Shoe Having A Structural Knit Region

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21 . A shoe comprising:

a sole;

a knit upper secured to the sole, the knit upper having a knitted element being formed of a unitary one-piece construction during a knitting process on a knitting machine, the knitted element comprising a knitted upper heel region, a knitted upper lateral midfoot region, a knitted upper medial midfoot region, a knitted upper metatarsal region, a knitted upper lateral ball region, a knitted upper medial ball region, and a knitted toe region, the knitted toe region including a knitted upper toe region and knitted lower margin region, the knitted lower margin region being adjacent the sole and within the knitted toe region, the knitted lower margin region extending from a lateral side of the shoe to a toe end of the shoe and from the toe end of the shoe to a medial side of the shoe, the knitted upper toe region being adjacent the knitted lower margin region and extending laterally across the shoe, the upper metatarsal region including a knitted upper lateral metatarsal region and a knitted upper medial metatarsal region, the upper having a knitted upper lateral side region and a knitted upper medial side region, the upper lateral side region including the upper lateral midfoot region, the upper lateral metatarsal region and the upper lateral ball region, the upper medial side region including the upper medial midfoot region, the upper medial metatarsal region and the upper medial ball region, the toe region being seamlessly knitted with the upper medial and lateral ball regions during the knitting process, the upper medial and lateral ball regions being seamlessly knitted with the upper metatarsal region during the knitting process, the upper metatarsal region being seamlessly knitted with the upper lateral and medial midfoot regions during the knitting process, the knitted lower margin of the knitted toe region being of a different knit structure than at least the knitted upper toe region such that the knitted lower margin of the knitted toe region resists stretching of the knitted upper and is more resilient than at least some other portions of the knitted toe region.

22 . A shoe in accordance with claim 21 wherein the knitted lower margin of the knitted toe region has a first knit structure having a first gauge, and wherein the knitted upper toe region has a second knit structure having a second gauge, the first gauge larger than the second gauge.

23 . A shoe in accordance with claim 22 wherein the first knit structure comprises a first type of stitch and wherein the second knit structure also comprises the first type of stitch.

24 . A shoe in accordance with claim 23 wherein the first type of stitch is a jersey stitch.

25 . A shoe in accordance with claim 22 wherein the first knit structure comprises a first type of stitch, and wherein the second knit structure comprises a second type of stitch.

26 . A shoe in accordance with claim 25 wherein the first type of stitch is a jersey stitch and the second type of stitch is a pointelle stitch.

27 . A shoe in accordance with claim 21 wherein the knitted lower margin of the knitted toe region has a first knit structure having a first gauge and wherein the knitted upper lateral midfoot region, the knitted upper medial midfoot region, the knitted upper metatarsal region, the knitted upper lateral ball region, and the knitted upper medial ball region has a second knit structure having a second gauge, the first gauge larger than the second gauge.

28 . A shoe in accordance with claim 27 wherein the knitted upper heel region has a third knit structure, the third knit structure having a third gauge, the third gauge being larger than the second gauge.

29 . A shoe comprising:

a sole;

a knit upper secured to the sole, the knit upper having a knitted element, the knitted element being formed of a unitary one-piece construction during a knitting process on a knitting machine, the knitted element comprising a knitted upper heel region, a knitted upper lateral midfoot region, a knitted upper medial midfoot region, a knitted upper metatarsal region, a knitted upper lateral ball region, a knitted upper medial ball region, and a knitted upper toe region, the upper metatarsal region including a knitted upper lateral metatarsal region and a knitted upper medial metatarsal region, the upper having a knitted upper lateral side region and a knitted upper medial side region, the upper lateral side region including the upper lateral midfoot region, the upper lateral metatarsal region and the upper lateral ball region, the upper medial side region including the upper medial midfoot region, the upper medial metatarsal region and the upper medial ball region, the upper toe region being seamlessly knitted with the upper medial and lateral ball regions during the knitting process, the upper medial and lateral ball regions being seamlessly knitted with the upper metatarsal region during the knitting process, the upper metatarsal region being seamlessly knitted with the upper lateral and medial midfoot regions during the knitting process;

