US 11,297,901 B2Granted

Shoe with composite upper and method of making the same

AssigneeNIKE, Inc.

InventorsBenjamin A. Shaffer, Kevin W. Hoffer, Tony H. Le, YunMi Kang

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Abstract

Articles of footwear may include uppers having one or more skin layers attached to a base layer, wherein at least one of the skin layers is at least partially transparent or translucent. The transparent or translucent skin layer may be applied over other elements of the upper (e.g., other skin layers, base layers, reinforcing layers, etc.) to provide interesting color change options and color palettes for the upper. Additional aspects of this invention relate to production of curved tongue composite structures and/or footwear having a bonded (hot melt) side seam for forming the upper (and optionally do not include a rear heel seam).

Claims19

Dependent claims

An article of footwear, comprising:

a sole structure;
and
an upper engaged with the sole structure, wherein the upper includes:
a base layer,
a first skin layer partially covering the base layer, wherein the first skin layer has a first color, and wherein the first skin layer is at least partially transparent or translucent,
a second skin layer partially covering the base layer and the first skin layer, wherein the second skin layer has a second color and is at least partially transparent or translucent, wherein at a first portion of the upper, the first skin layer directly contacts the base layer and is covered by the second skin layer such that a first color appearance at the first portion of the upper includes a blend of the first color and the second color, and wherein the upper further includes:
(a) a second color appearance that differs from the first color appearance at a second portion of the upper where the first skin layer is present and the first and second skin layers do not overlap, and (b) a third color appearance that differs from the first color appearance and the second color appearance at a third portion of the upper where the second skin layer is present and the first and second skin layers do not overlap,
a first eye stay reinforcement component located between the base layer and at least one of the first skin layer or the second skin layer, wherein the first eye stay reinforcement component includes a first opening extending through it for engaging a shoe lace, and wherein the first eye stay reinforcement component is located along a first side of an instep opening of the upper, and
a second eye stay reinforcement component located between the base layer and at least one of the first skin layer or the second skin layer, wherein the second eye stay reinforcement component includes a second opening extending through it for engaging a shoe lace, and wherein the second eye stay reinforcement component is located along a second side of the instep opening of the upper.

6 more elements

An article of footwear, comprising:

a sole structure;
and
an upper engaged with the sole structure, wherein the upper includes:
(a) a base layer,
(b) a first skin layer partially covering the base layer, wherein the first skin layer has a first color, wherein the first skin layer is at least partially transparent or translucent, and wherein an exterior of the first skin layer is formed from a first thermoplastic polyurethane material and an interior of the first skin layer is formed from a second thermoplastic polyurethane material having a lower melt temperature than the first thermoplastic polyurethane material, and
(c) a second skin layer partially covering the base layer and the first skin layer, wherein the second skin layer has a second color and is at least partially transparent or translucent, wherein at a first portion of the upper, the first skin layer directly contacts the base layer and is covered by the second skin layer such that a first color appearance at the first portion of the upper includes a blend of the first color and the second color, wherein the upper further includes:
(i) a second color appearance that differs from the first color appearance at a second portion of the upper where the first skin layer is present and the first and second skin layers do not overlap, and (ii) a third color appearance that differs from the first color appearance and the second color appearance at a third portion of the upper where the second skin layer is present and the first and second skin layers do not overlap.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/863,305Filed 30 Apr 2020 · continuation
Priority: 27 May 2011
Published: US 2020/0253332 A113 Aug 2020
Granted: 12 Apr 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

A43B 23/0235
Characterised by the material: different layers of different material
A43B 1/0027
Footwear characterised by the material: made at least partially from a material having special colours
A43B 1/0072
Footwear characterised by the material: made at least partially of transparent or translucent materials
A43B 23/0245
Uppers; Boot legs: characterised by the constructive form

Family

Application61/460,776Us provisional application · filed 27 May 2011
Application13/467,499Parent of this continuation · filed 9 May 2012
US 2020/0253332 A1Pre-grant publication · published 13 Aug 2020
US 10,645,998 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2012/0297643 A1Published application
US 11,297,901 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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