Footwear Upper With Ribbed Panels

Abstract

An improved article of footwear is disclosed herein. The upper of the footwear is disposed on the sole, where the upper may be constructed from a first layer and a second layer disposed on the exterior surface of the first layer. The second layer may be constructed from a less flexible material than the first layer. The second layer may include a plurality of panels disposed adjacent to one another, where each panel may include a plurality of equally spaced parallel ribs. The dimensions and spacing of the ribs of each of the panels may vary, which gives each panel a designed degree of flexibility and support. Panels having similar performance characteristics may be grouped together into zones, where the number, shape, size, and layout of both the panels and the ribs gives each zone a specific degree of flexibility, support, and comfort.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An article of footwear comprising:
 a sole structure; and   an upper disposed on the sole structure, the upper comprising:
 a first layer having an interior surface and an exterior surface, and 
 a second layer disposed on the exterior surface of the first layer, the second layer including a plurality of panels. 
   
     
     
         2 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of panels includes a plurality of equally spaced parallel ribs. 
     
     
         3 . The article of footwear of  claim 2 , wherein the first layer is at least partially visible through the second layer. 
     
     
         4 . The article of footwear of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of panels include at least a first panel and a second panel. 
     
     
         5 . The article of footwear of  claim 4 , wherein ribs of the first panel have a first width and a first height, and ribs of the second panel have a second width and a second height, the first width being different than the second width, and the first height being different than the second height. 
     
     
         6 . The article of footwear of  claim 4 , where the ribs of the first panel are equally spaced a first distance and the ribs of the second panel are equally spaced a second distance, the first distance being different than the second distance. 
     
     
         7 . The article of footwear of  claim 6 , wherein the first panel has a first degree of flexibility and the second panel has a second degree of flexibility, the first degree of flexibility being different than the second degree of flexibility. 
     
     
         8 . The article of footwear of  claim 4 , wherein the ribs of the first panel are parallel to the ribs of the second panel. 
     
     
         9 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the first layer is constructed from a woven textile, and the second layer is constructed from polyurethane. 
     
     
         10 . An article of footwear comprising:
 a sole structure; and   an upper disposed on the sole structure, the upper comprising:
 a first layer having an interior surface and an exterior surface, and 
 a second layer disposed on the exterior surface of the first layer, the second layer including a plurality of parallel ribs. 
   
     
     
         11 . The article of footwear of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of parallel ribs are oriented in a direction that is transverse to a longitudinal direction of the article of footwear, the longitudinal direction extending from a toe end of the article of footwear to a heel end of the article of footwear. 
     
     
         12 . The article of footwear of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality parallel ribs are disposed within a plurality of panels such that each panel of the plurality of panels includes a subset of the plurality of parallel ribs. 
     
     
         13 . The article of footwear of  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of panels include at least a first panel and a second panel, the first panel including a first subset of the plurality of parallel ribs and the second panel including a second subset of the plurality of parallel ribs. 
     
     
         14 . The article of footwear of  claim 13 , wherein the first subset of the plurality of ribs have a first width and a first height, and second subset of the plurality of ribs have a second width and a second height, the first width being different than the second width, and the first height being different than the second height. 
     
     
         15 . An article of footwear comprising:
 a sole structure; and   an upper disposed on the sole structure, the upper comprising:
 a first layer, and 
 a second layer disposed on the first layer, the second layer including a plurality of panels, wherein the plurality of panels collectively define a plurality of support zones, each support zone being formed by a subset of the plurality of panels that are disposed adjacent to one another. 
   
     
     
         16 . The article of footwear of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of panels include at least a first panel type, a second panel type, a third panel type, and a fourth panel type, the first panel type includes a first set of equally spaced parallel ribs, the second panel type includes a second set of equally spaced parallel ribs, the third panel includes a third set of equally spaced parallel ribs, and the fourth panel includes a fourth set of equally spaced parallel ribs. 
     
     
         17 . The article of footwear of  claim 16 , wherein first set of ribs have a first width and a first height, the second set of ribs have a second width and a second height, the third set of ribs have a third width and a third height, and the fourth set of ribs have a fourth width and a fourth height, the fourth width being greater than the third width, the second width, and the first width, the third width being greater than the second width and the first width, and the second width being greater than the first width, and the fourth height being greater than the third height, the second height, and the first height, the third height being greater than the second height and the first height, and the second height being greater than the first height. 
     
     
         18 . The article of footwear of  claim 17 , wherein the first panel type has a first degree of flexibility, the second panel type has a second degree of flexibility, the third panel type has a third degree of flexibility, and the fourth panel type has a third degree of flexibility, the first degree of flexibility being greater than the second degree of flexibility, the third degree of flexibility, and the fourth degree of flexibility, the second degree of flexibility type being greater than the third degree of flexibility and the fourth degree of flexibility, and the third degree of flexibility being greater than the fourth degree of flexibility. 
     
     
         19 . The article of footwear of  claim 18 , wherein a first support zone formed by a plurality of panels of the third panel type and the fourth panel type is configured to provide more support to a foot disposed within the article of footwear than a second support zone formed by a plurality of panels of the first panel type and the second panel type. 
     
     
         20 . The article of footwear of  claim 18 , wherein a first support zone formed by a plurality of panels of the first panel type and the second panel type is configured to be more flexible than a second support zone formed by a plurality of panels of the third panel type and the fourth panel type.