Article of footwear having an upper with a matrix layer

• US 8,065,818 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2006
• Issued: 11/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Hoke, John, Hurd, John, Greene, Pamela S.
• Primary Examiner(s): KAVANAUGH, JOHN T
• Application Number:
  US11/613,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20070180730A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,805 Days
• Field of Search: 36/45, 36/4, 36/87, 36/3.R, 121/42.E, 121/42.EV, 121/46.C
• US Class Current: 36/45
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/04 Plastics, rubber or vulcanised fibre
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 19/00 Shoe-shaped inserts; Inserts covering the instep
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/02 Uppers; Boot legs
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0215 Plastics or artificial leather
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0225 Composite materials, e.g. material with a matrix
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0245 characterised by the constructive form
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0255 assembled by gluing or thermo bonding
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0265 having different properties in different directions
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0275 with a part of the upper particularly rigid, e.g. resisting articulation or torsion
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0295 Pieced uppers
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/04 Uppers made of one piece; Uppers with inserted gussets
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/042 Uppers made of one piece one piece slippers A43B3/106; one piece sandals A43B3/124
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/07 Linings therefor lining laminated with upper A43B23/026
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/088 Heel stiffeners A43B23/10, A43B23/14, A43B23/16, A43B23/17 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/17 made of plastics
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/26 Tongues for shoes
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/085 in the upper
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 9/00 Footwear characterised by the assembling of the individual parts
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 1/00 Shoe lacing fastenings garment fastening devices A41F
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 1/006 Rear lacing, i.e. with a lace placed on the back of the foot in place of, or in addition to the traditional front lace
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 1/04 : with rings or loops
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 5/00 : Eyelets machines for setting eyelets A43D100/00
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 8/00 : Machines for cutting, ornamenting, marking or otherwise working up shoe part blanks pulling-over or lasting A43D9/00 - A43D23/00; making or fastening soles, heels or welts A43D25/00 - A43D83/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 35/126 : Uppers
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 35/146 : Uppers

Abstract

Articles of footwear, including athletic footwear, include one or more of: (a) a sole structure; (b) an upper having lateral and medial side elements engaged with the sole structure, the upper made from a polymer matrix structure that extends through at least a heel region; (c) a size adjustment mechanism located at the heel region; (d) a heel tongue element located adjacent the size adjustment mechanism; (e) a shoe securing mechanism; (f) an instep tongue member; and/or (g) a bootie member located at least partially within the foot-receiving chamber. Methods of manufacturing such articles of footwear also are disclosed.

Claims

1. An article of footwear, comprising:

an upper including a lateral side extending through at least a heel region of the footwear and a medial side extending through at least the heel region of the footwear, wherein the upper defines, at least in part, a foot-receiving chamber for the article of footwear and a throat area extending along an instep portion of the upper, the throat area defining an opening that is changeable in size so as to allow a foot of a user to be inserted into the foot- receiving chamber, wherein the lateral side, the medial side, and the throat area of the upper are formed from a unitary, one-piece polymer matrix element including a plurality of apertures separated by polymer segments, wherein the upper includes a solid portion of polymeric material extending along a medial side and a lateral side of the opening in the throat area, wherein the solid portion provides a base for engaging a footwear securing system, and wherein the upper is constructed as the unitary, one-piece polymer matrix element from a flat upper member that is symmetrical about an axis extending in a front-to-rear direction of the upper member;

a seam joining the lateral side and the medial side of the upper together at the heel region; and

a sole structure engaged with the upper.

2. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a bootie member at least partially provided in the foot-receiving chamber.

3. The article of footwear recited in claim 2, wherein the bootie member is removably mounted in the foot-receiving chamber.

4. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, further comprising a footwear securing system provided with the solid portion of polymeric material extending along the medial and lateral sides of the opening in the throat area, wherein the footwear securing system includes a plurality of eyelets for engaging a shoe lace.

5. The article of footwear recited in claim 4, further comprising a shoe lace engaged with the upper through the plurality of eyelets.

6. The article of footwear recited in claim 2, further comprising a footwear securing system provided with the solid portion of polymeric material extending along the medial and lateral sides of the opening in the throat area, wherein the footwear securing system includes a plurality of eyelets for engaging a shoe lace.

7. The article of footwear recited in claim 6, further comprising a shoe lace engaged with the upper through the plurality of eyelets.

8. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the polymer matrix element has thicker polymer segments in the heel region of the article of footwear as compared to polymer segments in a midfoot region of the article of footwear.

9. The article of footwear recited in claim 8, further comprising:

a bootie member at least partially provided in the foot-receiving chamber.

10. The article of footwear recited in claim 9, wherein the bootie member is removably mounted in the foot-receiving chamber.

11. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the polymer matrix element has thicker polymer segments in the heel region of the article of footwear as compared to polymer segments in a forefoot region of the article of footwear.

12. The article of footwear recited in claim 11, further comprising:

a bootie member at least partially provided in the foot-receiving chamber.

13. The article of footwear recited in claim 12, wherein the bootie member is removably mounted in the foot-receiving chamber.

14. A method of forming an article of footwear, comprising:

forming a flat upper member that is symmetrical about an axis extending in a front-to-rear direction, wherein the flat upper member constitutes a unitary, one-piece polymer matrix element including a plurality of apertures separated by polymer segments, wherein the unitary, one-piece polymer matrix element includes a lateral side portion, a medial side portion, and a throat area, and wherein a medial side of the throat area and a lateral side of the throat area includes a solid portion of polymeric material that provides a base for engaging a footwear securing system;

forming an upper from the flat upper member by joining the lateral side portion and the medial side portion of the unitary, one-piece polymer matrix element together at a heel region of the article of footwear, wherein the upper defines, at least in part, a foot-receiving chamber for the article of footwear, and wherein the upper is formed such that the throat area of the polymer matrix element extends along an instep portion of the upper, the throat area defining an opening that is changeable in size so as to allow a foot of a user to be inserted into the foot-receiving chamber; and

engaging a sole structure with the upper.

15. The method recited in claim 14, further comprising:

inserting at least a portion of a bootie member into the foot-receiving chamber.

16. The method recited in claim 15, wherein the bootie member is removably mounted in the foot-receiving chamber.

17. The method recited in claim 14, further comprising:

providing a plurality of eyelets for engaging a shoe lace in the solid portion of the medial and lateral sides of the throat area; and

engaging a shoe lace with the upper through the plurality of eyelets.

18. The method recited in claim 14, wherein the forming of the flat upper member includes forming the unitary, one-piece polymer matrix element so as to have thicker polymer segments in the heel region of the article of footwear as compared to polymer segments in a midfoot region of the article of footwear.

19. The method recited in claim 14, wherein the forming of the flat upper member includes forming the unitary, one-piece polymer matrix element so as to have thicker polymer segments in the heel region of the article of footwear as compared to polymer segments in a forefoot region of the article of footwear.

20. An article of footwear made by the method recited in claim 14.