Abstract: An athletic shoe upper construction comprises a vamp with an elongated throat opening and a one-piece reinforcement of non-stretchable material. The one-piece reinforcement has a lacing hole reinforcing portion which is secured to the vamp of the upper adjacent to and surrounding the throat opening, and medial and lateral reinforcing portions in the form of an elongated strip extending from the lacing hole reinforcing portion to the featherline of the vamp in the mid-tarsal region of the respective sides of the vamp. Additionally, the width and location of the respective medial and lateral reinforcing portions is sufficient to at least span respective holes of two pairs of lacing holes provided in the lacing hole reinforcing portion.