Patent Publication Number: US-11659895-B2

Title: Article of footwear with accessory system and accessory kit for an article of footwear

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/927,762 filed Oct. 30, 2019, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure generally relates to an article of footwear that includes an accessory system and to an accessory kit for an article of footwear. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Footwear typically includes an upper and a sole structure underlying and secured to the upper. An upper may have a specific material, color, or design for function, for aesthetic appearance, or both. Consumers may select footwear at least in part based on the aesthetic appearance of the footwear. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only, are schematic in nature, and are intended to be exemplary rather than to limit the scope of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of a medial side of an article of footwear including an accessory system. 
         FIG.  2    is a perspective view of a lateral side of the article of footwear of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  3    is a perspective view of the medial side of the article of footwear of  FIG.  1    with ornamentations of the accessory system removed. 
         FIG.  4    is a perspective view of the lateral side of the article of footwear of  FIG.  1    with ornamentations of the accessory system removed. 
         FIG.  5    is a rear perspective view of the medial side of the article of footwear of  FIG.  1    with ornamentations of the accessory system removed. 
         FIG.  6    is a plan view of a forefoot ornamentation for the forefoot region of the article of footwear. 
         FIG.  7    is a plan view of a heel ornamentation for the heel region of the article of footwear. 
         FIG.  8    is a plan view of a throat ornamentation for the throat region of the article of footwear. 
         FIG.  9    is a plan view of a side ornamentation for medial and lateral sides of the article of footwear. 
         FIG.  10    is a fragmentary perspective view of the lateral side of the article of footwear in the forefoot region showing a fastener fixing the forefoot ornamentation to the article of footwear and a tool configured to fasten the fastener. 
         FIG.  11    is a fragmentary plan view of the lateral side of the article of footwear in the heel region showing another fastener like that of  FIG.  10    with the heel ornamentation lifted and in an unfixed state. 
         FIG.  12    is a fragmentary perspective view of the medial side of the article of footwear in the forefoot region showing an alternative fastener with the forefoot ornamentation lifted and in an unfixed state. 
         FIG.  13    is a fragmentary view of the throat region of the article of footwear with the throat ornamentation lifted and in an unfixed state. 
         FIG.  14    is a fragmentary exploded cross-sectional view of the forefoot ornamentation and the sole structure of  FIG.  12    with the fastener in an unfastened state. 
         FIG.  15    is a fragmentary exploded cross-sectional view of the heel ornamentation and the sole structure of  FIG.  11    with the fastener in an unfastened state. 
         FIG.  16    is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the ornamentation of  FIG.  8    taken at lines  16 - 16  in  FIG.  8   . 
         FIG.  17    is a plan view of an accessory kit for the article of footwear of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  18    is a lateral side view of the article of footwear of  FIG.  2    including ornamentations of a second accessory system. 
         FIG.  19    is a side view of the side ornamentation of  FIG.  9    worn as a headband. 
         FIG.  20    is a perspective illustration of the heel ornamentation of  FIG.  7    worn as a bracelet. 
         FIG.  21    is a flow diagram of a method of manufacturing an article of footwear such as the article of footwear of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  22    is a plan view of an alternative forefoot ornamentation for the forefoot region of an article of footwear. 
         FIG.  23    is a cross-sectional view of an article of footwear with a fastener of the forefoot ornamentation of  FIG.  22    in a fastened state. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     The present disclosure generally relates to an article of footwear with an accessory system that allows the wearer to achieve a variety of aesthetic appearances of a single article of footwear. 
     The article of footwear may include an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. The article of footwear may further include an accessory system that includes at least one ornamentation selectively securable to and removable from one or both of the upper or the sole structure. The one or more ornamentations may partially cover a contoured outer surface of the upper when secured to one or both of the upper or the sole structure but may be relatively flat when not secured to the upper or the sole structure. Stated differently, the ornamentations may flex from a relatively flat shape to a contoured shape when secured to the article of footwear, and the contoured shape may follow the contoured outer surface of the upper. Because each ornamentation is flexible to adapt from a relatively flat state when off of the upper and sole structure to the contoured shape when secured to one or both of the upper or the sole structure, the ornamentations are not limited in utility as ornamentations for footwear as they would likely be if they were rigidly formed with the contoured shape of the outer surface of the footwear rather than configured to be flexible from the flat state to the contoured shape. The shape and size of the ornamentation as well as the positioning of fasteners may further enable the ornamentation to be utilized as an ornamentation of the person rather than on the footwear as the ornamentation can flex to a different shape than when fastened to the upper and/or sole structure. For example, the ornamentation may be configured to be worn as a personal accessory when removed from the upper and sole structure, such as jewelry or a hair accessory. In some implementations, the ornamentation may be worn as a decorative bracelet or a headband. The owner of the footwear may decide to adorn the footwear with the ornamentation on some occasions and may decide to remove it from the footwear on other occasions, in which case it could be worn as another accessory on the person, for example. Accordingly, the one or more ornamentations may have different functions. 
     In an aspect, the at least one ornamentation includes a webbed base. For example, the webbed base may include a plurality of strands interconnected at nodes. The at least one ornamentation may further include embellishments secured to the webbed base at the nodes and exposed at an outer side of the webbed base. In an example, the webbed base may comprise a castable polyurethane. In another aspect, the embellishments may be beads. In some embodiments, the embellishments may comprise crystal, glass, or plastic. 
     The one or more ornamentations achieves flexibility (e.g., ability to adapt from a relatively flat state to the contoured surface of the footwear upper) due to the webbed base. Additionally, the webbed base reduces the overall weight of the ornamentation in comparison to an ornamentation with a solid base. 
     In order to secure the one or more ornamentations to the article of footwear, the accessory system may include a plurality of fasteners. The fasteners may include first fastener components fixed to the upper or the sole structure and second fastener components fixed to the at least one ornamentation and configured to removably secure to the first fastener components to secure the at least one ornamentation to the upper or the sole structure. 
     In an aspect, the first fastener components may be arranged in a first spatial arrangement on the upper or the sole structure and the second fastener components may be arranged in a second spatial arrangement on the at least one ornamentation. The second spatial arrangement may match the first spatial arrangement when the at least one ornamentation is disposed on the contoured outer surface of the upper. 
