Upper for an article of footwear having an inner component and a shroud

Abstract

An article of footwear may include a sole structure and an upper secured to the sole structure. The upper can include an inner knit component and an outer shroud formed at least in part of a knitted material. The outer shroud may extend over a throat region formed by the inner knit component and may include a plurality of protrusions extending outward from its outer surface. In some configurations, the upper comprises a single knitted component that forms the lateral side, medial side, and a throat region extending between them, where the throat region may be angled relative to a longitudinal axis of the footwear. The inner knit component may include one or more tensile strands forming overlapping loops to receive a fastening element.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An upper for an article of footwear, the upper comprising:
 an inner knit component; and   an outer shroud forming at least part of an outer surface of the upper and at least partially covering a throat region formed by the inner knit component,   wherein the outer shroud is at least partially formed of a knitted component and comprises a plurality of protrusions extending outward from the outer surface.   
     
     
         2 . The upper of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of protrusions comprise knit-formed protrusions. 
     
     
         3 . The upper of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of protrusions are each formed of a thermoplastic material. 
     
     
         4 . The upper of  claim 1 , wherein a thermoplastic material is adhered to the outer surface of the outer shroud. 
     
     
         5 . The upper of  claim 1 , wherein the outer shroud comprises a plurality of openings for receiving a fastening element. 
     
     
         6 . The upper of  claim 1 , wherein the knitted component comprises a multi-layer knit structure. 
     
     
         7 . The upper of  claim 1 , wherein the outer shroud is attached to the inner knit component. 
     
     
         8 . The upper of  claim 1 , wherein at least part of the inner throat region extends at an angle to a longitudinal axis of the upper. 
     
     
         9 . An article of footwear, comprising:
 a sole structure; and   an upper secured to the sole structure, the upper comprising:
 an inner knit component; and 
 an outer shroud comprising a knitted component, the outer shroud extending over a throat region formed by the inner knit component, the outer shroud comprising a plurality of protrusions extending outward from an outer surface of the outer shroud. 
   
     
     
         10 . The article of footwear of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of protrusions are located on a knitted portion of the outer shroud. 
     
     
         11 . The article of footwear of  claim 9 , wherein the outer shroud comprises regions of different elasticities. 
     
     
         12 . The article of footwear of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of protrusions are secured to the outer shroud using a thermoplastic adhesive. 
     
     
         13 . The article of footwear of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of protrusions comprise a laminated structure. 
     
     
         14 . The article of footwear of  claim 9 , wherein the inner knit component includes at least one tensile strand extending through a throat portion of the inner knit component. 
     
     
         15 . The article of footwear of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of protrusions are positioned at least on one of a medial side or lateral side of the outer shroud. 
     
     
         16 . An article of footwear, comprising:
 a sole structure; and   an upper secured to the sole structure, the upper comprising:   a knitted component at least partially forming:
 a lateral side of the upper, 
 a medial side of the upper, and 
 a throat region extending between the medial side and the lateral side, wherein at least part of the throat region extends at an angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the upper, and towards one of the medial side and the lateral side. 
   
     
     
         17 . The article of footwear of  claim 16 , wherein the knitted component comprises a multi-layer knit structure extending on the medial side, on the lateral side, and in the throat region. 
     
     
         18 . The article of footwear of  claim 16 , wherein the knitted component comprises a tensile strand that forms two overlapping loops that define a single opening for receiving a fastening element. 
     
     
         19 . The article of footwear of  claim 16 , wherein the knitted component includes a plurality of protrusions extending from an outer surface of the throat region. 
     
     
         20 . The article of footwear of  claim 19 , wherein an outer shroud is attached over the throat region, and wherein the plurality of protrusions extend outward from an outer-facing surface of the outer shroud.