Abstract: A tendon assembly for an article of footwear is disclosed. The tendon assembly includes a tendon positioned between a base layer and a cover layer in a non-bonded manner such that the tendon may move freely within the layers. The tendon assembly may be rigidly secured to a shoe upper. One end of the tendon may be rigidly secured at or near the sole of the footwear. A second portion of the tendon may be integrated with a fastening system of the footwear such that the tendon may pull the footwear upper snugly against a wearer's foot to provide added support.

Abstract: An article of footwear may include an upper incorporating a knitted component. An inlaid strand extends through the knitted component. A combination feeder may be utilized to inlay the strand within the knitted component. As an example, the combination feeder may include a feeder arm that reciprocates between a retracted position and an extended position. In manufacturing the knitted component, the feeder inlays the strand when the feeder arm is in the extended position, and the strand is absent from the knitted component when the feeder arm is in the retracted position.

Abstract: Footwear, and a process for manufacturing the same, the footwear having at least one lower portion of an upper joined by one or more seams to an upper portion that is lined internally with at least one waterproofing membrane, whose lower edge is fixed to the inner surface of the lower portion of the upper by a layer of adhesive arranged at least under the seams.

Abstract: An article of footwear may have a sole structure and an upper that includes at least one layer and a plurality of strands. The layer extends from a lace region of the upper to a lower region of the upper. The strands are located adjacent to the layer and in contact with the layer, and the strands extend from the lace region to the lower region. Additionally, the strands are unsecured to the layer for a distance of at least five centimeters in an area between the lace region and the lower region.

Abstract: Textile Components, such as upper members for articles of footwear, include: (a) a first portion having a first edge, wherein the first edge includes a first portion of material engaged with a first seam support material via a first thermoplastic material; (b) a second portion having a second edge, wherein the second edge includes a second portion of material engaged with a second seam support material via a second thermoplastic material; and (c) structure to engage the first and second edges in an abutting edge joint (such as a zig-zag stitch). The resulting textile components may be lightweight and breathable (e.g., due to use of lightweight upper fabric), having a comfortable fit (e.g., due to the abutting edge joint), while still providing a strong, stable, and durable construction (e.g., due to the presence of the seam support member(s)).

Abstract: A method of joining laminate panels includes providing at least two laminate panels and joining together the seam areas of the at least two laminate panels by forming at least one seam. Each laminate panel includes at least one layer of textile material having a first thickness in a non-seam area and a second thickness in a seam area. The second thickness is less than the first thickness. An article of manufacture includes at least two laminate panels joined together at the seam areas of the at least two laminate panels by forming at least one seam. Each laminate panel includes at least one layer of textile material having a first thickness in a non-seam area and a second thickness in a seam area.

Abstract: Textile Components, such as upper members for articles of footwear, include: (a) a first portion having a first edge, wherein the first edge includes a first portion of material engaged with a first seam support material via a first thermoplastic material; (b) a second portion having a second edge, wherein the second edge includes a second portion of material engaged with a second seam support material via a second thermoplastic material; and (c) structure to engage the first and second edges in an abutting edge joint (such as a zig-zag stitch). The resulting textile components may be lightweight and breathable (e.g., due to use of lightweight upper fabric), having a comfortable fit (e.g., due to the abutting edge joint), while still providing a strong, stable, and durable construction (e.g., due to the presence of the seam support member(s)).

Abstract: Embodiments herein relate to the field of waterproofing, and, more specifically, to waterproof footwear and methods of waterproofing a stitch line in footwear. In various embodiments, methods are provided for waterproofing a seam in an article of footwear by positioning an uncured rubber tape between the layers to be stitched, stitching the seam through the uncured rubber tape, and at least partially curing the rubber tape.

Abstract: An article of footwear may have a sole structure and an upper that includes a foundation element, a tensile strand, and a securing strand. The tensile strand is located adjacent to an exterior surface of the foundation element and substantially parallel to the exterior surface for a distance of at least five centimeters. The securing strand joins or secures the tensile strand to the foundation element. Although the thicknesses may vary, a thickness of the tensile strand may be at least three times the thickness of the securing strand. In some configurations, a backing strand may also assist with joining the securing strand to the foundation element.

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.

Abstract: A combined shoe formed by a selected vamps and soles with different functions and appearances at any time, comprises a sole, a vamp and attaching means used to quick-connect the vamp and the sole for forming a whole shoe. The attaching means includes a front cap located in front of the sole for buckling the tip of the vamp; a hind cap located in the hind of the sole for buckling the heel of the vamp; two pairs of matched anti-slide plates located in half-soles/heels of both vamp and sole for preventing relative sliding between the vamp and the sole; and a plurality of pressing means used for pressing the vamp on the sole tightly. The combined shoes provide a multitude of combinations and reduce the shoe purchasing cost. Since the vamp and the sole can be disassembled and assembles quickly, when the wearer enters a room, he needs only remove the sole for keeping the cleanliness of the room and still can keep his feet warm and/or prevent the diffusion of foot odor.