     In one example, a first set of the first fastener components may be fixed to the sole structure and a second set of the first fastener components may be fixed to the upper. The ornamentation may secure with fasteners of both of the first set and the second set such that it is secured to both the sole structure and the upper. In embodiments with more than one ornamentation, one of the ornamentations may secure with fasteners only to the upper or only to the sole structure. In some embodiments, a first group of the fasteners may be magnetic fasteners and a second group of the fasteners may be threaded fasteners. For example, at least one of the fasteners of the first group (e.g., the magnetic fasteners) may be secured to the upper along a foot opening defined by the upper. Magnetic fasteners may more quickly fasten and unfasten than threaded fasteners, so it may be advantageous to include magnetic fasteners along the foot opening to allow an ornamentation bordering the foot opening to be lifted in the event a wearer needs to widen the foot opening for foot insertion. 
     In one or more embodiments, the accessory system may further include a tool configured to fasten the second fastener components to the first fastener components. For example, if the fastener components are threaded fasteners, the tool may be a screw driver. The tool may include decorative aspects, such as embellishments that may match those of the ornamentation. The tool may be attached to a chain so that it may be worn as a necklace. 
     The at least one ornamentation may include multiple different ornamentations configured to adorn different portions of the upper. For example, the ornamentations may be selectively securable to and removable from one or both of the sole structure or the upper independently of one another, each partially covering a different respective contoured outer surface of the upper when secured to one or both of the sole structure or the upper, and at least some of the ornamentations having different shapes. In some embodiments, each of the ornamentations may include a webbed base, and the webbed base of at least one of the ornamentations may overlap the webbed base of at least one other of the ornamentations when the ornamentations are secured to one or both of the sole structure or the upper. 
     Some examples of the ornamentations may include an ornamentation that wraps from a medial side to a lateral side of the upper when secured to the upper or the sole structure, an ornamentation that adorns and contours to the forefoot region of the upper, an ornamentation that adorns and contours to the heel region of the upper, and an ornamentation that adorns and contours to a throat region of the upper. 
     An accessory kit for an article of footwear may include at least one ornamentation selectively securable to and removable from the article of footwear, the at least one ornamentation partially covering a contoured outer surface of an upper of the article of footwear when secured to the article of footwear. The at least one ornamentation may flex from a relatively flat shape to a contoured shape when secured to the article of footwear, the contoured shape following the contoured outer surface of the upper. In some embodiments, the accessory kit may include a tool configured to secure the at least one ornamentation to the article of footwear. 
     Different accessory kits may include one or more ornamentations having a different color, shape, or different embellishments, for example. Accordingly, an owner of the article of footwear could adorn the footwear with one or more ornamentations from a first accessory kit on one occasion, and adorn the footwear with one or more ornamentations from a second accessory kit on another occasion, the ornamentations of the second accessory kit having a different color, shape, different embellishments, etc. so that the appearance of the footwear on the second occasion is different than the appearance of the footwear on the first occasion. 
     A method of manufacturing an article of footwear may include providing an accessory system including at least one ornamentation selectively securable to and removable from one or both of a sole structure or an upper secured to the sole structure. The at least one ornamentation may partially cover a contoured outer surface of the upper when secured to the article of footwear. The at least one ornamentation may flex from a relatively flat shape to a contoured shape when secured to one or both of the sole structure or the upper, the contoured shape following the contoured outer surface of the upper. 
     In an aspect of the method, first fastener components may be arranged in a first spatial arrangement on one or both of a sole structure or a footwear upper, and the method may include securing a plurality of second fastener components to the at least one ornamentation so that the second fastener components are arranged in a second spatial arrangement matching the first spatial arrangement. Furthermore, the method may include securing the plurality of first fastener components to at least one of the footwear upper or the sole structure so that the first fastener components are arranged in the first spatial arrangement. The method may include providing a tool configured to fasten the second fastener components to the first fastener components. 
     The at least one ornamentation may include a webbed base with a plurality of strands interconnected at nodes, and the method may include securing embellishments to the webbed base at the nodes so that the embellishments are exposed at an outer side of the webbed base. The method may include casting the webbed base from a castable polyurethane. 
     The at least one ornamentation may be a first set of ornamentations, and the method may include providing a second set of ornamentations having second fastener components arranged in the second spatial arrangement and configured to removably secure to the first fastener components to secure the second set of ornamentations to the footwear upper or the sole structure. The second set of ornamentations may be different in at least one of a color, shape, or embellishments than the first set of ornamentations. For example, the kit may include both the first and second sets of ornamentations, or the first and second sets of ornamentations may be made available to a consumer for purchase separately, as different kits to adorn the footwear. 
     The above features and advantages and other features and advantages of the present teachings are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the modes for carrying out the present teachings when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
     Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers refer to like components throughout the views,  FIG.  1    is a medial side view of an article of footwear  10  that has a sole structure  12  and an upper  14  secured to the sole structure  12 . The article of footwear  10  includes an accessory system  16  that has multiple ornamentations  18  (referred to individually as forefoot ornamentation  18 A, heel ornamentation  18 B, throat ornamentation  18 C and side ornamentation  18 D) shown selectively secured to the sole structure  12  and the upper  14  as further discussed herein. 
     The upper  14  forms a foot-receiving cavity  20  configured to receive a foot. The upper  14  may be a variety of materials, such as leather, textiles, polymers, cotton, foam, composites, etc., and is shown with a lace  22  (best viewed in  FIG.  3   ) for tightening the upper  14  around a foot. The upper includes a tongue  15  shown in  FIG.  1   . The footwear  10  illustrated herein is depicted as an athletic shoe configured for sports or for wear as a leisure shoe, but the footwear  10  is not limited to athletic or leisure shoes. The footwear  10  including its components described herein may be an athletic shoe, a leisure shoe, a dress shoe, a work shoe, a sandal, a slipper, a boot, or any other category of footwear. 
