A 3D shoe blank is an integral knit fabric without any sewn portion made by a flat knitting machine and includes an upper portion knitted from at least a yarn, a front sole portion knitted from the upper portion with a folding line therebetween and two connection lines at two sides of the front sole portion and the upper portion, so the front sole portion is folded and connected to the upper portion to form a pocket structure, a rear portion knitted from the front sole portion, and a heel portion extending from a center rear end of the rear portion, two opposite sides of the heel portion respectively connected to a left rear end and a right rear end of the rear portion to form a 3D rear shoe portion with two joining lines between the heel portion and the rear portion on the two opposite sides.

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.

Systems and methods for manufacturing knitted shoe uppers. An article of fully finished three-dimensionally weft knitted footwear is manufactured through a knitting process which can be performed by an automated V-bed flat knitting machine. The knitting process includes manipulating one or more double-knit stitch types and joining the stitches exclusively in the knitting process to create a seamless upper to fit a foot. A resulting upper advantageously has no sewn seams and requires no manual post process to cut or sew the upper to create the dimensional shape. The process creates a seamless, full gauge, dimensionally stable footwear upper, as a unitary textile construction with an integrated anatomically appropriate heel. The entire upper, including the closure element of the upper, may be completed exclusively by the knitting machine, ready for the following shoe making process.

Systems and methods for manufacturing knitted shoe uppers. An article of fully finished three-dimensionally weft knitted footwear is manufactured through a knitting process which can be performed by an automated V-bed flat knitting machine. The knitting process includes manipulating one or more double-knit stitch types and joining the stitches exclusively in the knitting process to create a seamless upper to fit a foot. A resulting upper advantageously has no sewn seams and requires no manual post process to cut or sew the upper to create the dimensional shape. The process creates a seamless, full gauge, dimensionally stable footwear upper, as a unitary textile construction with an integrated anatomically appropriate heel. The entire upper, including the closure element of the upper, may be completed exclusively by the knitting machine, ready for the following shoe making process.

An upper-torso garment includes a chest-covering portion having a knit textile region, which includes a plurality of courses fully spanning a dome-shaped portion. In addition, the knit textile region includes a plurality of partial-length courses partially spanning the dome-shaped portion.

Aspects herein are directed to a sock having a plurality of toe-anchor knit courses that form a toe anchor that divides a toe-end opening of the sock into a first toe-end opening and a second toe-end opening by extending across the toe-end opening from a dorsal portion of the toe-end opening to a plantar portion of the toe-end opening. The toe-anchor knit courses are integrally knit with the sock body.

The present invention provides a method for knitting three-dimensional shoe blanks, comprising: knitting a heel and lateral portion; continuing knitting a rear sole portion; continuing knitting a front sole portion; continuing knitting a toe cap portion; and continuing knitting a tongue portion. When the knitting comes to the first connecting selvage edges at the two sides of the rear sole portion, the first connecting selvage edges can be knitted together with the lateral live stitches in the heel and lateral portion, so that the heel and lateral portion can be combined with the rear sole portion. Also, when the knitting comes to the second connecting selvage edges at the two sides of the toe cap portion, the second connecting selvage edges can be knitted together with the latitudinal live stitches in the front sole portion, so that the toe cap portion can be combined with the front sole portion.

An upper-torso garment includes a tubular-jacquard knit structure within a chest-covering portion. The tubular-jacquard knit structure includes interlocked courses formed by each front-stitch course intermittently interlocking with a back-stitch course. The tubular-jacquard knit structure is divided into a plurality of zones across the chest-covering portion that may vary based on how front-stitch courses interlock with back-stitch courses.

Systems and methods for manufacturing knitted shoe uppers. An article of fully finished three-dimensionally weft knitted footwear is manufactured through a knitting process which can be performed by an automated V-bed flat knitting machine. The knitting process includes manipulating one or more double-knit stitch types and joining the stitches exclusively in the knitting process to create a seamless upper to fit a foot. A resulting upper advantageously has no sewn seams and requires no manual post process to cut or sew the upper to create the dimensional shape. The process creates a seamless, full gauge, dimensionally stable footwear upper, as a unitary textile construction with an integrated anatomically appropriate heel. The entire upper, including the closure element of the upper, may be completed exclusively by the knitting machine, ready for the following shoe making process.

An upper for an article of footwear may include a knitted component that includes a first zone, a second zone, and a third zone. Each of the first zone, the second zone, and the third zone may extend toward a collar area of the upper at least partially in a heel area of the upper. The second zone is located between the first zone and the third zone such that the second zone is located in a substantially central portion of the heel area. The second zone may include an elasticity that is greater than an elasticity of the first zone and also greater than an elasticity of the third zone.