Abstract: The present invention provides a detachable, partial shoe/boot cover to be an accessory to open toe post -operative shoes and cam walker boots, as well as other open toe type shoes and or boots. The detachable shoe cover consists of a base, a cover, and a hook and loop attachment system. The base is made of a rigid, yet flexible material allowing it to form to the shape of the shoe it will be attached to. The base is sized to stretch from interior mid-point of the shoe sole to the exterior mid-point of the shoe sole around the toe of the shoe. The cover will be attached to the base and made of soft, flexible fabric. The hook and loop attachment system will allow the cover to be attached to the shoe and easily removed when needed. The cover allows the wearer some comfort and protection from the elements of weather and helps prevent foreign matter from infiltrating an open toe shoe/boot.

Abstract: Textile Components, such as upper members for articles of footwear, include: (a) a first portion having a first edge, wherein the first edge includes a first portion of material engaged with a first seam support material via a first thermoplastic material; (b) a second portion having a second edge, wherein the second edge includes a second portion of material engaged with a second seam support material via a second thermoplastic material; and (c) structure to engage the first and second edges in an abutting edge joint (such as a zig-zag stitch). The resulting textile components may be lightweight and breathable (e.g., due to use of lightweight upper fabric), having a comfortable fit (e.g., due to the abutting edge joint), while still providing a strong, stable, and durable construction (e.g., due to the presence of the seam support member(s)).

Abstract: Shoe uppers having smooth seams and methods for producing them are disclosed. In one embodiment the upper uses thermoplastic seam tape which forms bonds between contiguous upper sections after being subjected to heat and/or pressure. In another embodiment, different parts of the shoe can be joined using hidden seams. Close seams can also be covered with a transfer material adapted to give the interior and/or exterior of the upper a smooth surface. In yet another embodiment, a method is disclosed which allows three-dimensional upper sections to be bonded on a last using thermoplastic seam tape.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a reduced abrasion shoe. The reduced abrasion shoe comprises strategically removing seams from the interior cavity of the shoe. In particular, the tongue traversing the throat is attached to the exterior surface of the upper about the toe box. A full liner between the upper and the interior cavity is coupled to the upper about the shoe mid-point. Finally, exterior surface patches are coupled to the exterior surface using a fusion bond instead of a stitch to remove the corresponding interior seam.

Abstract: Liquidproof seams are formed between laminates, most preferably those having a complex textile structure on the sealing side of the laminate, where at least a portion of the complex textile in the sealing region is removed, such as by skiving, to reduce the thickness in the seam, or sealing region, prior to the creation of a durably sealed liquidproof seam.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a reduced abrasion shoe. The reduced abrasion shoe comprises strategically removing seams from the interior cavity of the shoe. In particular, the tongue traversing the throat is attached to the exterior surface of the upper about the toe box. A full liner between the upper and the interior cavity is coupled to the upper about the shoe mid-point. Finally, exterior surface patches are coupled to the exterior surface using a fusion bond instead of a stitch to remove the corresponding interior seam.

Abstract: A waterproof shoe includes a vamp, a sole and a foot wrapper that is inside the vamp and located on the upper part of the sole. The foot wrapper is assembled by stitching the upper lining with the bottom part. A waterproof band is provided over every seam line of the foot wrapper. The waterproof shoe can withstand water when soaked in 3-4 cm deep water for over eight hours. They are suitable for being worn in rains and snows.

Abstract: An upper of a shoe is made by sewing together a plurality of sheet parts. The sheet parts have adjacent marginal ends sewn to each other, thus forming a stitch seam along the adjacent marginal ends. A seam spacer is disposed between and stitched to the adjacent marginal ends so as to provide a spacing between the adjacent marginal ends at the stitch seam. The seam spacer is made of a material which is pliable and which has water passages for draining water. The seam spacer may be a porous mat made of a filament material, or a sheet formed with through-holes.

Abstract: A device for fitting onto a foot and ankle of a human body which is a thermoformable element suitable for being thermoformed onto the foot. This element includes a first part and a second part which are joined together in an edge-edge relationship. Each of the first and second parts is formed of a sheet of thermoformable material. The sheet of the first part has a different thickness or density than the sheet of the second part. The first part extends over the foot and the second extends around the ankle. A third part can be joined in edge-to-edge relationship to the first and second parts and extends over the top of the foot.

Abstract: An upper of a shoe is made by sewing together a plurality of sheet parts. The sheet parts have adjacent marginal ends sewn to each other, thus forming a stitch seam along the adjacent marginal ends. A seam spacer is disposed between and stitched to the adjacent marginal ends so as to provide a spacing between the adjacent marginal ends at the stitch seam. The seam spacer is made of a material which is pliable and which has water passages for draining water. The seam spacer may be a porous mat made of a filament material, or a sheet formed with through-holes.

