Footwear having an upper with forefoot tensile strand elements
First Claim
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1. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper comprising:
- a throat area extending forward from an ankle opening of the upper towards a forefoot region, the throat area including a plurality of lace-receiving elements that include a forward lace-receiving element positioned closer to a forward edge of the article of footwear than other lace-receiving elements, the forward lace-receiving element being centrally positioned and extending between a medial side and a lateral side of the throat area;
a lace extending through at least the forward lace-receiving element;
a tensile strand element located within the forefoot region of the article of footwear, the tensile strand element including (i) at least one material layer, and (ii) a plurality of strands that lay adjacent to a surface of the material layer, the tensile strand element forming a loop that defines the forward lace-receiving element, the plurality of strands extending at least partially around the loop; and
wherein the plurality of strands extend from an area proximal to the forward lace-receiving element on a top portion of the upper located forward of the throat area towards the forward edge of the article of footwear.
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Abstract
Articles of footwear may include an upper with a forward lace-receiving element and a plurality of strands that extend forward from the lace-receiving element. In some configurations, the strands are located between a pair of material layers and lay substantially parallel to the material layers. In other configurations, the material layers form a loop structure, and the strands may extend at least partially around the loop structure.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper comprising:
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a throat area extending forward from an ankle opening of the upper towards a forefoot region, the throat area including a plurality of lace-receiving elements that include a forward lace-receiving element positioned closer to a forward edge of the article of footwear than other lace-receiving elements, the forward lace-receiving element being centrally positioned and extending between a medial side and a lateral side of the throat area; a lace extending through at least the forward lace-receiving element; a tensile strand element located within the forefoot region of the article of footwear, the tensile strand element including (i) at least one material layer, and (ii) a plurality of strands that lay adjacent to a surface of the material layer, the tensile strand element forming a loop that defines the forward lace-receiving element, the plurality of strands extending at least partially around the loop; and wherein the plurality of strands extend from an area proximal to the forward lace-receiving element on a top portion of the upper located forward of the throat area towards the forward edge of the article of footwear. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper comprising:
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a throat area extending forward from an ankle opening of the upper towards a forefoot region, the throat area including a plurality of lateral lace-receiving elements extending along a lateral side of the upper, a plurality of medial lace-receiving elements extending along a medial side of the upper, and a forward lace-receiving element centrally positioned and extending between the lateral side and the medial side at a forward portion of the throat area adjacent to the forefoot region; a lace extending through the lateral lace-receiving elements, the medial lace-receiving elements, and the forward lace-receiving element; a tensile strand element located within the forefoot region of the footwear, the tensile strand element including a first layer, a second layer, and a plurality of strands located between the first layer and the second layer; wherein at least the first layer, the second layer, and the plurality of strands form the forward lace-receiving element being centrally positioned on a top portion of the upper located forward of the throat area; wherein the first layer, the second layer, and the plurality of strands extend forward from an area proximal to the forward lace-receiving element on the top portion of the upper towards a forward edge of the article of footwear; and wherein the forward lace-receiving element is a loop formed by the first layer, the second layer, and the plurality of strands extending at least partially around the loop.
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Specification