Article Of Footwear Incorporating A Knitted Component With An Integral Knit Ankle Cuff
First Claim
1. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper including a knitted component that is formed of unitary knit construction, the knitted component including:
- a foot region forming a substantial majority of the upper, the foot region extending through a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region of the article of footwear, the foot region including an instep area that extends between a medial side and a lateral side of the upper;
an ankle region forming a portion of the upper that extends above the foot region, the ankle region including an ankle cuff that defines a throat opening to a void within the upper for receiving a foot;
wherein the ankle cuff is formed of unitary knit construction with at least the instep area of the foot region and a portion of foot region disposed on the medial side and lateral side in the heel region; and
wherein the ankle cuff further comprises at least one malleolus zone disposed on at least one of the medial side and the lateral side of the upper, the at least one malleolus zone including a plurality of indentations in an exterior surface of the ankle cuff.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An article of footwear with a knitted component including an upper and an integral knit ankle cuff is provided. The upper and the ankle cuff are formed as a one-piece knit element. The knit element forms a portion of an exterior surface of the upper and an opposite interior surface of the upper, with the interior surface forming a void for receiving a foot. The ankle cuff is formed of unitary knit construction with the upper as a one-piece knit element and extends above a throat area of the upper. The ankle cuff includes malleolus zones on medial and lateral sides to correspond with the ankle bones of a wearer. The knit component further incorporates features to assist with providing entry for a foot of a wear, providing comfort to a wearer, and to assist with orientation of the upper of the article of footwear when being worn.
78 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper including a knitted component that is formed of unitary knit construction, the knitted component including:
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a foot region forming a substantial majority of the upper, the foot region extending through a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region of the article of footwear, the foot region including an instep area that extends between a medial side and a lateral side of the upper; an ankle region forming a portion of the upper that extends above the foot region, the ankle region including an ankle cuff that defines a throat opening to a void within the upper for receiving a foot; wherein the ankle cuff is formed of unitary knit construction with at least the instep area of the foot region and a portion of foot region disposed on the medial side and lateral side in the heel region; and wherein the ankle cuff further comprises at least one malleolus zone disposed on at least one of the medial side and the lateral side of the upper, the at least one malleolus zone including a plurality of indentations in an exterior surface of the ankle cuff. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper including a knitted component that is formed of unitary knit construction, the knitted component including:
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a foot region forming a substantial majority of the upper, the foot region extending through a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region of the article of footwear, the foot region including an instep area that extends between a medial side and a lateral side of the upper; an ankle region forming a portion of the upper that extends above the foot region, the ankle region including an ankle cuff that defines a throat opening to a void within the upper for receiving a foot; the instep area further including a stretch padding zone surrounded by and formed of unitary knit construction with the instep area, the stretch padding zone being disposed between the medial side and the lateral side of the upper along a top portion of the article of footwear; the strech padding zone being configured to stretch in a lateral direction across the article of footwear between an unstretched condition and a stretched condition; and wherein the stretch padding zone has a first thickness in the unstretched condition and a second thickness in the stretched condition, the first thickness being larger than the second thickness. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper including a knitted component that is formed of unitary knit construction, the knitted component including:
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a foot region forming a substantial majority of the upper, the foot region extending through a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region of the article of footwear, the foot region including an instep area that extends between a medial side and a lateral side of the upper; an ankle region forming a portion of the upper that extends above the foot region, the ankle region including an ankle cuff that defines a throat opening to a void within the upper for receiving a foot; and wherein the knitted component further comprises a tied-lace receiving aperture formed into at least one of the instep area and the ankle cuff, the tied-lace receiving aperture being configured to receive loose ends of a tied lace within an interior of the upper. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification