U.S. patent application number 12/572441 was filed with the patent office on 2011-04-07 for thermoforming upper process with reinforcement.
This patent application is currently assigned to NIKE, Inc.. Invention is credited to Sergio Cavaliere, Matteo Tessaro.
Application Number | 20110078922 12/572441 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43822063 |
Filed Date | 2011-04-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110078922 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Cavaliere; Sergio ; et
al. |
April 7, 2011 |
THERMOFORMING UPPER PROCESS WITH REINFORCEMENT
Abstract
An article of footwear is provided and includes an upper having
a medial side and a lateral side simultaneously formed from a
single sheet of material in a thermoforming mold. The medial side
and lateral side are joined to each other such that a joint between
the medial side and the lateral side extends continuously from a
heel portion of the upper to a toe portion of the upper.
Inventors: |
Cavaliere; Sergio; (Venizia,
IT) ; Tessaro; Matteo; (Treviso, IT) |
Assignee: |
NIKE, Inc.
Beaverton
OR
|
Family ID: |
43822063 |
Appl. No.: |
12/572441 |
Filed: |
October 2, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/54 ; 12/146C;
36/67A; 36/69; 36/77R |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 23/025 20130101;
A43B 23/0255 20130101; B29D 35/0054 20130101; A43B 5/02 20130101;
B29D 35/126 20130101; B29D 35/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
36/54 ; 36/77.R;
36/69; 36/67.A; 12/146.C |
International
Class: |
A43B 23/26 20060101
A43B023/26; A43B 23/08 20060101 A43B023/08; A43C 15/00 20060101
A43C015/00; A43D 11/00 20060101 A43D011/00 |
Claims
1. An article of footwear comprising: an upper including a medial
side and a lateral side simultaneously formed from a single sheet
of material in a thermoforming mold and joined to each other such
that a joint between said medial side and said lateral side extends
continuously from a heel portion of said upper to a toe portion of
said upper.
2. The article of footwear according to claim 1, further comprising
a tongue connected to said upper and formed simultaneously with
said medial and lateral sides from said single sheet of
material.
3. The article of footwear according to claim 1, further comprising
an outsole disposed on a bottom portion of said upper.
4. The article of footwear according to claim 3, wherein said
outsole is over-injected directly onto said upper.
5. The article of footwear according to claim 3, wherein said
outsole includes a tread pattern or a plurality of integrally
formed cleats.
6. The article of footwear according to claim 3, further comprising
a counter integrally formed with said outsole.
7. The article of footwear according to claim 1, further comprising
a toe cover disposed over a portion of said joint.
8. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein said sheet
of material includes at least one localized thick spot operable to
form an area of increased strength on said upper.
9. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein said area
of increased strength is at least one of a heel counter and a toe
counter.
10. The article of footwear according to claim 1, further
comprising at least one reinforcement member molded into at least
one of said medial side and said lateral side.
11. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein said
joint between said medial and lateral sides is formed by at least
one of stitching, high-frequency welding, and adhesive bonding.
12. An upper for an article of footwear, the upper comprising: a
medial portion including a first heel portion, a first bottom
portion, and a first toe portion formed from a sheet of material in
a thermoforming mold; and a lateral portion including a second heel
portion, a second bottom portion, and a second toe portion formed
from said sheet of material in said thermoforming mold, said
lateral portion joined to said medial portion to attach said first
heel portion to said second heel portion, said first bottom portion
to said second bottom portion, and said first toe portion to said
second toe portion.
13. The upper according to claim 12, wherein said medial portion is
attached to said lateral portion along a continuous joint extending
from a joint between said first and second heel portions, along a
joint between said first and second bottom portions, and to a joint
between said first and second toe portions.
14. The upper according to claim 13, wherein said continuous joint
is formed by at least one of stitching, high-frequency welding, and
adhesive bonding.
15. The upper according tot claim 14, further comprising a tongue
formed simultaneously from said sheet of material.
16. The upper according to claim 12, further comprising an outsole
over-injected directly onto said first bottom portion and said
second bottom portion.
17. The upper according to claim 16, wherein said outsole includes
a tread pattern or a plurality of integrally formed cleats.
18. The upper according to claim 16, further comprising a counter
integrally formed with said outsole.
19. The upper according to claim 12, further comprising integrally
formed counter halves respectively formed with said medial portion
and said lateral portion.
20. The upper according to claim 12, further comprising at least
one reinforcement member molded into at least one of said medial
portion and said lateral portion.
