Footwear sole structure and upper with an embedded plate

Abstract

An article of footwear includes an upper including a first upper portion that defines an ankle opening. The article of footwear includes a footwear plate including a composite material. The footwear plate includes a covered plate portion and an exposed plate portion coupled to the exposed plate portion. The article of footwear further includes a sole structure including a second upper portion. The second upper portion is an extension of the first upper portion and partially extends around the footwear plate. The second upper portion defines a ground-facing surface and an inner upper surface opposite the ground-facing surface. The second upper portion defines a sole opening extending through the inner upper surface and the ground-facing surface. The second upper portion covers the covered plate portion, and the exposed plate portion is aligned with the sole opening to expose the exposed plate portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An article of footwear, comprising:
 an upper including a first upper portion, wherein the first upper portion defines an ankle opening;   a footwear plate including a composite material, wherein the footwear plate includes a covered plate portion and an exposed plate portion coupled to the exposed plate portion;   a sole structure including a second upper portion, wherein the second upper portion is an extension of the first upper portion, the second upper portion partially extends around the footwear plate, the second upper portion defines a ground-facing surface and an inner upper surface opposite the ground-facing surface, and the second upper portion defines a sole opening extending through the inner upper surface and the ground-facing surface; and   wherein the covered plate portion is disposed on the inner upper surface of the second upper portion such that the second upper portion covers the covered plate portion, and the exposed plate portion is aligned with the sole opening to expose the exposed plate portion.   
     
     
         2 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the first upper portion is integrally coupled to the second upper portion to form a one-piece structure, the footwear plate is oriented along a longitudinal axis, the second upper portion defines a first edge and a second edge, the first edge is coupled to the second edge along the longitudinal axis, and the sole structure includes a cleat structure directly coupled to the second upper portion. 
     
     
         3 . The article of footwear according to  claim 2 , wherein the covered plate portion is in direct contact with the inner upper surface of the second upper portion, the first upper portion is directly coupled to the second upper portion, the sole structure has a heel region, a forefoot region, and a midfoot region between the forefoot region and the heel region, the cleat structure is a forward cleat structure disposed at the forefoot region, the article of footwear further includes a rear cleat structure, and the rear cleat structure is disposed at the heel region. 
     
     
         4 . The article of footwear according to  claim 3 , wherein the forward cleat structure defines a body opening, the body opening is aligned with the exposed plate portion to expose the footwear plate at the forefoot region, the forward cleat structure is directly coupled to the ground-facing surface of the second upper portion at the forefoot region, and the rear cleat structure is directly coupled to the ground-facing surface of the second upper portion at the heel region. 
     
     
         5 . The article of footwear according to  claim 4 , wherein each of the forward cleat structure and the rear cleat structure includes a main outsole body and a plurality of traction elements directly coupled to the main outsole body. 
     
     
         6 . The article of footwear according to  claim 5 , wherein each of the first upper portion and the second upper portion includes an upper material, the main outsole body and the plurality of traction elements includes an outsole material, and the outsole material is more rigid than the upper material to enhance traction. 
     
     
         7 . The article of footwear according to  claim 1 , further comprising a midsole disposed under the footwear plate. 
     
     
         8 . The article of footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein the sole structure includes a heel region, a forefoot region, and a midfoot region between the forefoot region and the heel region, the sole structure includes a forward cleat structure directly coupled to the second upper portion, the article of footwear further includes a rear cleat structure directly coupled to the second upper portion, and the forward cleat structure is disposed at the forefoot region, the rear cleat structure is disposed at the heel region, each of the forward cleat structure and the rear cleat structure includes a main outsole body and a plurality of traction elements directly coupled to the main outsole body, the footwear plate includes a carbon fiber-reinforced polymer, each of the first upper portion and the second upper portion includes an upper material, the main outsole body and the plurality of traction elements include an outsole material, and the outsole material is more rigid than the upper material to enhance traction, and the carbon fiber-reinforced polymer is more rigid than the upper material and the outsole material to enhance stability of the sole structure. 
     
     
         9 . The article of footwear according to  claim 1 , further comprising a midsole disposed on top of the footwear plate. 
     
     
         10 . The article of footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein the sole structure includes a heel region, a forefoot region, and a midfoot region between the forefoot region and the heel region, and the footwear plate extends through the heel region, the midfoot region, and the forefoot region of the sole structure to enhance stability of the article of footwear. 
     
     
         11 . The article of footwear according to  claim 10 , wherein the footwear plate is oriented along a longitudinal axis, the second upper portion defines a first edge and a second edge, and the first edge is stitched to the second edge from the heel region to the midfoot region of the sole structure. 
     
     
         12 . The article of footwear according to  claim 11 , wherein the sole structure includes a forward cleat structure coupled to the second upper portion, the article of footwear further includes a rear cleat structure coupled to the second upper portion, the forward cleat structure is disposed at the forefoot region, the rear cleat structure is disposed at the heel region, the forward cleat structure defines a first body opening and a second body opening each sized to expose the footwear plate at the forefoot region, and the forward cleat structure includes an outsole web separating the first body opening from the second body opening. 
     
     
         13 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the sole structure includes a heel region, a forefoot region, and a midfoot region between the forefoot region and the heel region, the sole structure further includes a strobel board disposed on the footwear plate at the forefoot region. 
     
     
         14 . The article of footwear of  claim 13 , wherein the footwear plate defines an inner plate surface and a ground-engaging plate surface opposite the inner plate surface, the strobel board is in direct contact with the inner plate surface of the footwear plate, and the strobel board is solely disposed at the forefoot region of the sole structure. 
     
     
         15 . A method for manufacturing an article of footwear, comprising:
 placing an upper on a last, wherein the upper has a first upper portion and a second upper portion extending from the first upper portion, the first upper portion defines an ankle opening, the second upper portion partly defines a sole structure of the article of footwear, the sole structure has a forefoot region, a heel region, and a midfoot region between the forefoot region and the heel region, and the second upper portion defines a sole opening; and   inserting a footwear plate between the last and the upper at the heel region and continuing moving the footwear plate toward the sole opening until a portion is inserted through the sole opening at the forefoot region.   
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , further comprising placing a strobel board on the last before placing the upper on the last. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , further comprising coupling the strobel board to the upper before inserting the footwear plate between the last and the upper at the heel region. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 16 , further comprising coupling a cleat structure to the second upper portion. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the upper is wholly made of a textile, and the footwear plate is wholly made of a carbon fiber-reinforced polymer. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the cleat structure is made of a polymeric material that is more rigid than the textile.