Article of footwear with removable cover layers and method of manufacturing an article of footwear

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11533966-B2
Application number	US-202017023754-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2020
Priority date	Dec 20, 2019
Publication date	Dec 27, 2022
Grant date	Dec 27, 2022

Abstract

An article of footwear may include an upper that has a plurality of discrete sections secured to one another. Each discrete section may include a base layer and a cover layer. Each cover layer may be secured to and may cover the outer side of a corresponding base layer. Each cover layer may be configured to be selectively removable from the base layer independently of each other cover layer to expose the outer side of the base layer. A method of manufacturing the article of footwear may include providing the plurality of base layers and providing the plurality of cover layers. The method may further include securing the cover layers to the base layers so that the cover layers cover the outer sides of the base layers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An article of footwear comprising:
an upper having a plurality of discrete sections secured to one another, each of the discrete sections including a cover layer and a corresponding base layer, the cover layer secured to and covering an outer side of the corresponding base layer and selectively removable independently of each other cover layer to expose the outer side of the corresponding base layer without exposing the outer side of any other corresponding base layer of any other discrete section; and
wherein directly adjacent ones of the base layers are secured to one another with stitching that extends through the directly adjacent ones of the base layers.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein each base layer has a peripheral edge and the cover layer secured to the corresponding base layer has a portion wrapped around and covering the peripheral edge.

3. The article of footwear of claim 2 , wherein the cover layer secured to the corresponding base layer includes another portion wrapped over the peripheral edge and adhered to an inner side of the base layer.

4. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein each cover layer is secured to the corresponding base layer by stitches extending through the cover layer and the corresponding base layer.

5. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein each cover layer is opaque.

6. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of discrete sections includes at least three discrete sections, and each base layer is bordered by two other base layers.

7. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the cover layer of at least one of the discrete sections defines an integral pull tab disposed at an edge of the corresponding base layer to which the cover layer is secured.

8. The article of footwear of claim 7 , wherein the cover layer defining the integral pull tab is disposed on a throat portion of the upper with the integral pull tab extending forward over a toe region of the upper.

9. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the cover layer of at least one of the discrete sections comprises a nonwoven textile.

10. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the cover layers are configured to be selectively removable in any combination.

11. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the cover layers are configured to be selectively removable in any order.

12. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the base layer of at least one of the discrete sections comprises a different material or has a different color, texture, or pattern than the base layer of at least one other of the discrete sections.

13. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the cover layer of at least one of the discrete sections is entirely on a lateral side of the upper.

14. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the cover layer of at least one of the discrete sections is entirely on a medial side of the upper.

15. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the stitching further extends through the cover layers covering the adjacent base layers.

16. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the adjacent base layers at least partially overlap one another at the stitching.

17. An article of footwear comprising:
an upper having a plurality of discrete sections secured to one another, each of the discrete sections including a cover layer and a corresponding base layer, the cover layer secured to and covering an outer side of the corresponding base layer and selectively removable independently of each other cover layer to expose the outer side of the corresponding base layer without exposing the outer side of any other corresponding base layer of any other discrete section; and
wherein each base layer has a peripheral edge and the cover layer secured to the corresponding base layer has a portion wrapped around and covering the peripheral edge.

18. The article of footwear of claim 17 , wherein the cover layer secured to the corresponding base layer includes another portion wrapped over the peripheral edge and adhered to an inner side of the base layer.

19. An article of footwear comprising:
an upper having a plurality of discrete sections secured to one another, each of the discrete sections including a cover layer and a corresponding base layer, the cover layer secured to and covering an outer side of the corresponding base layer and selectively removable independently of each other cover layer to expose the outer side of the corresponding base layer without exposing the outer side of any other corresponding base layer of any other discrete section;
wherein the cover layer of at least one of the discrete sections defines an integral pull tab disposed at an edge of the corresponding base layer to which the cover layer is secured; and
wherein the cover layer defining the integral pull tab is disposed on a throat portion of the upper with the integral pull tab extending forward over a toe region of the upper.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Capone Francesca
• Ebenholtz Arielle
• Park Sh
• Richez Elodie
• Schulze Tim S

Classifications

• A43B23/0295

  Pieced uppers · CPC title

• A43B23/0255

  assembled by gluing or thermo bonding · CPC title

• A43B1/0027

  made at least partially from a material having special colours · CPC title

• A43B3/0078

  provided with logos, letters, signatures or the like decoration (A43B23/24 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A43B23/025

  assembled by stitching · CPC title