     As indicated in  FIG.  1   , the footwear  10  may be divided into a forefoot region  24 , a midfoot region  26 , and a heel region  28 , which are also the forefoot region, the midfoot region, and the heel region, respectively, of the sole structure  12  and the upper  14 . The forefoot region  24  generally includes portions of the article of footwear  10  corresponding with the toes and the joints connecting the metatarsals with the phalanges. The midfoot region  26  generally includes portions of the article of footwear  10  corresponding with the arch area and instep of the foot, and the heel region  28  corresponds with rear portions of the foot, including the calcaneus bone. The forefoot region  24 , the midfoot region  26 , and the heel region  28  are not intended to demarcate precise areas of the footwear  10  but are instead intended to represent general areas of the footwear  10  to aid in the following discussion. 
     The sole structure  12  includes a midsole  30  and an outsole  32  which are integrated as a unitary component in the embodiment shown and may be referred to as a unisole. An insole (not shown) may rest on the sole structure  12  in the foot-receiving cavity  20 . The midsole  30  attenuates ground reaction forces (e.g., provides cushioning) when compressed between the foot and the ground during walking, running, or other ambulatory activities. The outsole  32  establishes the ground-engaging surface of the article of footwear  10  and may be one-piece or may be several discrete outsole components. In one example, the outsole  32  may be formed from a wear-resistant material that may be textured to impart traction. For example, the outsole  32  may comprise a natural or synthetic rubber. 
     When the foot is positioned within the foot-receiving cavity  20  of the footwear  10 , it is supported on a foot-facing surface of the midsole  30 . The foot-facing surface of the midsole  30  may be covered by a strobel (not shown) secured to a lower region of the upper  14 . Also, an insole (not shown) may rest on the strobel or directly on the sole structure  12  in embodiments without a strobel, in which case the foot is supported by both the sole structure  12  and the insole. 
     The footwear  10  has a medial side  34  (shown in  FIG.  1   ) and a lateral side  36  (best shown in  FIG.  2   ). The medial side  34  and the lateral side  36  extend through each of the forefoot region  24 , the midfoot region  26 , and the heel region  28 , each falling on an opposite side of a longitudinal midline (LM) of the article of footwear  10 , as is understood by those skilled in the art. The medial side  34  is thus considered opposite to the lateral side  36 . 
     The ornamentations  18 A- 18 D of the accessory system  16  are each selectively securable to and removable from one or both of the upper  14  or the sole structure  12  via fasteners  40 . Each fastener  40  includes a first fastener component  40 A and a second fastener component  40 B. The first fastener components  40 A are fixed to the upper  14  or to the sole structure  12  (e.g., in the embodiment shown, some of the first fastener components  40 A are fixed to the upper  14  and some of the first fastener components  40 A are fixed to the sole structure  12 , as best shown in  FIGS.  3  and  4   ). The second fastener components  40 B are fixed to one of the ornamentation  18 A- 18 D and configured to secure to one of the first fastener component  40 A to secure the ornamentation  18 A- 18 D to the upper  14  and/or the sole structure  12 . The second fastener components  40 B “removably” secure or couple or “releasably” secure or couple to the first fastening components  40 A in that they are configured to be fastened and unfastened repeatedly during the typical useful life of the article of footwear. Stated differently, the second fastener components  40 B may be selectively coupled to (e.g., fastened to) the first fastener components  40 A to secure the ornamentations  18 A- 18 D to the upper  14  and/or the sole structure  12  and may be selectively released (e.g., uncoupled or unfastened) from the first fastener components  40 A to remove the ornamentations  18 A- 18 D from the upper  14  and/or sole structure  12 ). For example, the fasteners  40  may be threaded fasteners, magnetic fasteners, or snaps. Although all of the ornamentations  18 A- 18 D are shown secured to the upper  14  and/or the sole structure  12  in  FIGS.  1  and  2   , a wearer may choose to secure only one, two, or three of the ornamentations rather than all four to achieve and even greater variety of aesthetic appearances. 
     Each of the ornamentations  18 A- 18 D partially covers a contoured outer surface of the upper  14  when secured to one or both of the upper  14  or the sole structure  12  but is relatively flat when not secured to the upper  14  or the sole structure  12 . The ornamentation  18 A may be referred to as a forefoot ornamentation. The forefoot ornamentation  18 A adorns and contours to a contoured outer surface  42  (shown in  FIGS.  3 - 5   ) of the upper  14  in the forefoot region  24  spanning, for example, from the medial side  34  to the lateral side  36 . The ornamentation  18 B may be referred to as a heel ornamentation. The heel ornamentation  18 B adorns and contours to a contoured outer surface  44  (shown in  FIGS.  3 - 5   ) of the upper  14  in the heel region  28  spanning, for example, from the medial side  34  to the lateral side  36 . The ornamentation  18 C may be referred to as a throat ornamentation and adorns and contours to a contoured outer surface  46  (shown in  FIGS.  3 - 5   ) of a throat region  47  of the upper  14 . The ornamentation  18 D may be referred to as a side ornamentation and wraps from the medial side  34  to the lateral side  36  (around the back of the heel region  28 ) of the upper  14  when secured to the upper  14 . The ornamentation  18 D thus adorns and contours to the contoured outer surface  48  (see  FIG.  3   ) at the medial side  34 , the contoured outer surface  50  (see  FIG.  4   ) at the lateral side  36 , and the contoured outer surface  44  at the heel region  28 . Accordingly, the different ornamentations  18 A- 18 D are configured to adorn different portions of the upper  14 . The ornamentations  18 A- 18 D are selectively securable to and removable from one or both of the sole structure  12  and the upper  14  independently of one another via the fasteners  40  of each ornamentation  18 A- 18 D. 
     Each ornamentation  18 A- 18 D partially covers and follows a different respective contoured outer surface  42 ,  44 ,  46 ,  48 , or  50  of the upper  14  when secured to one or both of the sole structure  12  or the upper  14 . In order to do so, each of the ornamentations  18 A- 18 D has a different shape when in a relatively flat state (shown in  FIGS.  6 - 9   ) and can flexibly adapt from the relatively flat state to the contoured state (shown in  FIGS.  1  and  2   ) when secured to the upper  14  and/or sole structure  12 . Each ornamentation  18 A- 18 D has a webbed base  60 A- 60 D, respectively, as shown in  FIGS.  1 - 2  and  6 - 9   . The ornamentations  18 A- 18 D achieve their flexibility (e.g., ability to adapt from a relatively flat state to a contoured shape that follows the contoured outer surface of the footwear upper  14 ) due to the webbed bases  60 A- 60 D. Each webbed base  60 A- 60 D includes a plurality of strands  62  interconnected at nodes  64 . Spaces  66  exist between the strands  62 , so each webbed base  60 A- 60 D reduces the overall weight of the ornamentation  18 A- 18 D in comparison to an ornamentation with a solid (unwebbed) base. The upper  14  is visible through the spaces  66  when the ornamentation  18 A,  18 B,  18 C or  18 D adorns the upper  14 . The relatively thin and flexible strands  62  of the webbed bases  60 A- 60 D enable the webbed bases  60 A- 60 D to adapt to the contoured outer surfaces of the upper  14  and sole structure  12 . 
     As best shown in  FIGS.  1  and  2   , the throat ornamentation  18 C overlaps the forefoot and heel ornamentations  18 A and  18 B, and the side ornamentation  18 D overlaps the heel ornamentation  18 B when the ornamentations  18 A- 18 D are secured to the sole structure  12  and/or the upper  14 . More specifically, the webbed base  60 C overlaps the webbed bases  60 A and  60 B and the webbed base  60 D overlaps the webbed base  60 B when the ornamentations  18 A- 18 D are secured to the sole structure  12  and/or the upper  14  as discussed herein. The flexible nature of the ornamentations  18 A- 18 D due to the flexible strands  62  enables overlap and contouring of the ornamentations  18 A- 18 D to the contoured surfaces  42 ,  44 ,  46 ,  48 ,  50  of the upper  14  as discussed. The webbed base  60 A- 60 D of each ornamentation  18 A- 18 D may comprise a castable polyurethane configured as a flexible material to enable the functionality of the ornamentations  18 A- 18 D as described. 
     The ornamentations  18 A- 18 D include embellishments  68  secured to the webbed bases  60 A- 60 D. The embellishments  68  are secured to an outer side  70 A,  70 B,  70 C, and  70 D, respectively, of the webbed bases  60 A,  60 B,  60 C, and  60 D at the nodes  64 , but not all of the nodes  64  have an embellishment  68 . Because they are secured to the outer sides  70 A- 70 D, the embellishments  68  are visible at an exterior of the article of footwear  10  when the ornamentations  18 A- 18 D are secured to the upper  14  and/or the sole structure  12 . The embellishments  68  are shown as beads and may comprise crystal, glass, or plastic. As shown, the embellishments  68  are spherical beads as best shown in  FIGS.  10  and  16   . Alternatively, the embellishments  68  may have other shapes, could be faceted, may have different colors, etc. 
     As shown in  FIGS.  3 - 5   , a first set  40 A 1  of the first fastener components  40  are fixed to the sole structure  12  and a second set  40 A 2  of the first fastener components  40  are fixed to the upper  14 . The forefoot ornamentation  18 A includes four second fastener components  40 B (marked as  40 B 1  in  FIG.  6   ) that secure to first fastener components  40  of the first set  40 A 1  (e.g., to secure the forefoot ornamentation  18 A to the sole structure  12 ) and two second fastener components  40 B (marked as to  40 B 2  in  FIG.  6   ) that secure to first fastener components  40  of the second set  40 A 2  (e.g., to secure the forefoot ornamentation  18 A to the upper  14 ). The second fastener components  40 B 2  of the forefoot ornamentation  18 A are covered by the overlapping throat ornamentation  18 C in  FIGS.  1  and  2    and are thus obscured from view. Accordingly, the forefoot ornamentation  18 A is releasably securable to both the sole structure  12  and the upper  14 . 
     The heel ornamentation  18 B includes three second fastener components  40 B (marked as  40 B 1  in  FIG.  7   ) that secure to first fastener components  40  of the first set  40 A 1  (e.g., to secure the forefoot ornamentation  18 A to the sole structure  12 ) and two second fastener components  40 B (marked as to  40 B 2  in  FIG.  7   ) that secure to first fastener components  40  of the second set  40 A 2  (e.g., to secure the heel ornamentation  18 B to the upper  14 ). Accordingly, the heel ornamentation  18 B is releasably securable to both the sole structure  12  and the upper  14 . 
     The throat ornamentation  18 C includes five second fastener components  40 B (marked as to  40 B 2  in  FIG.  8   ) that secure to first fastener components  40  of the second set  40 A 2  (e.g., to secure the throat ornamentation  18 C to the upper  14 ). The throat ornamentation  18 C is releasably secured only to the upper  14  and has no fastener components securing the throat ornamentation  18 C to the sole structure  12 . 
     The side ornamentation  18 D includes two second fastener components  40 B (marked as to  40 B 2  in  FIG.  9   ) that secure to first fastener components  40  of the second set  40 A 2  (e.g., to secure the side ornamentation  18 D to the upper  14 ). The side ornamentation  18 D is releasably secured only to the upper  14  and has no fastener components securing the side ornamentation  18 D to the sole structure  12 . 
     In an aspect, the respective first fastener components  40 A to which one of the ornamentations  18 A- 18 D releasably secures may be arranged in a first spatial arrangement on the upper  14  and/or the sole structure  12  and the second fastener components  40 B may be arranged in a second spatial arrangement on the ornamentation (e.g., when the ornamentation is in the flat state), the second spatial arrangement matching the first spatial arrangement when the ornamentation is disposed on the contoured outer surface of the upper  14  and/or sole structure  12 . For example, in the flat state of  FIG.  7   , centers of adjacent ones of the three second fastener components  40 B 1  of the heel ornamentation  18 B are spaced apart by a first distance  72  and centers of the second fastener components  40 B 2  are spaced apart from adjacent first fastener components  40 A 1  by a second distance  74 . This may be referred to as a second spatial arrangement. As shown in  FIGS.  3 - 5   , the first fastener components  40 A 1  and  40 A 2  to which the second fastener components  40 B 1  and  40 B 2  of the heel ornamentation  18 B are secured in  FIGS.  1  and  2    are in a first spatial arrangement with the same spacing between centers of the fastener components. The remaining ornamentations  18 B,  18 C, and  18 D also have spatial arrangements that match the spatial arrangements of the fastener components  40 A 1 ,  40 A 2  of the upper  14  and/or sole structure  12  to which they secure. Due to the matching spatial arrangements, the ornamentations  18 A- 18 D secure to the upper  14  and or the sole structure  12  at the first fastener components  40 A shown in  FIGS.  3 - 5    in the orientations shown in  FIGS.  1  and  2    without any stretching or straining of the ornamentations  18 A- 18 D. 
     In some embodiments, a first group of the fasteners  40  may be magnetic fasteners or snaps, and a second group of the fasteners  40  may be threaded fasteners. For example,  FIGS.  10 ,  11  and  15    show fasteners  40  of the second group (e.g., threaded fasteners). A first fastener component  40 A 1  of each threaded fastener  40  includes an internally threaded housing  75  recessed into the sidewall of the sole structure  12  (shown in  FIGS.  3 - 5  and  11   ). A second fastener component  40 B 1  of each threaded fastener  40  of the second group includes a threaded stud  76  extending from a head  78  (see, e.g.,  FIGS.  11  and  15   ). The threaded stud  76  is configured with threads matable to the internal threads of the internally threaded housing  75 . In  FIG.  11   , the heel ornamentation  18 B is lifted by a hand  77  and in an unfixed state to show the threaded stud  76 . In the drawings, the fasteners  40  of the second group include fastener components with a head configured to be driven by a screw (e.g., a head with a Phillips pattern as shown). 
     The accessory system  16  includes a tool  80  (see  FIG.  10   ) configured to fasten the second fastener components  40 B 1  of the second group (e.g., the threaded fasteners  40 ) to the first fastener components  40 A 1 . For example, the tool  80  is shown as a screw driver configured to mate with the head  78  to drive the second fastener component  40 B 1  to tighten or loosen relative to the first fastener component  40 A 1 . The tool  80  has decorative aspects, such as embellishments  82 , that may be similar to the embellishments  68  of the ornamentations  18 A- 18 B. The tool  80  is shown with a loop  81  through which a chain  83  may be received so that the tool  80  is attached to the chain  83  and may be worn as a necklace in order to keep the tool  80  with the customer, readily available for tightening or loosening the fasteners  40  to secure or remove any of the ornamentations  18 A- 18 B,  118 A- 118 D, or  218 A discussed herein. 
       FIGS.  12 - 14    show fasteners  40  of the first group (e.g., magnetic fasteners). In the drawings, the fasteners  40  of the first group include second fastener components having a head without a screw drive pattern on the head.  FIG.  14    shows one of the fasteners  40  with a first fastener component  40 A 2  secured to the sole structure  12  with a threaded stud  84 . The second fastener component  40 B 2  includes a magnet  86  disposed at an inner side of the forefoot ornamentation  18 A. An exposed face of the first fastener component  40 A 2  includes a material  88  to which the magnet  86  releasably couples. Alternatively, a magnet could be disposed on the second fastener component  40 B 2  with a material attracted to the magnet on the first fastener component  40 A 2 .  FIG.  13    shows the throat ornamentation  18 C being pulled back away from the upper  14  to enable the upper  14  to be stretched to widen the foot-receiving cavity  20  such as just prior to foot insertion. Second fastener components  40 B 2  of the throat ornamentation  18 C and of the heel ornamentation  18 B bordering the foot-receiving cavity  20  are magnetic fasteners like that of  FIG.  14    as these may more quickly fasten and unfasten without the use of a tool (e.g., second fastener component  40 B 2  unfastens from first fastener component  40 A 2  faster than the threaded fasteners having first and second fastener components  40 A 1 ,  40 B 1 ). 
       FIG.  22    shows an alternative embodiment of a forefoot ornamentation  218 A in which some of the fasteners are snaps instead of magnetic fasteners. A second fastener component  40 B 3  of the first group is a head of the snap and a second fastener component  40 B 4  shown in  FIG.  23    secured to the upper has a recess that receives the head. An additional fastener component  40 B 1  is also included on the webbed base of the forefoot ornamentation  218 A and is configured to be disposed at a foremost extent of the sole structure  12 , which would have a fastener component  40 A 1  like those shown in  FIG.  5   . Accordingly, it may be advantageous to include magnetic fasteners like those of  FIG.  14    or snaps like those of  FIGS.  22  and  23    along the foot opening defined by the upper  14  into the foot-receiving cavity  20  to allow any ornamentation bordering the foot opening to be lifted in the event a wearer needs to widen the foot opening for foot insertion. 
       FIG.  16    is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the throat ornamentation  18 C of  FIG.  8    taken at lines  16 - 16 . The embellishment  68  is disposed at one of the nodes  64  of the webbed base  60 C. The embellishment  68  is adhered or otherwise secured to a mount  90  with a threaded extension  92  received in an internally threaded backing  94  fit to the webbed base  60 C at a through hole  96  in the node  64 . A flange  97  of the backing  94  is relatively thin (e.g., in comparison to the mount  90 ) to enable the inner side of the throat ornamentation  18 C to more closely contour to (e.g., follow the shape of) the outer surface  46  of the upper  14 . 
