A last for forming an upper of an article of footwear includes a first portion including a lateral side and a medial side that opposes the lateral side, and a second portion connected with and extending upward and transversely outward in an angled manner away from the first portion such that a terminal end of the second portion is distanced from the first portion. An exterior surface of the last can include a plurality of three dimensional structural surface components disposed over at least 50% of the exterior surface of the last.

A method is provided for making footwear utilizing a spray-on material. The method can include spraying a spray-on fabric onto surfaces of a three dimensional last. The last can be produced using additive manufacturing techniques, such as 3D printing, based on data corresponding to dimensions and contours of a consumer's foot, and/or preselected aesthetic footwear designs. The spray-on fabric is sprayed onto the surfaces of the last and allowed to cure to form a flexible, non-woven fabric upper. The upper can be removed from the last and turned inside out. With the upper turned inside out, a sole can be joined to the fabric upper to form the footwear.

An upper for an article of footwear includes a spray formed first layer including a first material, and a second layer including a second material, the second layer being adhered to the first layer. A transition zone is defined at a transition between the first layer and the second layer, and the transition zone includes a mixture of the first and second materials.

A last for forming an upper of an article of footwear includes an exterior surface, where the exterior surface includes a plurality of three dimensional structural surface components disposed over at least 50% of the exterior surface of the last.

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 footwear article is formed according to a process that includes the steps of: forming a sheet including a rubber outsole material; forming an outsole component by passing the sheet through an extruder or calendar machine; applying a vulcanizing accelerant to the outsole component by dipping the outsole component in a liquid bath; forming a plurality of rubber outsoles from the outsole component by cutting the outsole component into the plurality of rubber outsoles; incorporating each of the plurality of rubber outsoles into the footwear article; and vulcanizing the footwear article. The vulcanizing accelerant includes a dithiocarbamate compound. The footwear article includes the rubber outsole, an insole and an upper. The vulcanizing accelerant allows the step of vulcanizing the footwear article to be performed substantially faster as compared to conventional footwear vulcanization methods.

An apparatus for making an article of footwear is provided. The apparatus may include a last shaped to resemble a human foot and being formed at least in part from a susceptor material that is thermally reactive to an electromagnetic field. The apparatus may also include an induction coil disposed proximate to the last and configured to produce an electromagnetic field that causes the susceptor material in the last to increase in temperature by induction heating.

A method is provided for making footwear utilizing a spray-on material. The method can include spraying a spray-on fabric onto surfaces of a three dimensional last. The last can be produced using additive manufacturing techniques, such as 3D printing, based on data corresponding to dimensions and contours of a consumer's foot, and/or preselected aesthetic footwear designs. The spray-on fabric is sprayed onto the surfaces of the last and allowed to cure to form a flexible, non-woven fabric upper. The upper can be removed from the last and turned inside out. With the upper turned inside out, a sole can be joined to the fabric upper to form the footwear.

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 method of forming an upper for an article of footwear includes depositing a fibrous material over a shoe last to form a fibrous material layer, where the fibrous material layer forms a portion of an upper of the article of footwear, flowing a polymer material within a mold so as to conform with a lower portion of the upper including the fibrous material layer, and drying the polymer material to form a sole structure for the article of footwear.