21. A method of manufacturing an upper for an article of footwear,
the method comprising: providing a sheet of material; forming said
sheet into a medial portion of the upper in a thermoforming mold;
forming said sheet into a lateral portion of the upper in a
thermoforming mold; separating said medial portion from said sheet;
separating said lateral portion from said sheet; and attaching said
medial portion to said lateral portion along a joint extending from
a heel portion to a toe portion of said attached medial and lateral
portions.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein said forming steps are
performed in the same mold.
23. The method of claim 21, wherein said separating includes laser
cutting said medial portion and said lateral portion from said
sheet.
24. The method of claim 21, wherein said joining includes at least
one of stitching, high-frequency welding, and adhesively
bonding.
25. The method of claim 21, wherein said joining includes forming a
continuous joint between said medial portion and said lateral
portion extending from said heel portion to said toe portion.
26. The method of claim 21, further comprising forming an outsole
over a bottom portion of said joined medial and lateral
portions.
27. The method of claim 26, wherein said forming said outsole
includes over-injecting said outsole onto said joined medial and
lateral portions.
28. The method of claim 21, further comprising forming a reinforced
heel counter on said medial and lateral portions.
29. The method of claim 28, wherein first and second portions of
said reinforced heel counter are formed simultaneously with said
medial and lateral portions.
30. The method of claim 21, further comprising positioning a sock
liner within said joined medial and lateral portions.
Description
FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates to an article of footwear and
a method of manufacturing an article of footwear.
BACKGROUND
[0002] This section provides background information related to the
present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
[0003] Conventional footwear typically includes an upper structure,
a strobel, and an outsole structure that cooperate to support a
foot during use. The strobel connects a medial side of the upper
structure to a lateral side of the upper structure and cooperates
with the upper structure to securely receive and position the foot
relative to the outsole structure. The outsole structure is
typically secured to a lower portion of the strobel and generally
between the foot and a ground surface and attenuates reaction
forces by absorbing energy as the footwear contacts the ground.
[0004] Many of the processes for manufacturing conventional
footwear are labor intensive and/or require numerous steps.
Furthermore, each of the subassemblies of an article of
footwear--an upper structure, strobel, and outsole structure--are
often formed from separate and distinct processes with each
employing a myriad of materials formed in numerous and distinct
manufacturing processes.
[0005] The upper structure, for example, typically includes a
series of different materials such as leather, plastic, nylon, and
metal, each independently formed and joined together. In forming
the leather portion, a blank of material is typically cut into the
desired shape with the offal or scrap being discarded. The plastic
pieces are typically molded in a separate manufacturing operation,
as are the metal pieces such as eyelets, and are then separately
and individually joined to the leather portion of the outsole
structure. Because the leather components, plastic components, and
metal components are all formed from different materials and are
each formed in separate manufacturing processes, manufacturing a
conventional upper structure requires an investment in tooling to
form the individual components, and also requires subsequent
assembly of the individual components. The additional tooling and
manufacturing processes required to form the upper structure add to
the overall cost and complexity of the article of footwear.
[0006] Once the upper structure is formed, the upper structure is
typically attached to the strobel, which is manufactured in a
separate manufacturing process and, as such, requires dedicated
manufacturing tooling specific to formation of the material of the
strobel. The strobel is subsequently attached to the upper
structure by way of stitching and/or epoxy, thereby increasing the
overall cost and complexity of the article of footwear.
[0007] Formation of the upper structure, strobel, and outsole
structure necessarily generates offal or scrap. For example,
forming the leather portion of the upper structure from a blank of
leather material (i.e., a sheet of leather material) results in the
material not used in forming the upper structure being discarded
and, thus, wasted. Likewise, in manufacturing the strobel, forming
the different layers of the strobel from different sheets of
materials likewise results in waste when the strobel is trimmed
into a desired shape. The offal or scrap generated during formation
of the upper structure, strobel, and outsole structure is typically
discarded or recycled but, nonetheless, adds to the overall cost of
manufacturing the upper structure, strobel, and outsole structure
and, as such, adds to the overall cost and complexity associated
with manufacturing the article of footwear.
SUMMARY
[0008] This section provides a general summary of the disclosure,
and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of
its features.
[0009] An article of footwear is provided and includes an upper
having a medial side and a lateral side simultaneously formed from
a single sheet of material in a thermoforming mold. The medial side
and lateral side are joined to each other such that a joint between
the medial side and the lateral side extends continuously from a
heel portion of the upper to a toe portion of the upper.
