# US 10,499,707 B2 · Articles of footwear having a leno woven upper with a bladder component > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,499,707 B2 - Document ID: US10499707B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/787,178 - Filed: 2017-10-18 - Published: 2019-04-18 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2017-10-18 - Assignees: Reebok International Ltd. - Applicants: Reebok International Limited - Inventors: Dan Hobson; Matt Costa; Thomas Piacentini - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10499707B2 ## CPC - A43B 23/029: {Pneumatic upper, e.g. gas filled} - A43B 23/0205: {characterised by the material (material of the lining A43B23/07, material of toe stiffeners or heel stiffeners A43B23/08)} - A43B 23/027: {with a part of the upper particularly flexible, e.g. permitting articulation or torsion} - A43B 23/0285: {filled with a non-compressible fluid, e.g. gel or water} - D03D 15/56: elastic - D03D 19/00: Gauze or leno-woven fabrics - D10B 2331/04: polyesters, e.g. polyethylene terephthalate [PET] - D10B 2331/10: polyurethanes - D10B 2401/061: elastic - D10B 2501/043: Footwear - A43B: CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR - D03D: WOVEN FABRICS; METHODS OF WEAVING; LOOMS - D10B: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBLASSES OF SECTION D, RELATING TO TEXTILES ## Abstract An article of footwear includes a sole, an upper, and an inflatable bladder disposed on the upper. The upper includes a leno woven fabric having a continuous leno weave pattern of a plurality of warp yarns extending in a longitudinal direction and a plurality of weft yarns extending in a transverse direction. The weft yarns include an elastic material. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An article of footwear comprising: a sole; an upper comprising a leno woven fabric having a continuous leno weave pattern of a plurality of warp yarns extending in a longitudinal direction and a plurality of weft yarns extending in a transverse direction, wherein the leno woven fabric comprises a first portion and a second portion; and an inflatable bladder disposed on the upper, wherein the inflatable bladder is disposed on the first portion of the leno woven fabric, wherein the weft yarns comprise an elastic material, wherein the first portion of the leno woven fabric comprises a first leno weave pattern comprising a first degree of stretchability, and the second portion of the leno woven fabric comprises a second leno weave pattern comprising a second degree of stretchability greater than the first degree of stretchability. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the weft yarns comprise spandex. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the weft yarns comprise spandex with polyester. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein a weft yarn extends from the sole on a lateral side of the article of footwear to the sole on a medial side of the article of footwear. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the upper comprises an opening configured to receive a wearer's foot and a collar surrounding the opening, and the plurality of warp yarns includes a warp yarn extending from the sole to the collar of the upper. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the upper comprises a heel counter configured to support a wearer's heel, and the plurality of warp yarns includes a warp yarn extending from the sole to the heel counter of the upper. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the inflatable bladder is disposed on an exterior surface of the upper. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The article of footwear of claim 1, further comprises: a lateral side and a medial side; a heel region and a throat region, wherein the inflatable bladder extends from the heel region on the lateral side of the article of footwear across the throat region of the article of footwear to the heel region on the medial side of the article of footwear. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein an arrangement of the warp yarns and weft yarns along the first leno weave pattern varies from an arrangement of the warp yarns and weft yarns along the second leno weave pattern. ### Claim 10 An upper for an article of footwear, the upper comprising: a leno woven fabric comprising a continuous leno weave pattern, wherein the leno woven fabric comprises a first portion and a second portion; and an inflatable bladder disposed only on the leno woven fabric at the first portion, wherein the first portion of the leno woven fabric comprises a first leno weave pattern comprising a first degree of stretchability, and the second portion of the leno woven fabric comprises a second leno weave pattern comprising a second degree of stretchability greater than the first degree of stretchability. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The upper of claim 10, wherein the leno woven fabric extends across an entire length of the upper. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The upper of claim 10, wherein the leno woven fabric extends across an entire width of the upper. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The upper of claim 10, wherein the inflatable bladder is disposed on an outside of the leno woven fabric. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The upper of claim 10, wherein the inflatable bladder is disposed on an underside of the leno woven fabric. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The upper of claim 10, wherein the leno woven fabric comprises a single layer that forms a portion of an exterior surface of the upper and a portion of an interior surface of the upper. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The upper of claim 10, wherein the leno woven fabric comprises an outermost layer of the upper and an innermost layer of the upper. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The upper of claim 10, wherein the inflatable bladder is adhered to the leno woven fabric with an adhesive. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The upper of claim 17, wherein the adhesive comprises a hot melt adhesive. ### Claim 19 (depends on 10) The upper of claim 10, wherein the first leno weave pattern varies from the second leno weave pattern. ### Claim 20 An article of footwear comprising: a sole; an upper comprising a leno woven fabric having a continuous leno weave pattern, wherein the leno woven fabric comprises a first portion and a second portion; and an inflatable bladder disposed only on the leno woven fabric at the first portion, wherein the first portion of the leno woven fabric comprises a first leno weave pattern comprising a first degree of stretchability, and the second portion of the leno woven fabric comprises a second leno weave pattern comprising a second degree of stretchability greater than the first degree of stretchability. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The article of footwear of claim 20, wherein the leno woven fabric comprises an outermost layer of the upper and an innermost layer of the upper. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The article of footwear of claim 20, wherein the leno woven fabric comprises an elastic material. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The article of footwear of claim 20, wherein the first leno weave pattern varies from the second leno weave pattern.