Footwear

Abstract

Footwear having one or more reinforcement features is disclosed. Footwear having two independent components constructed from a woven material with the strands oriented at specified angles to the plane of the sole of the footwear is disclosed. The footwear may also incorporate a substantially rigid structural collar in the area of the ankle or lower leg. Heel and/or forefoot straps that wrap downwardly and laterally around the heel and/or forefoot may be provided to limit flexing of the ankle and the footwear in a forward or backward direction, respectively. An internal reinforcement structure comprising a plurality of support strips arranged transversely to one another in a criss-cross arrangement is also disclosed.

I claim:  
     
         1 . An article of footwear a woven heel component having a first set of strands oriented at from 60° to 120° to the plane of a sole of the footwear article and another set of strands oriented at right angles to the first set of strands.  
     
     
         2 . An article of footwear according to    claim 1   , wherein the woven heel component is provided as a footwear liner.  
     
     
         3 . An article of footwear comprising external heel straps including a first strap mounted at a medial side portion of the footwear article and wrapping downwardly around the heel and laterally to a lower position on the lateral side of the footwear article and a second strap mounted at a lateral side portion of the footwear article and wrapping downwardly around the heel and laterally to a lower position on the medial side of the footwear article, the first and second straps thereby criss-crossing at a generally central heel portion of the footwear article.  
     
     
         4 . An article of footwear comprising external forefoot straps including a first strap mounted at a medial side portion of the footwear article and extending downwardly and laterally across the top of the forefoot to a lower position on the lateral side of the footwear and a second strap mounted at a lateral side portion of the footwear article and extending downwardly and laterally across the top of the forefoot to a lower position on the medial side portion of the footwear article, the first and second straps thereby criss-crossing at a generally central forefoot portion of the footwear article.