Multi-Piece Upper for Athletic Footwear

• US 20130219748A1
• Filed: 02/24/2012
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Under Armour Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Under Armour Incorporated
• Inventors: Dombrow, David, Pieraldi, Heather
• Granted Patent: US 8,997,380 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 36/83
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0295 Pieced uppers

Abstract

In one embodiment, an article of footwear includes a sole and an upper attached to the sole. The upper and sole and configured to envelop at least a portion of human foot. The upper further includes a forefoot member attached to a forefoot portion of the sole and a heel member attached to a heel portion of the sole. The forefoot member and heel member are detached from each other at a location above the sole to enable individual adjustment of the forefoot member and the heel member.

Claims

1. An article of footwear comprising:

a sole; and

an upper attached to the sole, the upper and sole configured to envelop a human foot, the upper comprising;

a forefoot member attached to a forefoot portion of the sole; and

a heel member attached to a heel portion of the sole, the forefoot member and heel member being separate from each other above the sole, and the upper including no attachment between the forefoot member and the heel member.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1 further comprising:

a first plurality of eyelets provided on the forefoot member of the upper;

a second plurality of eyelets provided on the heel member of the upper; and

a shoelace extending through the first plurality of eyelets and the second plurality of eyelets, the shoelace engaging the forefoot member to the heel member of the upper.

3. The article of footwear of claim 1, a first portion of the forefoot member and a second portion of the heel member overlapping above the sole, wherein the forefoot member and the heel member are attached to the sole along a common length of the sole.

4. The article of footwear of claim 3, wherein the first portion of the forefoot member is attached to the sole and the second portion of the heel member is attached to the sole through the first portion of the forefoot member.

5. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the forefoot member and the heel member are attached to the sole along an outer perimeter of the sole.

6. The article of footwear of claim 1, the sole further comprising:

a midsole board formed above an outsole layer, the forefoot member and the heel member of the upper being attached to the midsole board.

7. The article of footwear of claim 1, the forefoot member of the upper further comprising a tongue, the tongue being attached to the forefoot member on an anterior side, a medial side, and a lateral side of the tongue.

8. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the heel member overlaps the forefoot member above the sole.

9. An article of footwear comprising:

a sole;

a first upper member attached to the sole, the first upper member including a first plurality of eyelets;

a second upper member attached to the sole, the second upper member detached from the first upper member apart from the sole, the second upper member including a second plurality of eyelets configured to receive the shoelace; and

a shoe lace extending through the first plurality of eyelets and the second plurality of eyelets.

10. The article of footwear of claim 9 wherein the first upper member is a forefoot member, the second upper member is a heel member, and the heel member overlaps the forefoot member at positions above the sole.

11. The article of footwear of claim 10 wherein the sole, the forefoot member and the heel member are configured to envelop a human foot positioned within the article of footwear.

12. The article of footwear of claim 11, a first portion of the forefoot member and a second portion of the heel member being attached to a common portion of the sole.

13. The article of footwear of claim 12 wherein the shoelace is configured to be tightened in the first plurality of eyelets to fit the forefoot member to a forefoot portion of the human foot positioned within the article of footwear separately from the heel member and to be tightened in the second plurality of eyelets to fit the heel member to a heel portion of the human foot positioned within the article of footwear separately from the forefoot member.

14. A method of producing an article of footwear comprising:

forming a forefoot member of an upper;

forming a heel member of the upper, the heel member being separate from the forefoot member;

attaching the forefoot member to the sole member without attaching the forefoot member to the heel member above the sole member; and

attaching the heel member to the sole member without attaching the heel member to the forefoot member above the sole member.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

threading a shoelace through a first plurality of eyelets in the forefoot member of the upper; and

threading the shoelace through a second plurality of eyelets in the heel member of the upper.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

attaching a first portion of the forefoot member and a second portion of the heel member to a common portion of the sole member.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

attaching the first portion of the forefoot member to the sole member and attaching the second portion of the heel member to the sole member through the first portion of the forefoot member.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the sole member is a midfoot board.

19. The method of 14 further comprising engaging a sole member to the forefoot member and the heel member such that a portion of the heel member overlaps a portion of the forefoot member, wherein the forefoot member is formed on a forefoot portion of a last and the heel member is formed on a heel portion of the last.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein attaching the heel member to the sole member without attaching the heel member to the forefoot member above the sole member occurs before attaching the forefoot member to the sole member without attaching the forefoot member to the heel member above the sole member.