Footwear article with improved bonding between upper and sole

Abstract

A footwear article (and method of making a footwear article) can include an improved bonding (e.g., reduced likelihood of delamination) between a footwear upper and a sole structure (e.g., along at least a portion of the biteline). For example, the footwear upper can include an outer-facing surface (e.g., externally-facing side) that faces away from the foot-receiving cavity. In addition, the outer-facing surface can include a first zone that overlaps with, and is bonded to, the sole structure (e.g., a plate or midsole). Examples of the present disclosure are directed to various features of the first zone that improve bonding to the sole structure, such as bonding via thermal bonding, adhesive bonding, mechanical bonding, chemical bonding, and the like.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A footwear article comprising:
 a sole structure comprising a first thermoplastic composition;   an upper comprising a first zone and a second zone;   the first zone overlapping with the sole structure and thermally bonded to the sole structure;   the second zone comprising a first portion of an outermost surface of the footwear article; and   the first portion of the outermost surface comprising a surface chemical composition that is different from the first thermoplastic composition.   
     
     
         2 . The footwear article of  claim 1 , wherein the first thermoplastic composition comprises a polyolefin resin composition. 
     
     
         3 . The footwear article of  claim 2 , wherein the surface chemical composition comprises less than 5% of the polyolefin resin composition. 
     
     
         4 . The footwear article of  claim 3 , wherein the surface chemical composition comprises a polyurethane composition. 
     
     
         5 . The footwear article of  claim 4 , wherein the first portion of the outermost surface comprises a polyurethane ink. 
     
     
         6 . The footwear article of  claim 1  further comprising, a biteline. 
     
     
         7 . The footwear article of  claim 6 , wherein the upper comprises a transition zone that is positioned between the biteline and the second zone and that comprises a second portion of the outermost surface of the footwear article. 
     
     
         8 . The footwear article of  claim 7 , wherein the second portion of the outermost surface of the footwear article comprises a second thermoplastic composition. 
     
     
         9 . The footwear article of  claim 8 , wherein the first thermoplastic composition and the second thermoplastic composition comprise a polyolefin resin composition. 
     
     
         10 . The footwear article of  claim 9 , wherein the transition zone comprises a width extending from the biteline to the second zone, and wherein the width is in a range of about 3 mm to about 7 mm. 
     
     
         11 . The footwear article of  claim 10 , wherein the width comprises a first width at a first position around a periphery of the footwear article, wherein the transition zone comprises a second width extending from the biteline to the second zone and at a second position around the periphery of the footwear article, and wherein the second width is different from the first width. 
     
     
         12 . The footwear article of  claim 11 , wherein the first position is in a forefoot region of the footwear article and the second position is in a midfoot region of the footwear article. 
     
     
         13 . The footwear article of  claim 12 , wherein the first width is smaller than the second width. 
     
     
         14 . The footwear article of  claim 7 , wherein the first portion of the outermost surface comprises a surface texture that, as compared to the second portion of the outermost surface, comprises larger relief depth. 
     
     
         15 . A footwear article comprising:
 a sole structure comprising a first thermoplastic composition;   an upper comprising a bonding skirt that overlaps with the sole structure and that is thermally bonded to the sole structure;   the bonding skirt comprising an inner-facing surface that faces towards a foot-receiving cavity of the footwear article; and   a strobel bonded, via a hotmelt adhesive, to the inner-facing surface.   
     
     
         16 . The footwear article of  claim 15 , wherein the hotmelt adhesive comprises a second thermoplastic composition, which is different from the first thermoplastic composition. 
     
     
         17 . The footwear article of  claim 16 , wherein the first thermoplastic composition comprises a polyolefin resin composition. 
     
     
         18 . The footwear article of  claim 17 , wherein the second thermoplastic composition comprises a thermoplastic polyurethane composition. 
     
     
         19 . The footwear article of  claim 16 , wherein the sole structure is substantially free of the second thermoplastic composition. 
     
     
         20 . The footwear article of  claim 15  wherein the inner-facing surface comprises a first nonwoven textile comprising first fibers and the strobel comprises a second nonwoven textile comprising second fibers, and wherein portions of the hotmelt adhesive at least partially encapsulates the first fibers and the second fibers. 
     
     
         21 . A footwear article comprising:
 a sole structure;   an upper comprising a first zone, a second zone, and a transition zone between the first zone and the second zone;   the first zone overlapping with the sole structure at a biteline and thermally bonded to the sole structure;   the transition zone extending from the biteline to the second zone;   the transition zone comprising a first portion of an outermost surface of the footwear article, wherein the transition zone comprises a first surface texture that comprises a first relief depth; and   the second zone comprising a second portion of the outermost surface of the footwear article, wherein the second zone comprises a second surface texture that comprises a second relief depth, which is larger than the first relief depth.   
     
     
         22 . The footwear article of  claim 21 , wherein the transition zone comprises one or more widths extending from the biteline to the second zone. 
     
     
         23 . The footwear article of  claim 22 , wherein the one or more widths are in a range of about 3 mm to about 7 mm. 
     
     
         24 . The footwear article of  claim 22 , wherein the one or more widths comprise a first width at a first position around a periphery of the footwear article and a second width at a second position around the periphery of the footwear article, and wherein the second width is different from the first width. 
     
     
         25 . The footwear article of  claim 24 , wherein the first position is in a forefoot region of the footwear article and the second position is in a midfoot region of the footwear article. 
     
     
         26 . The footwear article of  claim 25 , wherein the first width is smaller than the second width. 
     
     
         27 . The footwear article of  claim 21 , wherein the sole structure comprises a first thermoplastic composition, and wherein, in the second zone, the second portion of the outermost surface comprises a surface chemical composition that is different from the first thermoplastic composition. 
     
     
         28 . The footwear article of  claim 27 , wherein the first thermoplastic composition comprises a polyolefin resin composition. 
     
     
         29 . The footwear article of  claim 28 , wherein the surface chemical composition comprises a polyurethane composition. 
     
     
         30 . The footwear article of  claim 27 , wherein, in the first zone, the first portion of the outermost surface comprises the surface chemical composition that comprises a polyolefin resin composition.