the knitted element including a heelward wingtip section and a toeward wingtip section, the heelward wingtip section and the toeward wingtip section meeting at a wingtip line, the wingtip line having a medial line portion and a lateral line portion, the medial line portion comprising a wing-shaped curved line extending forward from at least the upper medial metatarsal region to the upper toe region and a central line extending rearward from the upper toe region, the lateral line portion comprising a wing-shaped curved line extending forward from at least the upper lateral metatarsal region to the upper toe region and a central extending rearward from the upper toe region, the rearwardly extending central line of the medial line portion converging toward the rearwardly extending central line of the lateral line portion, the heelward wingtip section being adjacent the wingtip line and extending longitudinally toward the knitted upper heel region, the toeward wingtip section being adjacent the wingtip line and extending longitudinally toward the knitted upper toe region;

the toeward wingtip section having a first gauge, the heelward wingtip section having a second gauge, the first gauge being larger than the section gauge.

30 . A shoe in accordance with claim 29 , the toeward wingtip section and the heelward wingtip section being of the same stitch type.

31 . A shoe in accordance with claim 29 , the toeward wingtip section being of a first knit type and the heelward wingtip section being of a second knit type.

32 . A shoe in accordance with claim 29 , the heelward wingtip section not being within the upper medial midfoot region and not being within the upper lateral midfoot region.

33 . A shoe in accordance with claim 29 , the toeward wingtip section not being within

the upper medial midfoot region and not being within the upper lateral midfoot region.

34 . A shoe in accordance with claim 29 , the upper medial metatarsal region and the upper lateral metatarsal region each including an area of the knitted element having a third gauge, the third gauge being smaller than the first gauge and the second gauge.

35 . A shoe in accordance with claim 34 , the toeward wingtip section being of a first knit structure having a first stitch type, and the area of the knitted element having a third gauge being of a second knit structure having a second stitch type.

36 . A shoe in accordance with claim 29 , the knitted element comprising a medial area and a lateral area, the medial area being in at least the upper medial midfoot region, the lateral area being in at least the upper lateral midfoot region, the lateral area and the medial area being of a knit structure having the first gauge.

37 . A shoe in accordance with claim 36 , the knitted element comprising a second medial area and a second lateral area, the second medial area being in at least the upper medial midfoot region and being adjacent the medial area, the second medial area being of a knit structure having a gauge smaller than the first gauge, the second lateral area being in at least the upper lateral midfoot region and being adjacent the lateral area, the second latera area being of a knit structure having a gauge smaller than the first gauge.

38 . A shoe comprising:

a sole;

a knit upper secured to the sole, the knit upper having a knitted element being formed of a unitary one-piece construction during a knitting process on a knitting machine, the knitted element comprising a knitted upper heel region, a knitted upper lateral midfoot region, a knitted upper medial midfoot region, a knitted upper metatarsal region, a knitted upper lateral ball region, a knitted upper medial ball region, and a knitted toe region, the knitted toe region including a knitted upper toe region and knitted lower margin region, the knitted lower margin region being adjacent the sole and within the knitted toe region, the knitted lower margin region extending from a lateral side of the shoe to a toe end of the shoe and from the toe end of the shoe to a medial side of the shoe, the knitted upper toe region being adjacent the knitted lower margin region and extending laterally across the shoe, the upper metatarsal region including a knitted upper lateral metatarsal region and a knitted upper medial metatarsal region, the upper having a knitted upper lateral side region and a knitted upper medial side region, the upper lateral side region including the upper lateral midfoot region, the upper lateral metatarsal region and the upper lateral ball region, the upper medial side region including the upper medial midfoot region, the upper medial metatarsal region and the upper medial ball region, the toe region being seamlessly knitted with the upper medial and lateral ball regions during the knitting process, the upper medial and lateral ball regions being seamlessly knitted with the upper metatarsal region during the knitting process, the upper metatarsal region being seamlessly knitted with the upper lateral and medial midfoot regions during the knitting process;

the knitted element having at least a first area and a second area, the first area being in one or more regions of the knitted element, the second area being in one or more regions of the knitted element, the first and second areas being mutually exclusive, the first area being of a first knit structure having a first gauge, the second area being of a second knit structure having a second gauge, the first gauge being larger than the second gauge, the first area extending within the one or more regions such that the first area provides increased rigidity to the upper in such regions.

39 . A shoe in accordance with claim 38 , the first area being in at least the knitted toe region.

40 . A shoe in accordance with claim 38 , the first area being at least in one of the upper medial midfoot region and the upper lateral midfoot region.