Granted Patent B2

US 12,628,900 · App. 18/309,498 · Granted May 19, 2026

Inventors: Stefan Tamm (Herzogenaurach, DE); Carl Arnese (Herzogenaurach, DE); James Carnes (Herzogenaurach, DE)

Assignee: adidas AG

A43B3/106A43B1/00A43B1/04A43B13/14A43B13/187A43B23/0245A43B23/0275D04B1/16D10B2403/0114D10B2403/021D10B2403/022D10B2403/0241D10B2403/02411D10B2403/0243D10B2403/032D10B2501/043D10B2501/061

Abstract

Claims (31)

1 . A method for manufacturing an article of footwear, the method comprising:

knitting an upper using one or more first yarns;

embroidering a melt yarn into a region of the knitted upper;

fusing the melt yarn to the knitted upper to reinforce the region of the knitted upper;

knitting an outer sole or a midsole using one or more second yarns that differ from the one or more first yarns; and

joining the outer sole or the midsole to the knitted upper.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the region comprises a heel region.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the region comprises a toe region.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the melt yarn comprises a thermoplastic yarn surrounded by a non-thermoplastic yarn.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the melt yarn comprises a non-thermoplastic yarn surrounded by a thermoplastic yarn.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first yarns are non-thermoplastic yarns.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the one or more first yarns comprise polyester or nylon.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein fusing the melt yarn comprises heating the knitted upper to a temperature at or above a melting temperature of the melt yarn.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the knitted upper is heated to a temperature of 110° C. to 150° C.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein fusing the melt yarn comprises pressing the knitted upper.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the region comprising the embroidered and fused melt yarn has a stiffness greater than a stiffness of a remainder of the knitted upper.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the outer sole or the midsole comprises one or more stability elements.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more second yarns comprise a rubberized yarn.

14 . A method for manufacturing an article of footwear, the method comprising:

knitting an upper using one or more non-thermoplastic yarns;

embroidering a melt yarn into a region of the knitted upper, wherein the melt yarn comprises a thermoplastic material;

heating the knitted upper comprising the embroidered melt yarn to a temperature at or above a melting temperature of the melt yarn to fuse the embroidered melt yarn to the knitted upper;

cooling the knitted upper after heating such that the region comprising the embroidered and fused melt yarn is reinforced;

knitting an outer sole or a midsole using one or more second yarns that differ from the one or more non-thermoplastic yarns; and

joining the outer sole or the midsole to the knitted upper.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the melt yarn comprises a thermoplastic yarn surrounded by a non-thermoplastic yarn.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the melt yarn comprises a non-thermoplastic yarn surrounded by a thermoplastic yarn.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the region comprising the embroidered and fused melt yarn is reinforced such that the region comprises a stiffness greater than a stiffness of a remainder of the knitted upper.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein heating the knitted upper comprises pressing the knitted upper.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein pressing the knitted upper provides the knitted upper with a three-dimensional shape.

20 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising knitting the upper and the outer sole or the midsole as one-piece knitwear.

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (400)