[0010] An upper for an article of footwear includes a medial
portion having a first heel portion, a first bottom portion, and a
first toe portion formed from a sheet of material in a
thermoforming mold. The upper further includes a lateral portion
having a second heel portion, a second bottom portion, and a second
toe portion formed from the sheet of material in the thermoforming
mold. The lateral portion is joined to the medial portion to attach
the first heel portion to the second heel portion, to join the
first bottom portion to the second bottom portion, and to join the
first toe portion to the second toe portion.
[0011] A method of manufacturing an upper for an article of
footwear is provided and includes providing a sheet of material,
forming the sheet into a medial portion of the upper in a
thermoforming mold, and forming the sheet into a lateral portion of
the upper in a thermoforming mold. The method further includes
separating the medial portion from the sheet, separating the
lateral portion from the sheet, and attaching the medial portion to
the lateral portion along a joint extending from a heel portion to
a toe portion of the attached medial and lateral portions.
[0012] Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the
description provided herein. The description and specific examples
in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and
are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
DRAWINGS
[0013] The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes
only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations,
and are not intended to limit the scope of the present
disclosure.
[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an article of footwear
according to the principles of the present disclosure;
[0015] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the article of footwear of
FIG. 1;
[0016] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a multi-layer sheet according
to the principles of the present disclosure for use in forming a
portion of an article of footwear;
[0017] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a mold according to the
principles of the present disclosure for forming a portion of the
article of footwear of FIG. 1;
[0018] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an upper and tongue formed
from the sheet of FIG. 3 in the mold of FIG. 4;
[0019] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the tongue and medial and
lateral portions of the upper separated from the sheet of FIG.
5;
[0020] FIG. 7A is a first perspective view of an upper of the
article of footwear of FIG. 1 according to the principles of the
present disclosure;
[0021] FIG. 7B is a second perspective view of the upper of the
article of footwear of FIG. 1 according to the principles of the
present disclosure;
[0022] FIG. 7C is a third perspective view of the upper of the
article of footwear of FIG. 1 according to the principles of the
present disclosure;
[0023] FIG. 8 is an exploded view of a sock liner for use with an
article of footwear according to the principles of the present
disclosure;
[0024] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the article of footwear of
FIG. 1 including an outsole according to the principles of the
present disclosure; and
[0025] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the article of footwear of
FIG. 1 including an outsole according to the principles of the
present disclosure.
[0026] Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding
parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0027] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0028] Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure
will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are
skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as
examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a
thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It
will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details
need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in
many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit
the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments,
well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known
technologies are not described in detail.
[0029] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing
particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be
limiting. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the"
may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms "comprises,"
"comprising," "including," and "having," are inclusive and
therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps,
operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the
presence or addition of one or more other features, integers,
steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The
method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to
be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the
particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically
identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood
that additional or alternative steps may be employed.
[0030] When an element or layer is referred to as being "on,"
"engaged to," "connected to" or "coupled to" another element or
layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the
other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be
present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being
"directly on," "directly engaged to," "directly connected to" or
"directly coupled to" another element or layer, there may be no
intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to
describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in
a like fashion (e.g., "between" versus "directly between,"
"adjacent" versus "directly adjacent," etc.). As used herein, the
term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of
the associated listed items.
[0031] Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used
herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers
and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or
sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be
only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or
section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as
"first," "second," and other numerical terms when used herein do
not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the
context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section
discussed below could be termed a second element, component,
region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of
the example embodiments.
[0032] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, an article of footwear 10
is provided and includes an upper 12 and an outsole 14. The upper
12 receives a user's foot and cooperates with the outsole 14 to
provide support and cushioning to the user's foot during use.
[0033] The upper 12 includes a medial portion 16, a lateral portion
18, and a tongue 20. The medial and lateral portions 16, 18
cooperate to define a generally hollow shell having an opening 19
through which the user's foot is inserted for use. The medial
portion 16 includes a first side portion 22, a first toe portion
24, a first heel portion 26, and a first bottom portion 28. The
lateral portion 18 includes a second side portion 30, a second toe
portion 32, a second heel portion 34, and a second bottom portion
36.
