Textile support cage for footwear

Abstract

An article of footwear includes a sole and an upper. The upper includes a quarter-panel portion and a support cage extending along an interior of the quarter panel portion. The support cage extends upwards from the sole to above an upper edge of the quarter-panel portion, and back down to one or more connections along an upper edge of the quarter-panel portion at which the support cage is connected to the quarter-panel portion, thereby forming one or more eyelet loops for laces. The support cage is fixed to the sole or the upper at one or more second connections. The second connections are disposed on or closer to the sole than to the upper edge of the quarter-panel portion. The support cage is not connected to the quarter-panel portion between the first connections and the second connections.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An article of footwear comprising:
 a sole; and   an upper comprising:
 a quarter-panel portion; and 
 a support cage extending along an interior of the quarter-panel portion, 
 wherein the support cage extends upwards from the sole, above an upper edge of the quarter-panel portion, and back down to one or more first connections along an upper edge of the quarter-panel portion at which the support cage is fixed to the quarter-panel portion, thereby forming one or more eyelet loops for laces, 
 wherein the support cage is fixed to the sole or the upper at one or more second connections, the second connections being on or closer to the sole than to the upper edge of the quarter-panel portion, and 
 wherein the support cage is not connected to the quarter-panel portion between the first connections and the second connections. 
   
     
     
         2 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , further comprising a shoelace extending through the one or more eyelet loops,
 wherein tightening the laces causes the support cage to conform to a wearer's foot before the quarter-panel portion.   
     
     
         3 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , further comprising a shoelace extending through the one or more eyelet loops,
 wherein tightening the laces causes the laces to raise their positions within the one of more eyelet loops.   
     
     
         4 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the second connections are disposed proximate to a bottom edge of the quarter-panel portion. 
     
     
         5 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the support cage is formed of fingers extending separately above the upper edge of the quarter-panel portion, the fingers each forming a separate one of the eyelet loops, and the fingers being fixed to the upper at the one or more first connections. 
     
     
         6 . The article of footwear of  claim 5 , wherein the fingers are merged together at a base of the support cage, the base being fixed to the sole or the upper at the one or more second connections. 
     
     
         7 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the second connections are disposed on an insole strobel of the sole. 
     
     
         8 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the support cage is formed of a unitary flexible textile. 
     
     
         9 . The article of footwear of  claim 8 , wherein the support cage is thinner and more flexible than the quarter-panel portion. 
     
     
         10 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the quarter-panel portion has an opening therethrough, disposed over the support cage, such that the support cage is visible through the opening. 
     
     
         11 . The article of footwear of  claim 10 , wherein the wherein the support cage is formed of fingers extending to form the one of more eyelet loops, and wherein the opening spans multiple of the fingers. 
     
     
         12 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the quarter-panel portion is a lateral quarter-panel portion, the support cage is a lateral support cage, the first connections are first lateral connections and the second connections are second lateral connections, the eyelet loops are lateral eyelet loops, and further comprising:
 a medial quarter-panel portion; and   a medial support cage extending along an interior of the medial quarter panel portion;   wherein the medial support cage extends upwards from the sole, above an upper edge of the medial quarter-panel portion, and back down to one or more first medial connections along an upper edge of the medial quarter-panel portion at which the support cage is fixed to the medial quarter-panel portion, thereby forming one or more medial eyelet loops for laces,   wherein the medial support cage is fixed to the sole or the upper at one or more second medial connections, the second medial connections being on or closer to the sole than to the upper edge of the medial quarter-panel portion, and   wherein the medial support cage is not connected to the medial quarter-panel portion between the first medial connections and the second medial connections.   
     
     
         13 . The article of footwear of  claim 12 , further comprising a shoelace extending through both the lateral eyelet loops and the medial eyelet loops,
 wherein initial tightening of the shoelace causes the lateral and medial support cages to move away from lateral and medial quarter-panel portions, respectively, and to conform to a wearer's foot, and wherein further tightening causes the lateral and medial quarter-panel portions to conform against lateral and medial support cages, respectively.   
     
     
         14 . An article of footwear comprising:
 a sole; and
 an upper comprising:
 a quarter-panel portion; and 
 a support cage extending along an interior of the quarter-panel portion, 
 
   wherein the support cage is fixed to the quarter-panel portion at one or more first connections,   wherein the support cage is fixed to the sole or the upper at one or more second connections, the second connections being lower than and spaced apart from the first connections,   wherein the support cage between the first connection and the second connection is free from connection to the upper;   wherein the support cage extends above an upper edge of the quarter-panel portion by a first distance to form one or more eyelet loops for laces,   wherein the support cage extends interior to the quarter-panel portion below the upper edge of the quarter-panel portion by a second distance, the second distance being at least three times the first distance.   
     
     
         15 . The article of footwear of  claim 14 , wherein the second connections are disposed on an insole strobel of the sole. 
     
     
         16 . The article of footwear of  claim 14 , wherein the support cage is formed of fingers extending separately above the upper edge of the quarter-panel portion, the fingers each forming a separate one of the eyelet loops, and the fingers being fixed to the upper at the one or more first connections. 
     
     
         17 . The article of footwear of  claim 16 , wherein the fingers are merged together at a base of the support cage, the base being fixed to the sole or the upper at one or more second connections. 
     
     
         18 . An article of footwear comprising:
 a sole; and   an upper comprising:
 a quarter-panel portion; and 
 a support cage extending along an interior of the quarter panel portion; 
   wherein the support cage extends upwards from the sole, above an upper edge of the quarter-panel portion, and back down to one or more connections at which the support cage is connected to the quarter-panel portion, thereby forming one or more eyelet loops for laces, and   wherein the support cage is not connected to the quarter-panel portion between the sole and the one or more connection points.   
     
     
         19 . The article of footwear of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more connections are first connections disposed along the upper edge of the quarter-panel portion, and the support cage is fixed to the sole at one or more second connections. 
     
     
         20 . The article of footwear of  claim 19 , wherein the second connections are formed by stitching the support cage to an insole strobel of the sole.