Article of footwear having a textile upper

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9907351-B2
Application number	US-201715664650-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2017
Priority date	Mar 3, 2004
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

An article of footwear and a method of manufacturing the article of footwear are disclosed. The footwear may include an upper and a sole structure. The upper incorporates a textile element with edges that are joined together to define at least a portion of a void for receiving a foot. The textile element may comprise one or more of an inner layer, outer layer, or intermediate layer of the upper. Various warp or weft knitting processes, including flat knitting, may be utilized to form the textile element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An upper for an article of footwear, the upper comprising:
a flat knit textile element having flat knit edges free of surrounding textile structure such that the flat knit edges are not surrounded by textile structure from which the flat knit textile element must be removed, at least one flat knit edge being a curved flat knit edge; and
an exterior layer and an interior layer, the interior layer being at least partially formed from the flat knit textile element and comprising a material having moisture-wicking capabilities.

2. The upper of claim 1 , wherein the upper further comprises an intermediate layer between the exterior layer and the interior layer.

3. The upper of claim 1 , wherein the flat knit textile element forms at least a portion of a lateral side, a medial side, and an instep region of the upper.

4. The upper of claim 1 , wherein at least two flat knit edges are joined together form a seam extending longitudinally along a lower region of the upper.

5. The upper of claim 4 , wherein the seam extends vertically in a heel region of the upper.

6. The upper of claim 1 , wherein the flat knit textile element has a plurality of different knitted textures formed by varying at least one of knit construction and yarn type.

7. The upper of claim 6 , wherein the flat knit textile element has a first area with a first knit construction and a second area with a second knit construction.

8. The upper of claim 7 , wherein the first knit construction includes apertures that extend through the flat knit textile element.

9. The upper of claim 6 , wherein at least one knitted texture is substantially smooth.

10. An article of footwear comprising:
an upper comprising:
a flat knit textile element having flat knit edges free of surrounding textile structure such that the flat knit edges are not surrounded by textile structure from which the flat knit textile element must be removed, at least one flat knit edge being a curved flat knit edge; and
an exterior layer and an interior layer, the interior layer being at least partially formed from the flat knit textile element and comprising a material having moisture-wicking capabilities; and
a sole structure secured to the upper.

11. The article of footwear of claim 10 , wherein the upper further comprises an intermediate layer between the exterior layer and the interior layer.

12. The article of footwear of claim 10 , wherein the flat knit textile element forms at least a portion of a lateral side, a medial side, and an instep region of the upper.

13. The article of footwear of claim 10 , wherein at least two flat knit edges are joined together form a seam extending longitudinally along a lower region of the upper.

14. The article of footwear of claim 13 , wherein the seam extends vertically in a heel region of the upper.

15. The article of footwear of claim 10 , wherein the flat knit textile element has a plurality of different knitted textures formed by varying at least one of knit construction and yarn type.

16. The article of footwear of claim 15 , wherein the flat knit textile element has a first area with a first knit construction and a second area with a second knit construction.

17. The article of footwear of claim 16 , wherein the first knit construction includes apertures that extend through the flat knit textile element.

18. The article of footwear of claim 15 , wherein at least one knitted texture is substantially smooth.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Dua Bhupesh
• Thomas Edward Nathaniel

Classifications

• A43B1/04 Primary

  braided, knotted, knitted or crocheted · CPC title

• A43B23/042

  Uppers made of one piece (one piece slippers A43B3/106; one piece sandals A43B3/124) · CPC title

• A43B23/028

  Resilient uppers, e.g. shock absorbing · CPC title

• D10B2501/043

  Footwear · CPC title

• A43B23/0215

  Plastics or artificial leather · CPC title