Footwear including textile element

Abstract

An article of footwear includes a sole and an upper at least partially formed of an textile element. The textile element includes a yarn matrix having a plurality of interlocked strands oriented in predetermined directions. A structural element may be captured within the matrix at selected locations. In operation, the matrix is stitched onto a temporary substrate. The substrate is removed and the article coupled to a sole structure to form the article of footwear.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An article of footwear comprising:
 a sole structure; and   an upper secured to the sole structure, the upper comprising:
 a first crossing yarn extending in a first direction to define a first length, the first crossing yarn including a first strand and a second strand, the first and second strands being interlocked at selected locations along the first length; 
 a second crossing yarn extending in a second direction to define a second length, the second crossing yarn including a first strand and a second strand, the first and second strands being interlocked at selected locations along the second length, 
 wherein the first strand of the second crossing yarn passes over the first strand of the first crossing yarn, and wherein the second strand of the second crossing yarn row passes over the second strand of the first crossing yarn row. 
   
     
     
         2 . The article of footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the strands of the first crossing yarn are interlocked in a plurality of locations;   the strands of the first crossing yarn are interlocked via a stitch;   the distance between adjacent stitches defines a stitch length; and   the stitch length is less than five mm.   
     
     
         3 . The article of footwear according to  claim 1 , further comprising a third crossing yarn extending in a third direction, the third crossing yarn including a first strand and a second strand, the first and second strands being interlocked at selected locations along the third length. 
     
     
         4 . The article of footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first or second crossing yarns comprises a fiber having a tensile strength of at least 1000 MPa. 
     
     
         5 . The article of footwear according to  claim 1 , further comprising an element incorporated into the upper, the element selected from the group consisting of a structural element, a support element, and a compression element. 
     
     
         6 . The article of footwear according to  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of channel strands oriented in side-by-side relation, each channel strand being secured along its ends and unsecured between the ends to define a channel operable to receive a structural element. 
     
     
         7 . The article of footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein the first direction is generally orthogonal to the second direction. 
     
     
         8 . The article of footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the upper further comprises a lace eyelet and a sole-facing edge;   the upper further comprises a third crossing yarn having a third length, the third crossing yarn including a first strand and a second strand interlocked at selected locations along the third length;   the third crossing yarn extends from the lace eyelet to the sole facing edge to define an arcuate run along the upper.   
     
     
         9 . The article of footwear according to  claim 1  further comprising a compressible element oriented between the first and second strands of the first crossing yarn. 
     
     
         10 . An article of footwear comprising:
 a sole structure; and   an upper secured to the sole structure, the upper comprising a self-supporting embroidered element including a first area having a first stitch density and a second area having a second stitch density, wherein the first stitch density is greater than the second stitch density.   
     
     
         11 . The article of footwear according to  claim 1  wherein the area having the first stitch density surrounds the area having the second stitch density. 
     
     
         12 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , further comprising a third area possessing a third stitch density, the third stitch density being less than each of the first stitch density and the second stitch density.