[0034] The tongue 20 is attached to the medial and lateral portions
16, 18. Laces 38 engaging the medial and lateral portions 16, 18
can draw the medial and lateral portions 16, 18 towards each other
to secure the user's foot within the upper 12. The tongue 20
improves the overall aesthetics of the article of footwear 10 and
protects the user's foot by preventing the laces 38 from rubbing
against a dorsal portion of the user's foot during use. In one
configuration, the tongue 20 includes reinforcements 39 to provide
additional support and protection for the user's foot.
[0035] An optional sock liner 40 may be disposed within the upper
12 and may provide additional cushioning and shock absorption to
the user's foot during use. The sock liner 40 may include a
structural layer 42 and a cushioning layer 44. The structural layer
42 is relatively rigid and may be formed from a hard polymeric
material. The cushioning layer 44 is relatively soft and is formed
from a compliant foam or other polymeric material that cushions
and/or directs moisture away from the foot. The sock liner 40 is
adhesively bonded, stitched, or otherwise suitably attached to the
first and second sole portions 28, 36.
[0036] An optional collar 46 may be disposed on a rim of the
opening 19 of the upper 12 to reinforce the opening 19. The collar
46 is a generally U-shaped member formed from a rigid polymeric
material. The collar 46 improves the overall aesthetics of the
article of footwear 10 and provides support for the user's ankle
during use. A cushioning material such as foam (not shown) may be
disposed along an inner portion of the collar 46 to provide
additional comfort during use. The collar 46 is adhesively bonded
or otherwise suitably attached to the rim of the opening 19.
[0037] An optional toe cover 48 may be disposed over a joint
between the first and second toe portions 24, 32 of the upper 12
and may be formed from a generally rigid polymeric material. The
toe cover 48 improves the aesthetics of the article of footwear 10
and provides protection for the phalanges and metatarsals of the
user's foot during use. The toe cover 48 is adhesively bonded or
otherwise suitably fixed to the first and second toe portions 24,
32 and generally covers a junction of the medial and lateral
portions 16, 18.
[0038] The outsole 14 includes a plate 50 and an integrated heel
counter 52. The plate 50 is formed from a rigid material relative
to the first and second bottom portions 28, 36 to provide the
article of footwear 10 with support. While the plate 50 is
described as being rigid, the plate 50 is sufficiently flexible to
allow a user to comfortably walk, run and agilely maneuver during
use. The plate 50 can be adhered directly to the first and second
sole portions 28, 36 of the upper 12. Alternatively, a midsole (not
shown) can be disposed between the plate 50 and the first and
second sole portions 28, 36 of the upper 12. In the particular
configuration illustrated in FIG. 2, the plate 50 includes a
plurality of cutouts 54 that reduce the overall weight of the
article of footwear 10, improve the flexibility of the outsole 14,
and improve the aesthetics of the article of footwear 10.
[0039] The plate 50 may also include a plurality of integrally
formed cleats 56. The cleats 56 are shaped, sized and arranged to
optimize grip and traction between the user's foot and a turf or
dirt surface during use for a given application or sport during
which the article of footwear 10 is intended to be worn. In other
configurations, the plate 50 may include a tread pattern 58 instead
of the cleats 56 (FIG. 10). The plate 50 may include the tread
pattern 58, which may be optimized for other applications such as
running, walking, and cross-training, for example. In still other
configurations, the plate 50 may include other protrusions, spikes,
contours and/or other features in addition to or in place of the
cleats 56 and/or tread pattern 58. Such protrusions, spikes,
contours and/or features may optimize grip and traction between the
user's foot and the ground or floor for a given application,
thereby improving the user's performance. In any of the foregoing
configurations, the cleats 56 tread pattern 58, protrusions,
spikes, contours, and/or other features may be integrally formed
with the plate 50 during formation of the plate 50. Following
formation of the plate 50, the plate 50 may be attached to a bottom
portion of the joined medial and lateral portions 16, 18, as will
be described below.
[0040] The heel counter 52 is integrally formed with the plate 50
and includes a plurality of transverse structural members 60 and
one or more vertical structural members 62 that cooperate to
provide rigidity and support for the user's heel. While the heel
counter 52 is described as being integrally formed with the plate
50, the heel counter 52 could be a separate component apart from
the outsole 14 and could be molded into the upper 12 or inserted
between a rear portion of the upper 12 and an interior liner (not
shown) of the upper 12.
