Patent ID: 8429835

Claim:
An article of footwear comprising: an upper having a bonded mesh composite panel front portion forming at least a part of lateral forefoot, lateral midfoot, top forefoot, medial forefoot and medial midfoot regions in the upper, and wherein the composite panel includes a substrate layer formed from a substrate material, the substrate layer having an inner side facing toward an interior of the article and an outer side facing away from the interior, the substrate layer includes a continuous span of substrate material having portions in the lateral forefoot, lateral midfoot, top forefoot, medial forefoot and medial midfoot regions, the substrate layer having at least one ventilation opening formed therein, the composite panel further includes a mesh layer located outside of the substrate layer and formed from a mesh material, the mesh layer having an inner side facing toward the interior and an outer side facing away from the interior, the mesh layer includes a continuous span of mesh material having portions in the lateral forefoot, lateral midfoot, top forefoot, medial forefoot and medial midfoot regions, at least a portion of the mesh layer overlaps the substrate layer in one or more mesh/substrate overlap regions, the mesh layer is bonded to the substrate layer over substantially all of the mesh layer inner side within the mesh/substrate overlap regions, and the outer side of the mesh material in at least a portion of the mesh/substrate overlap regions is exposed.