Article of footwear incorporating a knitted component with an integral knit ankle cuff
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.
1 . A method of manufacturing a cleated shoe, the method comprising:
knitting an upper comprising at least part of a forefoot region, a midfoot region, a heel region, a lateral side, a medial side, and an instep area extending between the lateral side and the medial side, wherein the instep area is joined through knitting to each of the lateral side and the medial side;
knitting, in the instep area, a stretch zone, the stretch zone comprising a unitary knit construction with the lateral side, the medial side, and the instep area;
knitting an ankle cuff, the ankle cuff comprising a unitary knit construction with at least the instep area of the upper, wherein the ankle cuff comprises a malleolus zone located on the ankle cuff, the malleolus zone comprising a plurality of voids in at least an exterior layer of the ankle cuff, wherein the plurality of voids expose an interior layer of the ankle cuff; and
securing a sole structure comprising a plurality of cleat members to the upper to form the cleated shoe.
2 . The method of manufacturing the cleated shoe of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of voids expose an interior surface of the interior layer of the ankle cuff.
3 . The method of manufacturing the cleated shoe of claim 1 , further comprising forming a plurality of lace apertures that extend through the upper, the plurality of lace apertures disposed along the instep area on each of the lateral side and the medial side of the upper.
4 . The method of manufacturing the cleated shoe of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of lace apertures comprise a plurality of outer lace apertures disposed at a first location of the instep area on each of the lateral side and the medial side and a plurality of inner lace apertures disposed at a second location of the instep area on each of the lateral side and the medial side, wherein the second location is located more inward toward a middle of the upper than the first location.
5 . The method of manufacturing the cleated shoe of claim 4 , further comprising:
integrating a lace such that the lace extends into an inner lace aperture of the plurality of inner lace apertures on the medial side of the upper, extends along the interior layer of the upper, and then exits the upper through an outer lace aperture of the plurality of outer lace apertures on the medial side of the upper, and then extends across the instep area along the exterior layer of the upper, and then extends into an inner lace aperture of the plurality of inner lace apertures on the lateral side of the upper, extends along the interior layer of the upper, and then exits the upper through an outer lace aperture of the plurality of outer lace apertures on the lateral side of the upper.
6 . The method of manufacturing the cleated shoe of claim 1 , wherein the stretch zone comprises a stretch padding zone configured to provide cushioning in an as-worn configuration.
7 . The method of manufacturing the cleated shoe of claim 6 , wherein:
the stretch padding zone has a first width measured between the medial side and the lateral side when in an unstretched condition, and
the stretch padding zone has a second width measured between the medial side and the lateral side when in a stretched condition, the second width greater than the first width.
8 . The method of manufacturing the cleated shoe of claim 7 , wherein the second width is 25% to 50% larger than the first width.
9 . The method of manufacturing the cleated shoe of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the malleolus zone corresponds with at least one of the lateral and medial malleolus bones of a wearer.
10 . The method of manufacturing the cleated shoe of claim 1 , wherein the ankle cuff is configured to cover an ankle of a wearer when the cleated shoe is in an as-worn configuration.
11 . The method of manufacturing the cleated shoe of claim 1 , wherein a stitch type of the ankle cuff is different than a stitch type of the lateral side, the medial side, and the instep area of the upper.
12 . The method of manufacturing the cleated shoe of claim 1 , wherein the malleolus zone has a first length in an unstretched configuration and a second length in a stretched configuration, wherein the second length is larger than the first length.
13 . The method of manufacturing the cleated shoe of claim 1 , wherein the ankle cuff is joined through knitting to the instep area such that the instep area and the ankle cuff include at least one course in common.
14 . The method of manufacturing the cleated shoe of claim 1 , wherein a material element covers a seam between a lateral heel edge of the upper and a medial heel edge of the upper.
15 . The method of manufacturing the cleated shoe of claim 1 , wherein the upper includes a skin layer at one or more areas of the upper.
16 . A method of manufacturing a cleated shoe, the method comprising:
knitting an upper comprising at least part of a forefoot region, a midfoot region, a heel region, a lateral side, a medial side, and an instep area extending between the lateral side and the medial side, wherein the instep area is joined through knitting to each of the lateral side and the medial side;
knitting an ankle cuff, the ankle cuff comprising a unitary knit construction with at least the instep area of the upper, wherein the ankle cuff comprises a malleolus zone disposed on the ankle cuff, the malleolus zone comprising a plurality of voids extending through both an exterior surface of the ankle cuff and an interior surface of the ankle cuff; and
securing a sole structure comprising a plurality of cleat members to the upper to form the cleated shoe.
17 . The method of manufacturing the cleated shoe of claim 16 , further comprising forming a plurality of lace apertures that extend through the upper, the plurality of lace apertures disposed along the instep area on each of the lateral side and the medial side.
18 . The method of manufacturing the cleated shoe of claim 17 , wherein a boundary region extends substantially continuously around part of the ankle cuff and around the instep area and visually demarcates the ankle cuff and the instep area from the lateral side and the medial side of the upper, wherein the boundary region extends beyond the plurality of lace apertures in a longitudinal direction.
19 . The method of manufacturing the cleated shoe of claim 18 , wherein the boundary region encloses a stretch zone of the instep area.
20 . The method of manufacturing the cleated shoe of claim 19 , wherein the stretch zone comprises a stretch padding zone configured to provide cushioning when in the as-worn configuration.
21 . The method of manufacturing the cleated shoe of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of lace apertures comprise a plurality of outer lace apertures disposed at a first location of the instep area on each of the lateral side and the medial side and a plurality of inner lace apertures disposed at a second location of the instep area on each of the lateral side and the medial side, wherein the second location is located more inward toward a middle of the upper than the first location.
22 . The method of manufacturing the cleated shoe of claim 21 , further comprising integrating a lace such that the lace extends into an inner lace aperture of the plurality of inner lace apertures on the medial side of the upper, extends along the interior surface of the upper, and then exits the upper through an outer lace aperture of the plurality of outer lace apertures on the medial side of the upper, and then extends across the instep area along the exterior surface of the upper, and then extends into an inner lace aperture of the plurality of inner lace apertures on the lateral side of the upper, extends along the interior surface of the upper, and then exits the upper through an outer lace aperture of the plurality of outer lace apertures on the lateral side of the upper.
23 . The method of manufacturing the cleated shoe of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of voids are arranged in a geometric shape in the malleolus zone.
24 . The method of manufacturing the cleated shoe of claim 23 , wherein at least a portion of the malleolus zone corresponds with at least one of a lateral malleolus bone or a medial malleolus bone of a wearer.