Footwear

Abstract

A footwear comprising a sole, an upper coupled to the sole; and a patterned filament overlay supported by the upper. The patterned filament overlay has at least one varying attribute amongst different zones of the upper.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A footwear comprising:
 a sole;   an upper coupled to the sole; and   a patterned filament overlay supported by the upper, the patterned filament overlay having at least one varying attribute amongst different zones of the upper.   
     
     
         2 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one varying attribute is selected from a group of attributes consisting of: layout; thickness; density, penetration and layering. 
     
     
         3 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one varying attribute comprises layout, wherein the upper comprises a heel zone and a side zone, the patterned filament overlay having a first layout in the heel zone and a second layout in the side zone. 
     
     
         4 . The footwear of  claim 3 , wherein the first layout comprises intersecting polymer lines and wherein the second layout comprises non-intersecting polymer lines. 
     
     
         5 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one varying attribute comprises thickness, wherein the upper comprises a heel zone and a side zone, the patterned filament overlay having a first thickness in the heel zone and a second thickness, less than the first thickness, in the side zone. 
     
     
         6 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one varying attribute comprises density, wherein the upper comprises a heel zone and a side zone, the patterned filament overlay having a first density in the heel zone and a second density, less than the first density, in the side zone. 
     
     
         7 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the upper comprises a panel having an outer surface, the upper having a first zone where the patterned filament overlay penetrates the outer surface of the panel by a first depth and a second zone where the patterned filament overlay penetrates the outer surface of the panel by a second depth less than the first depth. 
     
     
         8 . The footwear of  claim 7 , wherein the panel comprises a textile. 
     
     
         9 . The footwear of  claim 7 , and the panel comprises an extruded or molded mesh. 
     
     
         10 . The footwear of  claim 7  wherein the sole overlaps the first zone and does not overlap the second zone. 
     
     
         11 . The footwear of  claim 10 , wherein the patterned filament overlay penetrates the outer surface of the panel by a depth that gradually decreases as the patterned filament overlay extends away from the sole. 
     
     
         12 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the upper comprises a panel having an outer surface, the upper having a first zone where the patterned filament overlay projects above the outer surface in the first zone by first distance and projects above the outer surface in a second zone by second distance greater than the first distance. 
     
     
         13 . The footwear of  claim 12 , wherein the sole overlaps a first zone and does not overlap the second zone and wherein the first distance is less than or equal to zero. 
     
     
         14 . The footwear of  claim 1 , where the patterned filament overlay comprises an extrusion. 
     
     
         15 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the upper comprises a perforate panel formed from a thermoplastic polymer and wherein the patterned filament overlay penetrates the perforate panel and is formed from the thermoplastic polymer or another thermoplastic polymer. 
     
     
         16 . The footwear of  claim 15 , wherein the patterned filament overlay and the perforate panel are both formed from a same polymeric base material. 
     
     
         17 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the upper comprises a panel and wherein the patterned filament overlay comprised a polymer line comprising a series of spaced panel penetrating anchors. 
     
     
         18 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the sole comprises an outsole and a midsole, the midsole being coupled to the outsole and overlapping portions of the upper. 
     
     
         19 . A footwear comprising:
 a sole;   an upper coupled to the sole, wherein the upper comprises a panel having an outer surface; and   a polymer layer supported by the upper, the polymer layer having a first portion projecting into a surface of, and mechanically interlocking to, at least one of the sole and the upper in a first zone and a second portion continuously extending from the first portion and extending above the outer surface of the upper in the second zone, the first zone of the upper having a patterned filament overlay penetrating the outer surface of the panel by a first depth and a second zone where the patterned filament overlay penetrates the outer surface of the panel by a second depth less than the first depth.   
     
     
         20 . The footwear of  claim 19 , wherein the surface is that of the upper and wherein the first portion penetrates the surface of upper and extends at or the surface of the upper in the first zone and the second portion penetrates and extends above beyond the surface of the upper in the second zone.