Footwear structure with textile upper member
First Claim
1. An article of footwear, comprising:
- an upper member including a first textile element forming at least a major portion of an exterior surface of the upper member and a second textile element forming at least a major portion of an interior surface of the upper member, the first textile element joined to the second textile element in a stitchless manner at a foot-receiving opening of the upper member;
the upper member further including a first opening independent of the foot-receiving opening, the first opening extending through the upper member from the exterior surface to the interior surface;
a sole member engaged with the upper member;
wherein the first opening is spaced apart from the foot-receiving opening and at an instep portion of the upper member between the foot-receiving opening and a forefoot portion of the upper member; and
wherein the first opening is defined by a perimeter comprising a plurality of edges in the upper member, the plurality of edges including edges of the first textile element and edges of the second textile element joined together in a stitchless manner along the perimeter of the first opening.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Articles of footwear include a textile upper member with an exterior constructed from knitted textile material, the exterior including a region with stability ribs and a second unribbed region. The region(s) having stability ribs may be located, for example: along a lateral midfoot side of the upper member; along a forefoot portion of the upper member; and/or along a medial midfoot side of the upper member. Other articles of footwear include an upper member having exterior and interior textile elements joined together in a stitchless manner at the foot-receiving opening of the upper member. The exterior surface of this upper member also may include one or more regions with stability structures. The stitchless textile engagement techniques can provide a smooth, non-bulky, and breathable joint that does not require thick layers of textile material in contact with or adjacent the wearer'"'"'s foot.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An article of footwear, comprising:
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an upper member including a first textile element forming at least a major portion of an exterior surface of the upper member and a second textile element forming at least a major portion of an interior surface of the upper member, the first textile element joined to the second textile element in a stitchless manner at a foot-receiving opening of the upper member; the upper member further including a first opening independent of the foot-receiving opening, the first opening extending through the upper member from the exterior surface to the interior surface; a sole member engaged with the upper member; wherein the first opening is spaced apart from the foot-receiving opening and at an instep portion of the upper member between the foot-receiving opening and a forefoot portion of the upper member; and wherein the first opening is defined by a perimeter comprising a plurality of edges in the upper member, the plurality of edges including edges of the first textile element and edges of the second textile element joined together in a stitchless manner along the perimeter of the first opening. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An article of footwear, comprising:
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an upper member including a plurality of elements, the plurality of elements including a first textile element forming at least a portion of an exterior surface of the upper member and a second textile element forming at least a portion of an interior surface of the upper member, wherein at least the first textile element and the second textile element are secured to one another in a stitchless manner at a first location and a second location; wherein the first location is associated with a foot-receiving opening of the article of footwear and wherein the second location is associated with an instep portion of the upper member between the foot-receiving opening and a forefoot portion of the upper member; a sole member engaged with the upper member; wherein the second location is associated with at least one opening in the upper member that is spaced apart from the foot-receiving opening; and wherein the at least one opening is defined by edges of the first textile element secured to edges of the second textile element in a stitchless manner. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification