opening through at least one the first side portion in proximity of the eyelets. The boot also includes a band having a first end portion received in the boot shell and attached to the boot shell at or adjacent the second side portion. The band extends across an interior of the boot shell and is slidingly received through the opening defined in the first side portion so as to have an opposed second end portion extending outside of the boot shell. The second end portion the band defines an aperture for receiving a lace. An opposed second band may be provided, with the bands crossing each other. The boot may be a skate boot. A method of manufacturing a boot is also discussed.

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.

Various articles, such as footwear, apparel, athletic equipment, watchbands, and the like, and methods of forming those articles are presented. The articles are generally formed, in whole or in part, using rapid manufacturing techniques, such as laser sintering, stereolithography, solid deposition modeling, and the like. The use of rapid manufacturing allows for relatively economical and time efficient manufacture of customized articles. The articles may include one or more reinforcements configured to provide added durability to various regions of the articles. In addition, the articles may be formed from two or more materials in a single rapid manufacturing process. The rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique may also include using of varying intensities of the laser to fuse material to form the articles.

An exoskeletal boot is provided. The exoskeletal boot can have a walking boot and a boot frame. The boot frame can be formed to receive the walking boot. The walking boot can be secured within the boot frame via one or more buckles. The walking boot can have an externally mounted tongue that can be tensioned via the use of one or more laces and associated tensioning mechanisms. The tongue can be molded to conform to a user's foot and leg while the tensioning mechanisms secure the user's foot and leg within the walking boot. In some embodiments, the boot frame has an open heel to capture the walking boot. In some other embodiments, the boot frame has a rotatable heel configured to pivot away from the toe and receive a heel of the walking boot for easy coupling of the walking boot to the boot frame.

A method of constructing footwear includes providing a mold having an inner cavity, injecting an expandable material into the inner cavity, removing the expandable material from the inner cavity such that the material expands to form a footwear-shaped shell having an inner cavity and at least one recessed area offset from an inner surface of the shell, and inserting a chassis within the inner cavity of the expanded shell. The chassis has one or more components adapted to protect a user's foot from injury. The insertion of the chassis within the shell permanently affixes the one or more components within the at least one recessed area of the shell.

An article of footwear that includes a first envelope extending lengthwise from a rear end to a front end, widthwise between a lateral side and a medial side, and heightwise from a bottom to a top end, the first envelope demarcating a volume for receiving a foot, the article of footwear including a second envelope extending lengthwise from a rear end to a front end, widthwise between a lateral side and a medial side, and heightwise from a bottom to a top end, the second envelope demarcating a volume for receiving a foot, the first envelope and the second envelope being arranged opposite one another. In the area of at least one subdivision, the article of footwear includes an intermediate component deformable elastically and reversibly, the intermediate component being arranged between the first envelope and the second envelope.

An attachable/detachable toecap coupled to the front of the work shoes is disclosed. The attachable/detachable toecap coupled to the front of the work shoe comprises a top plate formed to cover toes and a portion of top of a foot; a side plate formed to extend downwards from the side of the top plate and to surround the top plate; a bottom plate formed to be under the side plate and to cover the bottom of the front of the work shoe; and an anti-separation means for preventing separation of the toecap from the work shoes, wherein the anti-separation means further comprises coupling blocks protruding from the bottom of the work shoe and coupling grooves formed to have vertical perforations at the position corresponding to the coupling blocks, so that the coupling blocks are snap-fitted to prevent the separation of the toecap from the work shoe.

A microcellular shoe stiffener has at least one adhesive layer coextruded with and carried on a stiffener core. A liquid, such as liquid nitrogen, is introduced into the extruder for the stiffener core to produce a closed cell foam with a gaseous component. The gas reduces the weight and cost of the stiffener with out significantly reducing stiffness and resiliency.