Nike, Inc.

Nike Innovate C.v.

Kassio Figur

Bruce J Kilgore

Sara Kilgore

Fanny Yung Ho

Matthew Kilgore

Jessica Anne Junkins

Christina M Wood

Douglas Alan Beye

Daniel B DeHaven

Tory Michael Cross

Bruce Alan Barney

Guillermo Raffaele

Stitching is applied to a shoe or shoe component and then printed. The stitching may be formed from a continuous thread. After printing, a portion of the continuous thread may have a different color or appearance from other portion(s) of the continuous thread.

Printing over stitching

A method of forming an article of footwear can include providing an upper in a substantially flat orientation, securing a gathering string along at least a portion of a perimeter of a first surface of the upper with a securing member that is attached to the upper, positioning the upper on a last, and applying tension to the gathering string to at least partially conform the upper to a shape of the last.

Methods of forming an article of footwear using a gathering system and articles formed by the same

An article of footwear formed from a flat pattern to include a side seam and/or utilizing aperture alignment of multiple flat pattern pieces is disclosed. In aspects, an article of footwear, such as an upper, is formed from a flat pattern and modified into a dimensional article of footwear that includes a side closing. The side closing may comprise adjoined side edges of the flat pattern upper that are secured to each other with a securing element to maintain the dimensional article of footwear in its shape. Alignment of the parts may be provided through at least partial alignment of apertures in the flat pattern upper and apertures in a securing element and/or other flat pattern pieces, including using multi-purpose apertures, allowing streamlined processing and manufacturing of footwear.

Functional apertures for manufacturing registration

A stitching system includes a jig capable of joining two shoe parts and capable of being used in an automated stitching machine. The jig includes a lower member capable of being operably coupled to the automated stitching machine and an upper member also capable of being operably coupled to the automated stitching machine. The two shoe parts are held in place between the lower member and the upper member. The lower member, the upper member and the two shoe parts therebetween are moved by the automated stitching machine in accordance with a pattern stored in the automated stitching machine.

Stitching system for a shoe upper

Shoe

A system for stitching two parts of a shoe together includes a stitching machine with a head and a cylinder bed. The head has a needle base disposed on a lower end adjacent the cylinder bed such that the two shoe parts can be stitched together therebetween. A positioning mechanism has a curved drive frame and is capable of moving the curved drive frame in a rotating motion along the circumference of the curved drive frame and in a linear direction generally along an axis of the curved drive frame. A jig positions the two shoe parts with respect to one another and is coupled to the curved drive frame. The jig includes a curved support surface for supporting the two shoe parts.

Growing community of inventors

Portland, OR, United States of America

Kassio Figur