[0041] With reference to FIGS. 1-10, a method of manufacturing the
article of footwear 10 will be described. The upper 12 and tongue
20 are formed from a single sheet of material 102 (FIG. 3), thereby
reducing wasted material. The sheet of material 102 may include one
or more layers 104 of a material or a plurality of materials. Such
material or materials may be selected to provide support and
protection for the user's foot, while also providing ventilation
for cooling the foot and removing perspiration. The sheet of
material 102 may include localized reinforcements 106 that are
sized, shaped, and positioned to provide additional support and/or
protection for predetermined portions of the user's foot (e.g., the
calcaneous, metatarsals, phalanges, and/or cuneiforms) when the
sheet of material 102 is formed into the upper 12. The localized
reinforcements 106 may be areas of increased thickness in the sheet
of material 102 and/or may include additional layers of rigid
materials disposed on or between the layers 104 of the sheet of
material 102.
[0042] The sheet of material 102 is thermoformed in a mold 110
having a first portion 111 and a second portion 113 (FIG. 4) that
cooperate to simultaneously form the shapes of the medial portion
16, the lateral portion 18, and the tongue 20 (FIG. 5). During the
thermoforming process, the first side portion 22, first toe portion
24, first heel portion 26, and first bottom portion 28 of the
medial portion 16, as well as the second side portion 30, second
toe portion 32, second heel portion 34, and second bottom portion
36 of the lateral portion 18 are formed simultaneously in the mold
110 generally between the first portion 111 and the second portion
113. The mold 110 illustrated in FIG. 4 is configured to form the
upper 12 for the article of footwear 10 having a predetermined size
and corresponding to the user's right foot. A second mold (not
shown) is configured to form an upper for an article of footwear
having the predetermined size and corresponding to the user's left
foot.
[0043] The molds 110 may be formed in a variety of predetermined
sizes to form uppers corresponding to a variety of users' foot
sizes, including children's sizes and/or adults' sizes.
Accordingly, a facility for manufacturing the upper 12 of the
present disclosure may be equipped with a plurality of molds 110,
each corresponding to one of a plurality of predetermined
sizes.
[0044] After being formed from the sheet of material 102, the
medial portion 16, lateral portion 18, and tongue 20 are separated
from the sheet of material 102, as shown in FIG. 6. The medial
portion 16, lateral portion 18, and tongue 20 may be separated from
the sheet of material 102 and from each other via a laser cutting
process, for example, or via any other automated or manual cutting
process. Flash or scrap material 112 may be discarded or recycled.
Because the tongue 20 is formed from the same sheet of material 102
as the medial portion 16 and the lateral portion 18, the method of
manufacturing the article of footwear 10 disclosed herein reduces
the amount of scrap material. Specifically, because the area of the
sheet of material 102 disposed between the medial portion 16 and
the lateral portion 18 is not used in forming the medial portion 16
or the lateral portion 18, this material is wasted and must either
be discarded or recycled. Forming the tongue 20 in this region
between the medial portion 16 and lateral portion 18 reduces the
amount of material that must be discarded or recycled and, as such,
reduces the overall cost and complexity associated with
manufacturing the article of footwear 10.
[0045] After the medial portion 16 and the lateral portion 18 are
separated from the sheet of material 102 and from each other, the
medial and lateral portions 16, 18 are joined together to form the
upper 12 including a unitary toe portion 114, a unitary heel
portion 116, and a unitary bottom portion 118, as shown in FIGS.
7A-7C. The medial portion 16 and lateral portion 18 are fastened
directly to each other at a joint 120 disposed between the medial
portion 16 and the lateral portion 18.
[0046] The medial portion 16 and the lateral portion 18 may be
attached to one another at the joint 120 by stitching,
high-frequency welding, and/or adhesively bonding the medial
portion 16 directly to the lateral portion 18. Such stitching,
high-frequency welding, and/or adhesive may extend along the entire
joint 120 or, alternatively, may be selectively applied at discrete
locations along the joint 120.
[0047] The joint 120 extends continuously from a top portion of the
heel portion 116 and across the bottom portion 118 and the toe
portion 114. In this manner, the first and second toe portions 24,
32 form the unitary toe portion 114, the first and second heel
portions 26, 34 form the unitary heel portion 116, and the first
and second bottom portions 28, 36 form the unitary bottom portion
118, as shown in FIGS. 7A-7C. Because the medial and lateral
portions 16, 18 include first and second bottom portions 28, 36
that are joined together to form the unitary bottom portion 118,
the article of footwear 10 can be manufactured without a
strobel.
