Article of Footwear Having Welded Upper

Abstract

An article of footwear may include an upper, including a skin layer forming at least a portion of an external surface of the upper. The upper may also include a reinforcing material selectively located internal and adjacent to portions of the skin layer, thereby defining reinforced portions of the skin layer and unreinforced portions of the skin layer. The reinforcing material may be selectively joined with the skin layer at a bonded area by welding, the bonded area having an externally exposed surface that defines a portion of the external surface of the upper. In addition, the skin layer may have a first color and the externally exposed surface of the bonded area may have a second color that is different from the first color.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An article of footwear including a sole structure fixedly attached to an upper configured to receive a foot of a wearer, the upper comprising:
 a skin layer forming at least a portion of an external surface of the upper; and   a reinforcing material selectively located internal and adjacent to portions of the skin layer, thereby defining reinforced portions of the skin layer and unreinforced portions of the skin layer;   wherein the reinforcing material is selectively joined with the skin layer at a bonded area by welding, the bonded area having an externally exposed surface that defines a portion of the external surface of the upper; and   wherein the skin layer has a first color and the externally exposed surface of the bonded area has a second color that is different from the first color.   
     
     
         2 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the externally exposed surface of the bonded area includes portions of the reinforcing material, thus providing the externally exposed surface of the bonded area with substantially the same color as the reinforcing material. 
     
     
         3 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the skin layer is formed of a mesh material. 
     
     
         4 . The article of footwear of  claim 3 , wherein the unreinforced portions of the skin layer include an outwardly exposed surface and an inwardly exposed surface. 
     
     
         5 . The article of footwear of  claim 3 , wherein the unreinforced portions of the skin layer provide direct ventilation, through the mesh material of the skin layer, to an internal void defined by the upper. 
     
     
         6 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the bonded area includes lines of bonded material extending between components of the article of footwear. 
     
     
         7 . The article of footwear of  claim 6 , wherein the lines of bonded material extend from the sole structure to a reinforcing strip proximate to an instep region of the article of footwear. 
     
     
         8 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the article of footwear includes additional panels of material that are welded to the skin layer. 
     
     
         9 . An article of footwear including a sole structure fixedly attached to an upper defining an internal void configured to receive a foot of a wearer, the upper comprising:
 a skin layer forming at least a portion of an external surface of the upper, the skin layer being formed of a mesh material; and   a reinforcing material selectively located internal and adjacent to the skin layer, thereby defining reinforced portions of the skin layer and unreinforced portions of the skin layer;   wherein the unreinforced portions of the skin layer provide direct ventilation, through the mesh material of the skin layer, to the internal void defined by the upper;   wherein the reinforcing material is selectively joined with the skin layer at a bonded area by welding, the bonded area having an externally exposed surface that defines a portion of the external surface of the upper; and   wherein the skin layer has a first color and the externally exposed surface of the bonded area has a second color that is different from the first color.   
     
     
         10 . The article of footwear of  claim 9 , wherein the bonded area includes lines of bonded material extending between components of the article of footwear. 
     
     
         11 . The article of footwear of  claim 10 , wherein the lines of bonded material extend from the sole structure to a reinforcing strip proximate to an instep region of the article of footwear. 
     
     
         12 . The article of footwear of  claim 9 , wherein the article of footwear includes an additional layer of material located between a portion of the skin layer and a portion of the reinforcing material. 
     
     
         13 . The article of footwear of  claim 12 , wherein the additional layer of material includes a compressible foam material. 
     
     
         14 . The article of footwear of  claim 9 , wherein a surface area of the unreinforced portions of the skin layer form a substantial majority of a surface area of an externally exposed surface of the skin layer; and
 wherein, in the unreinforced portions of the skin layer, the upper consists essentially of the skin layer.   
     
     
         15 . An article of footwear including a sole structure fixedly attached to an upper configured to receive a foot of a wearer, the upper comprising:
 a skin layer forming at least a portion of an external surface of the upper; and   a reinforcing material selectively located internal and adjacent to portions of the skin layer, thereby defining reinforced portions of the skin layer and unreinforced portions of the skin layer;   wherein the reinforcing material is selectively joined with the skin layer at a bonded area by welding, the bonded area having an externally exposed surface that defines a portion of the external surface of the upper;   wherein the skin layer has a first color and the reinforcing material has a second color that is different from the first color; and   wherein the externally exposed surface of the bonded area includes portions of the reinforcing material, thus providing the externally exposed surface of the bonded area with substantially the same color as the reinforcing material.   
     
     
         16 . The article of footwear of  claim 15 , wherein the bonded area includes lines of bonded material extending between components of the article of footwear. 
     
     
         17 . The article of footwear of  claim 16 , wherein the lines of bonded material extend from the sole structure to a reinforcing strip proximate to an instep region of the article of footwear. 
     
     
         18 . The article of footwear of  claim 15 , wherein the article of footwear includes an additional layer of material located between a portion of the skin layer and a portion of the reinforcing material. 
     
     
         19 . The article of footwear of  claim 18 , wherein the additional layer of material includes a compressible foam material. 
     
     
         20 . The article of footwear of  claim 19 , wherein the additional layer of material is provided in a tongue portion of the upper. 
     
     
         21 . The article of footwear of  claim 19 , wherein the additional layer of compressible foam material is provided in a pocket between the skin layer and the reinforcing material and enclosed by the bonded area. 
     
     
         22 . A method of making an article of footwear, including forming an upper configured to receive a foot of a wearer, comprising:
 selectively attaching an inner reinforcing material to a skin layer using welding; and   arranging the skin layer to form at least a portion of an external surface of the upper;   wherein the skin layer has a first color and the reinforcing material has a second color that is different from the first color; and   wherein welding the inner reinforcing material to the skin layer forms a bonded area having an externally exposed surface that defines a portion of the external surface of the upper, the externally exposed surface of the bonded area including portions of the reinforcing material, thus providing the externally exposed surface of the bonded area with a different color than the skin layer.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein welding the inner reinforcing material to the skin layer to form the bonded area relocates portions of the reinforcing material to the external surface of the upper at the externally exposed surface of the bonded area, thereby providing the externally exposed surface of the bonded area with substantially the same color as the reinforcing material. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the skin layer is formed of a mesh material. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein relocating portions of the reinforcing material to the external surface of the upper includes pressing the portions of the reinforcing material through openings in the mesh material. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein selectively attaching the inner reinforcing material to the skin layer forms unreinforced portions of the skin layer that provide direct ventilation, through the mesh material of the skin layer, to an internal void defined by the upper. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein welding the inner reinforcing material to the skin layer to form the bonded area includes forming lines of bonded material extending between components of the article of footwear. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , further including fixedly attaching a sole structure to the upper;
 wherein forming lines of bonded material includes forming lines of bonded material extending from a sole structure of the article of footwear to a reinforcing strip proximate to an instep region of the article of footwear.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein welding the inner reinforcing material to the skin layer includes one of ultrasonic welding and radio frequency welding.