An upper for a shoe includes a shell body having a toe part and a heel part. At least one of the toe part and the heel part is made of a composite material which includes a fabric layer having an outer surface and an inner surface, and an abrasion-resistant coating layer applied to the outer surface of the fabric layer. The coating layer has a thickness of about 0.05-0.25 mm, and is transparent to permit viewing of the outer surface of the fabric layer through the coating layer.