Article Of Footwear With Layered Fit System

Abstract

An article of footwear includes a sole structure and an upper. The sole structure has a peripheral area and a central area located inward from the peripheral area. The upper is for receiving a foot of a wearer and has an outer layer and an inner layer. The outer layer extends from a throat area of the upper to a lower area of the upper, and the outer layer is secured at the peripheral area of the sole structure. The inner layer is located inward of the outer layer and extends from the throat area to the lower area. The inner layer lays adjacent to the outer layer, and the inner layer is (a) secured at the central area of the sole structure and (b) unsecured between the throat area and the central area of the sole structure.

1 . An article of footwear comprising:
 a sole structure having a peripheral area and a central area located inward from the peripheral area; and   an upper for receiving a foot of a wearer, the upper having:
 an outer layer extending from a throat area of the upper to a lower area of the upper, and the outer layer being secured at the peripheral area of the sole structure, and 
 an inner layer located inward of the outer layer and extending from the throat area to the lower area, the inner layer laying adjacent to the outer layer, and the inner layer being (a) secured at the central area of the sole structure and (b) unsecured between the throat area and the central area of the sole structure. 
   
     
     
         2 . The article of footwear recited in  claim 1 , wherein the outer layer is secured to the inner layer in the throat area. 
     
     
         3 . The article of footwear recited in  claim 1 , wherein the outer layer is secured to the inner layer, at least one of the outer layer and the inner layer form a loop in the throat area, and the upper has a lace that extends through the loop. 
     
     
         4 . The article of footwear recited in  claim 1 , wherein the inner layer extends through an opening in the outer layer, and the inner layer is joined with a strap. 
     
     
         5 . The article of footwear recited in  claim 4 , wherein the strap extends from a lateral side to a medial side of the article of footwear. 
     
     
         6 . The article of footwear recited in  claim 4 , wherein the strap is secured to a fastener on the exterior surface of the footwear. 
     
     
         7 . The article of footwear recited in  claim 1 , wherein the inner layer is located in (a) a lateral side of the article of footwear and (b) a portion of the upper that receives a ball of the foot. 
     
     
         8 . The article of footwear recited in  claim 1 , wherein the inner layer is located in (a) a medial side of the article of footwear and (b) a portion of the upper that receives an arch of the foot. 
     
     
         9 . The article of footwear recited in  claim 1 , wherein the inner layer is located in a lateral side of the article of footwear, and another inner layer is located in a medial side of the article of footwear. 
     
     
         10 . An article of footwear comprising:
 a sole structure having an upper surface and an opposite ground-contacting surface, the upper surface having a peripheral area and a central area located inward from the peripheral area; and   an upper that defines a void within the footwear for receiving a foot of a wearer, the upper having a throat area that includes a lace and a lower area where the upper is secured to the upper surface of the sole structure, the upper including:
 (a) an outer layer extending from the throat area to the lower area, the outer layer being secured to the peripheral area of the upper surface of the sole structure; and 
 (b) an inner layer located inward of the outer layer, the inner layer extending from the throat area to the lower area, the inner layer laying adjacent to the outer layer and the peripheral area of the upper surface of the sole structure, the inner layer being secured to the central area of the upper surface of the sole structure, and the inner layer being unsecured (a) to the outer layer in a region between the throat area and the lower area and (b) at the peripheral area of the upper surface of the sole structure, the outer layer and the inner layer being secured to each other in the throat area, and the lace being coupled to the outer layer and the inner layer in the throat area. 
   
     
     
         11 . The article of footwear recited in  claim 10 , wherein the outer layer and the inner layer form a loop in the throat area, and the lace extends through the loop. 
     
     
         12 . The article of footwear recited in  claim 10 , wherein the inner layer is located in (a) a lateral side of the article of footwear and (b) at an interface between a forefoot region and a midfoot region of the article of footwear. 
     
     
         13 . The article of footwear recited in  claim 10 , wherein the inner layer is located in (a) a medial side of the article of footwear and (b) a midfoot region of the article of footwear. 
     
     
         14 . The article of footwear recited in  claim 10 , wherein the inner layer is located in a lateral side of the article of footwear, and another inner layer is located in a medial side of the article of footwear. 
     
     
         15 . The article of footwear recited in  claim 10 , wherein the outer layer includes multiple strata formed from different materials. 
     
     
         16 . The article of footwear recited in  claim 10 , wherein the outer layer forms a portion of an exterior surface of the article of footwear and a portion of an interior surface that defines a void for receiving a foot of a wearer. 
     
     
         17 . The article of footwear recited in  claim 10 , wherein the outer layer and the inner layer are formed of unitary, one-piece construction. 
     
     
         18 . An article of footwear comprising:
 a sole structure having a peripheral area and a central area located inward from the peripheral area; and   an upper for receiving a foot of a wearer, the upper having:
 an anchor element that includes an outer layer portion and an inner layer portion, the outer layer portion extending from a throat area of the upper to a lower area of the upper, and the outer layer portion being secured at the peripheral area of the sole structure, the inner layer portion being located within the upper and (a) secured at the central area of the sole structure and (b) unsecured between the throat area and the central area of the sole structure, and the inner layer portion extending through an opening in the upper to form a loop with the outer layer portion; and 
 a strap coupled to the loop and is securable to a fastener on the exterior surface of the footwear. 
   
     
     
         19 . The article of footwear recited in  claim 18 , wherein the strap extends from a lateral side to a medial side of the article of footwear. 
     
     
         20 . The article of footwear recited in  claim 18 , wherein the strap extends across the throat area of the upper. 
     
     
         21 . An article of footwear comprising:
 a sole structure having a peripheral area and a central area located inward from the peripheral area; and   an upper defining a void for receiving a foot of a wearer, the upper having:
 an inner layer extending from a throat area of the upper to a lower area of the upper, the inner layer being located within the void and secured at the central area of the sole structure, the inner layer being unsecured between the throat area and the central area of the sole structure, and an end area of the inner layer extending through an opening in the upper; and 
 a strap that is coupled to the end area of the inner layer and is securable to a fastener on the exterior surface of the footwear. 
   
     
     
         22 . The article of footwear recited in  claim 21 , wherein the strap extends from a lateral side to a medial side of the article of footwear. 
     
     
         23 . The article of footwear recited in  claim 21 , wherein the strap extends across the throat area of the upper.