Braided Upper With Overlays For Article Of Footwear
An article of footwear includes a braided upper with overlay portions. The overlay portions may be applied to edges of the braided upper. The overlay portions can include eyelets to receive a lace. The overlay portions can extend around portions of the upper to reduce stretching and increase support. The overlay portions may facilitate attachment between the braided upper and a sole system.
1 . An article of footwear, comprising:
an upper and a sole system;
wherein the upper is further comprised of a braided structure and an overlay portion;
wherein the overlay portion is bonded to the braided structure; and
wherein the overlay portion is more resistant to stretching than the braided structure.
2 . The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the overlay portion is disposed on an edge of the upper associated with an opening of the upper that receives a foot.
3 . The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the overlay portion includes eyelets for receiving a fastener.
4 . The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the overlay portion is disposed on a toe portion of the upper.
5 . The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the overlay portion includes a section disposed on a lower side of the upper.
6 . The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the overlay portion is made of a polymer material.
7 . An article of footwear, comprising:
an upper and a sole system, the upper being further associated with a lacing member;
the upper being comprised of a braided structure and an overlay portion; and
wherein the overlay portion includes a plurality of eyelets for receiving the lacing member.
8 . The article of footwear according to claim 7 , wherein the overlay portion forms an eyestay for the upper.
9 . The article of footwear according to claim 7 , wherein the overlay portion is disposed on a lateral edge of a fastening region of the upper, and wherein the overlay portion is disposed on a medial edge of the fastening region.
10 . The article of footwear according to claim 7 , wherein the overlay portion extends on a lateral side of the upper, a medial side of the upper and a lower side of the upper.
11 . The article of footwear according to claim 7 , wherein the overlay portion is a first overlay portion and wherein the article of footwear includes a second overlay portion that is different than the first overlay portion.
12 . The article of footwear according to claim 11 , wherein the first overlay portion overlaps with the second overlay portion at an overlap region.
13 . The article of footwear according to claim 11 , wherein the second overlay portion covers a lower side of the upper.
14 . The article of footwear according to claim 11 , wherein the second overlay portion can be joined to the sole system to secure the sole system in place on the article of footwear.
15 . A method of making an article of footwear, comprising:
forming a braided structure with an interior cavity;
cutting an opening into the braided structure, thereby creating an opening in the braided structure and an edge associated with the opening;
bonding an overlay portion to the edge, wherein the overlay portion includes a plurality of eyelets;
inserting a lace through the eyelets; and
associating a sole system with the braided structure to form the article of footwear.
16 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein forming the braided structure includes creating the braided structure with a central cavity.
17 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein forming the braided structure includes overbraiding the braided structure on a last.
18 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein bonding the overlay portion includes welding the overlay portion to the edge.
19 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein bonding the overlay portion includes fixing at least one open end of a strand of the braided structure to the overlay portion.
20 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein the overlay portion is a first overlay portion and wherein a second overlay portion is bonded to a bottom side of the braided structure and wherein the sole system is attached to the second overlay portion.
21 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein the overlay portion is bonded to the edge such that at least one strand of the braided structure extends around at least one eyelet of the overlay portion.