Abstract: A cloth retention strip is folded to have two plies. The retention strip is sewn onto an oval shaped cloth panel along a border thereof. A draw string is retained between the plies. The draw string is operable to draw the panel over the toe and around the heel of a shoe that is worn by a user. The draw string may be held in place by fastening two cloth tabs on the draw string to each other or to a third fastener on the shoe covering. A non-skid material may be sewn, baked, or deposited onto the outside surface to provide a non-skid surface.

Abstract: Footwear having one or more reinforcement features is disclosed. Footwear having two independent components constructed from a woven material with the strands oriented at specified angles to the plane of the sole of the footwear is disclosed. The footwear may also incorporate a substantially rigid structural collar in the area of the ankle or lower leg. Heel and/or forefoot straps that wrap downwardly and laterally around the heel and/or forefoot may be provided to limit flexing of the ankle and the footwear in a forward or backward direction, respectively. An internal reinforcement structure comprising a plurality of support strips arranged transversely to one another in a criss-cross arrangement is also disclosed.

Abstract: A shoe having reflective surfaces between a covering layer and an underlying layer.

Abstract: A snowboarding boot having a flexible upper portion has one or more somewhat vertical elongate pockets on the surface of the upper portion to receive therein elongate, semi-rigid stiffening stays. Each pocket is formed of flexible material to define a medial channel having an open top and cross-sectional area similar to that of the stiffening stay to be carried therein to allow variable vertical positioning and positional maintenance of the stiffening stays by reason of frictional engagement with the pocket. Stiffening stays are formed of elongate strips of semi-rigid material, normally having some resiliency but being more rigid than the flexible upper portion of a boot, and the stiffening stays optionally carry a loop of flexible material in their upper end portions to aid insertion and removal and releasable fasteners for positional maintenance within a carrying pocket. The pockets extend downwardly from the top of a boot or to the ankle area in vertical or angulated orientation.

Abstract: Previous types of armored safety workwear are too inflexible, heavy or expensive to be useful. The present invention provides an article of protective clothing comprising a flexible supporting material and a plurality of elongated coil springs held in close proximity to the surface of said supporting material at spaced locations. Preferably, the coil springs are free to rotate in relation to the supporting material. The coil springs are held in elongated pockets secured to the surface of said supporting material.

Abstract: An athletic shoe generally has a plurality of strips of an inextensible material, such as graphite, which extend from the lace area rearwardly over the shoe exterior and into a non-ground contacting area of a laminated sole. The weight of the wearer also bears upon the strip sole ends and aids in retarding movement thereof. The shoe has good forward as well as lateral stability.

Abstract: An article of footwear comprising a flexible top portion of the upper, and a flexible under portion of the upper. The top portion and under portion are joined at their overlapped perimeters by handsewing or by machine stitching to form a forepart of the article of footwear and to form a seam therebetween. The seam is located closely adjacent and substantially parallel to the edge of a sole portion joined to the under portion of the forepart. In the case of handsewing, the perimeters of the top portion and the under portion are provided with apertures therethrough.

Abstract: A seam interconnection to relatively thick material parts such as leather parts of shoes comprises parts which have edges which are aligned and have one surface such as the interiors or skin side surface of the leather which is formed with a groove extending along its height which is substantially parallel to and spaced inwardly from its associated edge. The two parts to be joined are aligned back to back with their outer or grain sides engaged and a threaded seam is made to hold the two parts together by placing the seam in the grooves of the respective parts. The parts are then formed to a desired shape, for example, are curved so as to form them into a heel and in so doing, the marginal area adjacent the edge is bent backwardly upon itself so that the overlying part extends into the groove. When a heel portion of a shoe is formed the curved configuration of each part is made so as to complement the configuration of the overlying parts resting in the groove so that an irregular surface is avoided.

Abstract: A light weight flexible boot to be worn over a foot in a surgical cast and protect the cast from moisture. The boot has a walking sole of tough rubber type material with a cushion sole and an upper body composed entirely of flexible and elastic foam material, with an inner fabric layer and an outer covering of water impervious fabric. The boot can be stretched over various sizes and shapes of casts and all joints in the boot are completely sealed and waterproof.

Abstract: An article of orthopaedic footwear comprises an upper of thermosoftening plastics material, e.g. a vinyl polyer, having a lining of resilient expanded thermosoftening plastics material of closed cell construction, e.g. an expanded cross-linked polyethylene. The upper has an autogenously welded seam covered externally by a strip of thermosoftening plastics material, e.g. a vinyl polymer, autogenously welded to the upper on both sides of the seam, e.g. by longitudinal and/or transverse welds. The article can be shaped by forming and/or cutting the upper.

Abstract: There is provided a binding strip for shoes comprising a long strip of leather having marginal portions of substantially uniform thickness and one or more laterally arcuate portions of reduced thickness disposed between the marginal portions; the reduced portion may be passed between rollers which cooperate to crush or break the leather fibers in order to render the binding still more compliant, the result being that the strip may be over-folded about the margin of an element of the shoe upper in such fashion as to provide a smooth wrinkle-free binding of pleasing appearance.