Articles of footwear with bootie components having fixed connections and non-fixed regions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10945491-B2
Application number	US-201816116353-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2018
Priority date	Aug 31, 2017
Publication date	Mar 16, 2021
Grant date	Mar 16, 2021

Abstract

Footwear or other foot-receiving devices include various conforming fit, stability, and/or “locked down” feel features. The uppers (or foot-covering components) for such articles of footwear (or other foot-receiving devices) may include one or more of: (a) an upper shell defining an interior chamber, wherein the upper shell includes a plantar support surface and sidewalls extending from an outer perimeter of the plantar support surface; (b) a bootie component (e.g., formed as a sock or sock-like garment) received in the interior chamber; (c) one or more foot wrapping bands; and/or (d) an interior midsole within the bootie component. The bootie component and/or the foot wrapping band(s) may be secured to the upper shell at a location inside an outer perimeter of the plantar support surface of the upper shell and beyond the bight line between the sidewalls of the upper and the plantar support surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An upper for an article of footwear, comprising:
an upper shell defining an interior chamber, wherein the upper shell includes: (a) a plantar support surface, (b) sidewalls extending upward from an outer perimeter of the plantar support surface, (c) a heel support extending around a rear heel area of the upper and defining an interior heel area of the upper shell, and (d) a top panel extending across an instep area of the upper and defining a forward edge of a lace engaging region of the upper; and
a bootie component received in the interior chamber, wherein the bootie component conforms in shape to a wearer's foot and is fixedly engaged with the upper shell at fixed connections that consist essentially of:
(a) one or more fixed bottom connections connecting the bootie component and the plantar support surface, wherein the one or more fixed bottom connections are spaced inward from the outer perimeter of the plantar support surface, and wherein the one or more fixed bottom connections constitute one or more of stitching or adhesives, and
(b) one or more fixed top connections connecting the bootie component and the top panel of the upper shell proximate to the forward edge of the lace engaging region, wherein all of the one or more fixed top connections are located within a fixed region having: (i) a width dimension of less than 5 cm in a medial side-to-lateral side direction of the upper and a length dimension of less than 2 cm in a heel-to-toe direction of the upper and/or (ii) a fixed area of less than 10 cm 2 , and wherein the one or more fixed top connections constitute one or more of stitching or adhesives.

2. An upper for an article of footwear, comprising:
an upper shell defining an interior chamber and a lace engaging region, wherein the upper shell includes a plantar support surface, sidewalls extending upward from an outer perimeter of the plantar support surface, a top panel extending across an instep area of the upper and defining a forward edge of the lace engaging region of the upper; and
a bootie component received in the interior chamber, wherein the bootie component conforms in shape to a wearer's foot, and wherein:
(a) a bottom of the bootie component is fixedly engaged with the plantar support surface by one or more fixed bottom connections connecting the bootie component and the plantar support surface, wherein the one or more fixed bottom connections are spaced inward from the outer perimeter of the plantar support surface, and wherein the one or more fixed bottom connections constitute one or more of stitching or adhesives,
(b) a top of the bootie component is fixedly engaged with the top panel of the upper shell at a fixed region located proximate to the forward edge of the lace engaging region, wherein the fixed region includes one or more fixed top connections connecting the bootie component and the top panel of the upper shell, and wherein the fixed region has: (i) a width dimension of less than 5 cm in a medial side-to-lateral side direction of the upper and a first length dimension of less than 2 cm in a heel-to-toe direction of the upper and/or (ii) a fixed area of less than 10 cm 2 , and wherein the one or more fixed top connections constitute one or more of stitching or adhesives,
(c) the top of the bootie component is not fixedly engaged with the top panel of the upper shell at a non-fixed region located forward of the fixed region, wherein the non-fixed region has: (i) a second length dimension of at least 2 cm in the heel-to-toe direction of the upper and/or (ii) a non-fixed area of at least 10 cm 2 ,
(d) the bootie component is not fixedly engaged with a medial side of the upper shell, and
(e) the bootie component is not fixedly engaged with a lateral side of the upper shell.

3. The upper according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a first medial side foot wrapping band that includes: (a) a first medial lace engaging element, (b) a first medial band segment extending from the first medial lace engaging element and between the upper shell and the bootie component, wherein the first medial band segment is engaged with the plantar support surface at a fixed bottom connection spaced inward from the outer perimeter of the plantar support surface, and (c) a second medial band segment extending from the first medial lace engaging element and between the upper shell and the bootie component, wherein the second medial band segment extends forward of the first medial band segment and is engaged with the plantar support surface at a fixed bottom connection spaced inward from the outer perimeter of the plantar support surface; and
a first lateral side foot wrapping band that includes: (a) a first lateral lace engaging element, (b) a first lateral band segment extending from the first lateral lace engaging element and between the upper shell and the bootie component, wherein the first lateral band segment is engaged with the plantar support surface at a fixed bottom connection spaced inward from the outer perimeter of the plantar support surface, and (c) a second lateral band segment extending from the first lateral lace engaging element and between the upper shell and the bootie component, wherein the second lateral band segment extends forward of the first lateral band segment and is engaged with the plantar support surface at a fixed bottom connection spaced inward from the outer perimeter of the plantar support surface.

4. The upper according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a first medial side foot wrapping band that includes: (a) a first medial lace engaging element, (b) a first medial band segment extending from the first medial lace engaging element and between the upper shell and the bootie component, wherein the first medial band segment is engaged with the plantar support surface at a fixed bottom connection spaced inward from the outer perimeter of the plantar support surface, and (c) a second medial band segment extending from the first medial lace engaging element and between the upper shell and the bootie component, wherein the second medial band segment extends forward of the first medial band segment and is engaged with the plantar support surface at a fixed bottom connection spaced inward from the outer perimeter of the plantar support surface;
a second medial side foot wrapping band that includes: (a) a second medial lace engaging element, (b) a third medial band segment extending from the second medial lace engaging element and between the upper shell and the bootie component, wherein the third medial band segment is engaged with the plantar support surface at a fixed bottom connection spaced inward from the outer perimeter of the plantar support surface, and (c) a fourth medial band segment extending from the second medial lace engaging element and between the upper shell and the bootie component, wherein the fourth medial band segment extends forward of the third medial band segment and is engaged with the plantar support surface at a fixed bottom connection spaced inward from the outer perimeter of the plantar support surface;
a first lateral side foot wrapping band that includes: (a) a first lateral lace engaging element, (b) a first lateral band segment extending from the first lateral lace engaging element and between the upper shell and the bootie component, wherein the first lateral band segment is engaged with the plantar support surface at a fixed bottom connection spaced inward from the outer perimeter of the plantar support surface, and (c) a second lateral band segment extending from the first lateral lace engaging element and between the upper shell and the bootie component, wherein the second lateral band segment extends forward of the first lateral band segment and is engaged with the plantar support surface at a fixed bottom connection spaced inward from the

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Cooper Aaron

Classifications

• A43B7/1495

  with arch-supports of the bracelet type · CPC title

• A43B23/0265 Primary

  having different properties in different directions · CPC title

• A43B23/0235

  Different layers of different material · CPC title

• A43B13/023

  Soles with several layers of the same material · CPC title

• A43B19/00

  Shoe-shaped inserts; Inserts covering the instep · CPC title