Abstract: A density enhancement method for a wool pile fabric comprising simultaneously knitting a plurality of shorter sheared wool fibers and a plurality of longer sheared wool fibers to a backing material. The mixture of the shorter and the longer wool fibers enhances the density of the wool pile fabric and closely replicates the density of natural shearling.

Abstract: A wool pile fabric product including a plurality of wool fibers and at least one security fiber knit with a textile scrim to form a pile fabric having a scrim side and a fiber pile side. The product also includes a facing material that is attached to the scrim side of the wool pile fabric. The security fiber in the product provides a discrete way to identify a genuine product.

Abstract: A method of making a sheared wool, deep pile fabric that closely resembles natural sheepskin fleece that includes forming a length of wool pile fabric having natural wool fibers on one side and a scrim on an opposing side and finishing the wool pile fabric as natural shearling. The finishing process includes polishing the wool fiber side of the pile fabric by guiding the length of pile fabric over one or more heated first polishing rolls, applying a sheepskin conditioning solution to the wool fiber side of the pile fabric, further polishing the wool fiber side of the pile fabric by guiding the fabric a plurality of times over one or more second heated polishing rolls, and cutting the wool fibers to a designated length.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a component for an article of footwear including providing a two-part mold, inserting a first material layer in the mold, pouring a polyurethane layer on the first material layer, placing a piece of a wool pile fabric on the polyurethane layer and closing the mold for a designated period of time for forming a wool pile fabric component such as a footwear insole. After the designated period of time the mold is opened and the molded wool pile fabric component is removed from the mold.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an article of footwear includes providing a knitting machine having a processor programmed to cause the knitting machine to knit a wool pile fabric having a plurality of footwear components and simultaneously knitting wool fibers and a scrim to form the wool pile fabric including the footwear components.

Abstract: An outsole for an article of footwear including a plurality of laterally extending walls where each pair of adjacent walls defines a channel. The outsole also includes a plurality of receptacles between the adjacent walls where the channel extends across each of the receptacles.

Abstract: Articles of footwear that include a flexible or rigid sole portion with a shape and size as to correspond to a foot of a wearer, a sole portion having a periphery, a toe region in the front area of the sole portion, a heel region in the back area of the sole portion, and an instep region between the toe and heel regions. Also included is an upper portion connected to the sole portion to form a partially open enclosure for receiving and containing a part of the foot of the wearer and a flexible tubular sleeve which is attached to the sole portion's instep region. The flexible sleeve includes an attachment portion for attaching the flexible sleeve to the instep region of the sole portion, an outwardly opened toe portion for containing the front part of the foot and the toes of the wearer, an outwardly opened heel portion for containing the back part of the foot and the heel of the wearer, and an insertion portion for enveloping the ankle of the wearer.

Abstract: Described are embodiments of multi-functional footwear. In one example, an article of footwear includes a climbing arch configured to receive at least a portion of a climbing surface. The climbing arch also includes a plurality of engagement members extending from the arch and configured to engage a climbing surface. The article of footwear may also include a protective plate, a plurality of outwardly extending protrusions that form a receiving area configured to receive a portion of a second body, a drainage system configured to drain liquid from within the article of footwear, and/or an anti-rope burn upper. The described, multi-functional footwear may be designed with significantly less mass than known footwear.

Abstract: An article of footwear including an outsole, an upper attached to the outsole and a heel portion attached to the outsole and movably connected to the upper. The heel portion is movable between a support position, where the heel portion is substantially transverse to the outsole, and a mule position, where the heel portion is substantially parallel to the outsole. A cushioning heel pad is attached to an outer surface of the heel portion, where the heel pad has a designated thickness and contacts and supports a user's heel when the heel portion is in the mule position.