[0048] The tongue 20 is stitched, high-frequency welded, and/or
adhesively bonded to the medial and lateral portions 16, 18. The
tongue 20 may be secured to the medial and lateral portions 16, 18
before, during, or after the medial and lateral portions 16, 18 are
secured to each other.
[0049] The structural layer 42 and cushioning layer 44 of the
optional sock liner 40 may be molded, laser cut, or otherwise
formed from corresponding sheets or blanks of material (not shown).
The structural layer 42 and cushioning layer 44 may be stitched,
adhesively bonded, and/or high-frequency welded together to form
the sock liner 40. The sock liner 40 can be formed before, during,
or after molding the upper 12. Optionally, the sock liner 40 may be
inserted into the upper 12 and may be stitched, adhesively bonded,
and/or high-frequency welded on an inner side of the bottom portion
118 of the upper 12.
[0050] After the upper 12 is formed by securing the medial portion
16 and lateral portion 18 to each other, the outsole 14 may be
over-injected or injection molded directly onto the upper 12. The
plate 50 may be formed directly on an outer side of the bottom
portion 118 such that the heel counter 52 is simultaneously formed
directly on the heel portion 116. A single mold (not shown) is used
to substantially simultaneously form the plate 50, the heel counter
52, and, optionally, the cleats 56 or tread pattern 58.
[0051] In some embodiments, a midsole (not shown) may be disposed
between the bottom portion 118 of the upper 12 and the outsole 14
to provide the article of footwear 10 with a layer of
shock-absorbing material. The midsole may be directly attached to
the bottom portion 118 of the upper 12 via a suitable adhesive and
may likewise be attached to the plate 50 by a suitable
adhesive.
[0052] The heel counter 52 is formed onto the upper 12 separately
from the plate 50 and may be attached to the upper 12 by an
adhesive. The heel counter 52 could alternatively be disposed
between layers 104 of the sheet of material 102 and may be formed
simultaneously with the medial and lateral portions 16, 18 in the
mold 110. For example, the localized reinforcements 106 may be
inserted into the sheet of material 102 and/or mold 110 in a region
of the heel such that when the medial portion 16 and the lateral
portion 18 are formed in the mold 110, respective halves or
portions of the heel counter 52 are likewise formed. When the
medial portion 16 and the lateral portion 18 are joined, the halves
of the heel counter 52 formed from the localized reinforcements 106
are likewise joined and cooperate to form the heel counter 52.
[0053] The collar 46 and/or toe cover 48 are separately injection
molded or otherwise molded, machined, or formed. After the medial
portion 16 and lateral portion 18 are secured together, the collar
46 and/or toe cover 48 are attached to the upper 12. The collar 46
is attached to the upper 12 at a rim of the opening 19 (FIG. 1) via
adhesive bonding, stitching, and/or high-frequency welding, for
example. The toe cover 48 is disposed over the joint 120 on the toe
portion 114 of the upper 12 and attached thereto via adhesive
bonding, stitching, and/or high-frequency welding, for example. In
another configuration, the collar 46 and/or toe cover 48 are
over-injected onto the upper 12 in a similar fashion as the process
described above, whereby the outsole 14 is over-injected onto the
upper 12. The collar 46 and/or toe cover 48 may be formed
integrally with the medial and lateral portions 16, 18 in the mold
110 by placing localized reinforcements 106 in an area around the
collar 46 and/or toe cover 48 such that when the medial and lateral
portions 16, 18 are joined, the localized reinforcements 106 are
likewise joined and form the opening 19 and/or toe cover 48.
[0054] Regardless of how the collar 46, toe cover 48, and heel
counter 52 are formed, providing the collar 46, toe cover 48, and
heel counter 52 with a material of increased rigidity and/or
thickness may be advantageous depending on the particular
application of the article of footwear 10. For example, if the
article of footwear 10 is designed for use in a sport such as
soccer, increasing the thickness and/or rigidity of the toe cover
48 aids in applying a force and striking a ball. However, if the
article of footwear 10 is designed for use in a sport such as
running or jogging, providing the article of footwear 10 with a
relatively rigid collar 46, toe cover 48, or heel counter 52
provides little to no benefit to the user during the intended
activity. In such a configuration, the sheet of material 102 may
not include localized reinforcements 106 but, rather, may include a
generally uniform thickness.
[0055] The foregoing description of the embodiments has been
provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not
intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention. Individual
elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not
limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are
interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if
not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in
many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure
from the invention, and all such modifications are intended to be
included within the scope of the invention.
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