Nike, Inc.

Atikom Tappatarnpornsuk

Christopher J Lyke

Michael Hochdoerffer

Bradley S Long

Peter R Savage

An upper shell panel may be placed between first and second sections of a mold. The first section may include one or more expansion cavities and the second section may include one or more pour cavities. A foam-producing chemical mixture may be delivered into the one or more pour cavities and the mold may be closed. The delivered foam-producing chemical mixture may be allowed to expand within the closed mold and to force regions of the upper shell panel into the one or more expansion cavities. The upper shell panel may then be removed from the mold subsequent to the expansion of the delivered mixture.

Footwear upper components having contoured foam regions and methods of forming such components

An article of footwear may include a knitted component formed of multiple knitted component portions. The knitted component includes a body portion and a heel portion. The body portion is formed of unitary knit construction and extends through a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and at least partially into a heel region of the article of footwear. The heel portion is formed of unitary knit construction and extends through the heel region and includes a cuff that defines a throat opening of the upper for receiving a foot. The body portion and the heel portion are joined along adjacent edges to form the knitted component. Knitting directions of the knitted component portions vary along the adjacent edges. An overlay element may also be provided to cover a seam attaching the adjacent edges of the knitted component portions.

Growing community of inventors

Taichung, Taiwan

Atikom Tappatarnpornsuk