       FIG.  17    shows the ornamentations  18 A- 18 D and the tool  80  grouped as an accessory kit  100  that may be packaged with the footwear  10  shown in  FIG.  3   . Alternatively, the footwear  10  may be sold with the ornamentations  18 A- 18 C mounted thereon, and the ornamentations  18 A- 18 D of the accessory kit  100  may include ornamentations of a different color, shape, etc. than those mounted on the footwear  10  at the time of purchase. A purchaser may thus purchase the accessory kit  100  to enable even more aesthetic appearances or functions of the footwear  10 . The purchaser may choose to secure any or all of the ornamentations  18 A- 18 D to the upper  14  and/or the sole structure  12 . For example,  FIG.  18    shows an article of footwear  110  with the same upper  14  and sole structure  12  as the footwear  10 , but having ornamentations  118 A,  118 B,  118 C,  118 D similar in shape and size to the corresponding ornamentations  18 A,  18 B,  18 C,  18 D and having second fastener components arranged in a second spatial arrangement that matches that of the ornamentations  18 A- 18 D so that the ornamentations  118 A- 118 D can be releasably secured to the upper  14  and/or sole structure  12  as shown in  FIG.  18    while following the contoured outer surfaces  42 ,  44 ,  46 ,  48 , and  50  of the upper  14 . In  FIG.  17   , the second fastener components  40 B are all of the magnetic type as described in  FIG.  14    but without the flange  89  (e.g., they are secured to the inner sides of the ornamentations  118 A- 118 D with adhesive or otherwise but do not extend at the outer sides of the ornamentations  118 A- 118 D) so that the second fastener components  40 B are not readily viewed from the exterior of the article of footwear  110 . The ornamentations  118 A- 118 D have webbed bases  160 A,  160 B,  160 C, and  160 D, respectively, with embellishments  68 . The webbed bases  160 A- 160 D have openings  166  for flexibility and the ability to adapt from a flat state to a contoured shape that follows the contoured outer surfaces of the upper  14  and the sole structure  12 . Although the ornamentations  18 A- 18 D and  118 A- 118 D are shown in the figures as mainly decorative, the ornamentations  18 A- 18 D and  118 A- 118 D may provide useful functional aspects when secured to the footwear  10 ,  110 , such as ball control, coefficients of friction configured to affect use, etc. 
     Because each ornamentation  18 A- 18 D is flexible to adapt from a relatively flat state when off of the upper  14  (e.g., when not secured to the upper by the fastener components) and sole structure  12  to the contoured shape of the outer surfaces of the upper  14  when secured to one or both of the upper  14  or the sole structure  12 , the ornamentations  18 A- 18 D may also have decorative and/or functional uses other than as ornamentations for footwear  10  or  110 . For example, the ornamentation may be configured to be worn as jewelry or as a hair accessory when removed from the upper and sole structure. As shown in  FIG.  19   , the side ornamentation  18 D is shown worn as a headband on the head  211  of a wearer. The ornamentation  18 D may be tucked into the hair or behind the ears or may be pinned such as with bobby pins.  FIG.  20    shows the heel ornamentation  18 B worn as a bracelet wrapped around a wrist  213  of the wearer with the magnetic fasteners  40 B from the opposite medial and lateral sides of the ornamentation  18 B configured to attract to one another to secure the ornamentation  18 B in a loop around the wrist  213 . The owner of the footwear  10  may decide to adorn the footwear  10  with some or all of the ornamentation  18 A- 18 D on some occasions and may decide to remove some or all of the ornamentations from the footwear  10  on other occasions, in which case they could be worn as shown in  FIGS.  19  and  20    or otherwise. In another example, the ornamentations  18 A- 18 D or  118 A- 118 D can be secured to a purse or other carry bag or to apparel when not secured to the article of footwear  10  or  110 . 
       FIG.  21    is a flow diagram of a method  300  of manufacturing an article of footwear  10  or  110  shown herein. The method  300  may start at  302  and proceed to step  304 , securing a plurality of first fastener components  40 A to at least one of a footwear upper  14  or a sole structure  12  so that the first fastener components  40 A are arranged in a first spatial arrangement. The method  300  may also include step  306 , securing the footwear upper  14  to the sole structure  12 . Step  306  may occur prior to or after step  304 . In some implementations, step  306  is not included in the method as a different entity than the entity carrying out step  304  may secure the upper to the sole structure. The method  300  may include step  308 , providing at least one ornamentation  18 A- 18 D with a plurality of second fastener components  40 B configured to secure to the first fastener components  40 A. The plurality of second fastener components  40 B are arranged in a second spatial arrangement as discussed herein. The ornamentations  18 A- 18 D may be configured to flex from a relatively flat shape (see, e.g.,  FIG.  6 - 9   ) to a contoured shape (see. e.g.,  FIGS.  1 - 2   ) when secured to one or both of the sole structure  12  or the upper  14 , with the second spatial arrangement matching the first spatial arrangement and the contoured shape of the at least one ornamentation  18 A- 18 D following the contoured outer surface of the upper  14 . 
     As shown in  FIGS.  1  and  2   , the at least one ornamentation  18 A- 18 D may include a webbed base  60 A- 60 D with a plurality of strands  62  interconnected connected at nodes  64 . Step  308  of the method  300  may include sub-step  310 , casting the webbed base  60 A- 60 D from a castable polyurethane. Step  308  may further include sub-step  312 , securing embellishments  68  to the webbed base (any of webbed base  60 A- 60 D) at the nodes  64  so that the embellishments  68  are exposed at an outer side of the webbed base  60 A- 60 D. Alternatively, either or both of sub-steps  310  and  312  may be performed by a separate entity than the entity providing the ornamentations in step  308 . 
     Additionally, providing the at least one ornamentation under the method  300  may include offering the ornamentations  18 A- 18 D as a kit such as the accessory kit  100  of  FIG.  17   . The method  300  may further include step  314 , providing a tool  80  configured to fasten the second fastener components  40 B to the first fastener components  40 A, for example as a part of the accessory kit  100 . Additionally, the at least one ornamentation  18 A- 18 D may be a first set of ornamentations, and the method  300  may further include step  316 , providing a second set of ornamentations  118 A- 118 D having second fastener components  40 B arranged in the second spatial arrangement and configured to removably secure to the first fastener components  40 A to secure the second set of ornamentations  118 A- 118 D to the upper  14  or the sole structure  12  wherein the second set of ornamentations  118 A- 118 D is different in at least one of a color, shape, or embellishments than the first set of ornamentations  18 A- 18 D. For example, the accessory kit  100  may include both the first and second sets of ornamentations  18 A- 18 D and  118 A- 118 D or  218 A, or the first and second sets of ornamentations may be made available to a consumer for purchase separately, as different kits to adorn the footwear  10 . 
