Method for manufacturing a shoe upper
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a shoe upper, including the steps of: providing at least one stretchable portion on the shoe upper; stretching the at least one stretchable portion of the shoe upper for adapting a size of the shoe upper; and permanently attaching at least one rigid element at least partly on the stretched stretchable portion so that the stretched stretchable portion is locked.
1 . A shoe upper comprising:
a circular knitted element made from a plied yarn of a single material extending along a knitted row, the circular knitted element comprising:
a first zone comprising the plied yarn, wherein the plied yarn is formed by a first plurality of plies in the first zone, and wherein the first zone comprises a first predetermined property; and
a second zone comprising the plied yarn, wherein the plied yarn is formed by a second plurality of plies in the second zone, and wherein the second zone comprises a second predetermined property,
wherein the shoe upper is made from the single material,
wherein the first plurality of plies comprises a first number of plies, and the second plurality of plies comprises a second number of plies greater than the first number of plies by addition of plies to the plied yarn in the second zone,
wherein the first plurality of plies comprises at least two plies of a base yarn of the single material and the second plurality of plies comprises at least three plies of the base yarn of the single material,
wherein the first and second zones are created based on heat selectively applied to the shoe upper, wherein the selectively applied heat affects the first predetermined property and the second predetermined property,
wherein the first predetermined property and the second predetermined property comprise an amount of stability, and
wherein the first zone has more stability than the second zone, and wherein the stability of the first zone results from a greater amount of heat applied to the first zone.
2 . The shoe upper of claim 1 , wherein the first predetermined property and the second predetermined property comprise an amount of stretchability.
3 . The shoe upper of claim 1 , wherein the first zone is disposed in a heel region of the shoe upper.
4 . The shoe upper of claim 1 , comprising a coating in the first zone, the coating made from the single material.
5 . The shoe upper of claim 1 , wherein a knit structure in the first zone is different than a knit structure in the second zone.
6 . The shoe upper of claim 1 , wherein the shoe upper is recyclable.
7 . The shoe upper of claim 1 , wherein the single material is thermoplastic polyurethane.
8 . The shoe upper of claim 1 , wherein a stitch count per unit area of the first plurality of yarns in the first zone is different from a stitch count per unit area of the second plurality of yarns in the second zone.