     Accordingly, the configuration of the footwear  10  or  110  and the accessory system  16  with ornamentations  18 A- 18 D or  118 A- 118 D enables a wearer to obtain many different looks from just one article of footwear. When the ornamentations are not secured to the upper  14  and/or sole structure  12 , the footwear  10  or  110  may be better suited for athletic use. When one or more of the ornamentations  18 A- 18 D,  118 A- 118 D, or  218 A are secured to the upper  14  and/or the sole structure  12 , the footwear  10  or  110  may be better suited for leisure activities. 
     The following Clauses provide example configurations of an article of footwear, an accessory kit for an article of footwear, and a method of manufacturing an article of footwear as disclosed herein. 
     Clause 1: An article of footwear comprising: an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper; and an accessory system including at least one ornamentation selectively securable to and removable from one or both of the sole structure or the upper, the at least one ornamentation partially covering a contoured outer surface of the upper when secured to the article of footwear; wherein the at least one ornamentation flexes from a relatively flat shape to a contoured shape when secured to one or both of the sole structure or the upper, the contoured shape following the contoured outer surface of the upper. 
     Clause 2: The article of footwear of clause 1, wherein the at least one ornamentation includes a webbed base. 
     Clause 3: The article of footwear of clause 2, wherein: the webbed base includes a plurality of strands interconnected at nodes; and the ornamentation further includes embellishments secured to the webbed base at the nodes and exposed at an outer side of the webbed base. 
     Clause 4: The article of footwear of clause 3, wherein the embellishments are beads. 
     Clause 5: The article of footwear of any of clauses 3-4, wherein the embellishments comprise crystal, glass, or plastic. 
     Clause 6: The article of footwear of any of clauses 2-5, wherein the webbed base comprises a castable polyurethane. 
     Clause 7: The article of footwear of any of clauses 1-6, wherein the accessory system includes a plurality of fasteners, the fasteners including first fastener components fixed to one or both of the sole structure or the upper and second fastener components fixed to the at least one ornamentation and configured to secure to the first fastener components to secure the at least one ornamentation to one or both of the sole structure or the upper. 
     Clause 8: The article of footwear of clause 7, wherein: the first fastener components are arranged in a first spatial arrangement on the sole structure and the upper; and the second fastener components are arranged in a second spatial arrangement on the at least one ornamentation, the second spatial arrangement matching the first spatial arrangement when the at least one ornamentation is disposed on the contoured outer surface of the upper. 
     Clause 9: The article of footwear of any of clauses 7-8, wherein a first set of the first fastener components are fixed to the sole structure and a second set of the first fastener components are fixed to the upper. 
     Clause 10: The article of footwear of any of clauses 7-9, wherein a first group of the fasteners are magnetic fasteners or snaps and a second group of the fasteners are threaded fasteners. 
     Clause 11: The article of footwear of clause 10, wherein the upper defines a foot opening and at least one of the fasteners of the first group is secured to the upper along the foot opening. 
     Clause 12: The article of footwear of any of clauses 7-11, wherein the accessory system further includes a tool configured to fasten the second fastener components to the first fastener components. 
     Clause 13: The article of footwear of any of clauses 1-12, wherein the at least one ornamentation wraps from a medial side to a lateral side of the upper when secured to the upper or the sole structure. 
     Clause 14: The article of footwear of any of clauses 1-13, wherein the at least one ornamentation includes multiple ornamentations each selectively securable to and removable from one or both of the sole structure or the upper independently of one another, each partially covering a different respective contoured outer surface of the upper when secured to one or both of the sole structure or the upper, and at least some of the ornamentations having different shapes. 
     Clause 15: The article of footwear of clause 14, wherein each of the ornamentations includes a webbed base, the webbed base of at least one of the ornamentations overlapping the webbed base of at least one other of the ornamentations when the ornamentations are secured to one or both of the sole structure or the upper. 
     Clause 16: The article of footwear of any of clauses 1-15, wherein the at least one ornamentation is configured to be worn as a bracelet or a headband when removed from one or both of the sole structure or the upper. 
     Clause 17: An accessory kit for an article of footwear, the accessory kit comprising: at least one ornamentation selectively securable to and removable from the article of footwear, the at least one ornamentation partially covering a contoured outer surface of an upper of the article of footwear when secured to the article of footwear; wherein the at least one ornamentation flexes from a relatively flat shape to a contoured shape when secured to the article of footwear, the contoured shape following the contoured outer surface of the upper. 
     Clause 18: The accessory kit of clause 17, further comprising: a tool configured to secure the at least one ornamentation to the article of footwear. 
     Clause 19: The accessory kit of any of clauses 17-18, wherein the at least one ornamentation includes multiple different ornamentations each selectively securable to and removable from the article of footwear independently of one another, each partially covering a different respective contoured outer surface of the upper when secured to the article of footwear, and at least some of the multiple different ornamentations having a different shape. 
     Clause 20: The accessory kit of clause 19, wherein each of the multiple different ornamentations includes: a webbed base including a plurality of strands interconnected at nodes; and embellishments secured to the webbed base at the nodes and exposed at an outer side of the webbed base. 
     Clause 21: A method of manufacturing an article of footwear, the method comprising: providing an accessory system including at least one ornamentation selectively securable to and removable from one or both of a sole structure or an upper secured to the sole structure, the at least one ornamentation partially covering a contoured outer surface of the upper when secured to the article of footwear; wherein the at least one ornamentation flexes from a relatively flat shape to a contoured shape when secured to one or both of the sole structure or the upper, the contoured shape following the contoured outer surface of the upper. 
     Clause 22: The method of clause 21, wherein first fastener components are arranged in a first spatial arrangement on one or both of a sole structure or a footwear upper, and the method further comprising: securing a plurality of second fastener components to the at least one ornamentation so that the second fastener components are arranged in a second spatial arrangement matching the first spatial arrangement, the second fastener components configured to removably secure to the first fastener components. 
     Clause 23: The method of clause 22, further comprising: securing the first fastener components to at least one of the footwear upper or the sole structure so that the first fastener components are arranged in the first spatial arrangement. 
     Clause 24: The method of any of clauses 22-23, further comprising providing a tool configured to fasten the second fastener components to the first fastener components. 
     Clause 25: The method of any of clauses 22-24, wherein the at least one ornamentation is a first set of ornamentations, and the method further comprising: providing a second set of ornamentations having second fastener components arranged in the second spatial arrangement and configured to removably secure to the first fastener components to secure the second set of ornamentations to the footwear upper or the sole structure; wherein the second set of ornamentations is different in at least one of a color, shape, or embellishments than the first set of ornamentations. 
     Clause 26: The method of any of clauses 21-25, wherein the at least one ornamentation includes a webbed base with a plurality of strands interconnected at nodes; and the method further comprising: securing embellishments to the webbed base at the nodes so that the embellishments are exposed at an outer side of the webbed base. 
     Clause 27: The method of clause 26, further comprising casting the webbed base from a castable polyurethane. 
     To assist and clarify the description of various embodiments, various terms are defined herein. Unless otherwise indicated, the following definitions apply throughout this specification (including the claims). Additionally, all references referred to are incorporated herein in their entirety. 
     An “article of footwear”, a “footwear article of manufacture”, and “footwear” may be considered to be both a machine and a manufacture. Assembled, ready to wear footwear articles (e.g., shoes, sandals, boots, etc.), as well as discrete components of footwear articles (such as a midsole, an outsole, an upper component, etc.) prior to final assembly into ready to wear footwear articles, are considered and alternatively referred to herein in either the singular or plural as “article(s) of footwear”. 
     “A”, “an”, “the”, “at least one”, and “one or more” are used interchangeably to indicate that at least one of the items is present. A plurality of such items may be present unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. All numerical values of parameters (e.g., of quantities or conditions) in this specification, unless otherwise indicated expressly or clearly in view of the context, including the appended claims, are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about” whether or not “about” actually appears before the numerical value. “About” indicates that the stated numerical value allows some slight imprecision (with some approach to exactness in the value; approximately or reasonably close to the value; nearly). If the imprecision provided by “about” is not otherwise understood in the art with this ordinary meaning, then “about” as used herein indicates at least variations that may arise from ordinary methods of measuring and using such parameters. In addition, a disclosure of a range is to be understood as specifically disclosing all values and further divided ranges within the range. 
     The terms “comprising”, “including”, and “having” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, or components. Orders of steps, processes, and operations may be altered when possible, and additional or alternative steps may be employed. As used in this specification, the term “or” includes any one and all combinations of the associated listed items. The term “any of” is understood to include any possible combination of referenced items, including “any one of” the referenced items. The term “any of” is understood to include any possible combination of referenced claims of the appended claims, including “any one of” the referenced claims. 
     For consistency and convenience, directional adjectives may be employed throughout this detailed description corresponding to the illustrated embodiments. Those having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that terms such as “above”, “below”, “upward”, “downward”, “top”, “bottom”, etc., may be used descriptively relative to the figures, without representing limitations on the scope of the invention, as defined by the claims. 
     The term “longitudinal” refers to a direction extending a length of a component. For example, a longitudinal direction of a shoe extends between a forefoot region and a heel region of the shoe. The term “forward” or “anterior” is used to refer to the general direction from a heel region toward a forefoot region, and the term “rearward” or “posterior” is used to refer to the opposite direction, i.e., the direction from the forefoot region toward the heel region. In some cases, a component may be identified with a longitudinal axis as well as a forward and rearward longitudinal direction along that axis. The longitudinal direction or axis may also be referred to as an anterior-posterior direction or axis. 
     The term “transverse” refers to a direction extending a width of a component. For example, a transverse direction of a shoe extends between a lateral side and a medial side of the shoe. The transverse direction or axis may also be referred to as a lateral direction or axis or a mediolateral direction or axis. 
     The term “vertical” refers to a direction generally perpendicular to both the lateral and longitudinal directions. For example, in cases where a sole is planted flat on a ground surface, the vertical direction may extend from the ground surface upward. It will be understood that each of these directional adjectives may be applied to individual components of a sole. The term “upward” or “upwards” refers to the vertical direction pointing towards a top of the component, which may include an instep, a fastening region and/or a throat of an upper. The term “downward” or “downwards” refers to the vertical direction pointing opposite the upwards direction, toward the bottom of a component and may generally point towards the bottom of a sole structure of an article of footwear. 
     The “interior” of an article of footwear, such as a shoe, refers to portions at the space that is occupied by a wearer&#39;s foot when the shoe is worn. The “inner side” of a component refers to the side or surface of the component that is (or will be) oriented toward the interior of the component or article of footwear in an assembled article of footwear. The “outer side” or “exterior” of a component refers to the side or surface of the component that is (or will be) oriented away from the interior of the shoe in an assembled shoe. In some cases, other components may be between the inner side of a component and the interior in the assembled article of footwear. Similarly, other components may be between an outer side of a component and the space external to the assembled article of footwear. Further, the terms “inward” and “inwardly” refer to the direction toward the interior of the component or article of footwear, such as a shoe, and the terms “outward” and “outwardly” refer to the direction toward the exterior of the component or article of footwear, such as the shoe. In addition, the term “proximal” refers to a direction that is nearer a center of a footwear component, or is closer toward a foot when the foot is inserted in the article of footwear as it is worn by a user. Likewise, the term “distal” refers to a relative position that is further away from a center of the footwear component or is further from a foot when the foot is inserted in the article of footwear as it is worn by a user. Thus, the terms proximal and distal may be understood to provide generally opposing terms to describe relative spatial positions. 
     While various embodiments have been described, the description is intended to be exemplary, rather than limiting and it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible that are within the scope of the embodiments. Any feature of any embodiment may be used in combination with or substituted for any other feature or element in any other embodiment unless specifically restricted. Accordingly, the embodiments are not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents. Also, various modifications and changes may be made within the scope of the attached claims. 
     While several modes for carrying out the many aspects of the present teachings have been described in detail, those familiar with the art to which these teachings relate will recognize various alternative aspects for practicing the present teachings that are within the scope of the appended claims. It is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and exemplary of the entire range of alternative embodiments that an ordinarily skilled artisan would recognize as implied by, structurally and/or functionally equivalent to, or otherwise rendered obvious based upon the included content, and not as limited solely to those explicitly depicted and/or described embodiments.