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.

A flat-knitted three-dimensional fabric with an internal support structure, and the fabric is consisted of an upper surface layer, a lower surface layer, and a support structure yarn in a middle, wherein the upper surface layer and the lower surface layer comprise alternate-knitted single-sided stitches and fully-knitted single-sided stitches; the upper surface layer and the lower surface layer are connected by means of tuck knitting of the support structure yarn in the middle to form the integrally formed three-dimensional fabric with an internal support structure; and the alternate-knitted single-sided stitches are correspond to tuck loops formed by the support structure yarn and are used to lock the tuck loops formed by the support structure yarn in the middle, such that the support structure yarn will not puncture the surfaces of the fabric when the fabric is pressed.

An upper for an article of footwear may include a first area and a second area. The first area may be located on at least one of a lateral and a medial side of the upper, where the first area includes a plurality of first knit courses, and at least a majority of the first knit courses are at least partially formed by a first yarn. The second area may be located adjacent to the first area, where the second area extends through at least one of a lateral side and a medial side of a throat area of the upper. The second area may include a plurality of second knit courses and at least a majority of the second knit courses are formed by a second yarn. The second yarn may have a tenacity of at least 5 g/D. The first yarn may have a tenacity of less than 5 g/D, in some embodiments.

An article of footwear and a method of manufacturing the article of footwear are disclosed. The footwear may include an upper and a sole structure. The upper incorporates a textile element with edges that are joined together to define at least a portion of a void for receiving a foot. Various warp or weft knitting processes, including flat knitting, may be utilized to form the textile element.

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.

A shoe includes a knit upper and a sole secured to the upper. The knit upper has a wingtip pattern knit into the knit upper.

A method may include knitting a first portion of a knitted component on a first region of a knitting machine, knitting a second portion of the knitted component on a second region of the knitting machine, moving the first portion of the knitted component towards the second portion of the knitted component by moving a first needle bed of the knitting machine relative to a second needle bed of the knitting machine, and knitting at least one course with the knitting machine that connects the first portion of the knitted component to the second portion of the knitted component.

The present invention provides a woven upper formed of warp yarns and weft yarns comprising a first area that is elastic in at least one of the warp or weft direction. The warp yarns and/or the weft yarns comprise at least 5% elastic yarns. The woven upper being characterised in that the elastic yarns are woven in tension. The upper may also comprise a second area having a different elasticity to the first area, wherein the the warp yarns and/or weft yarns of the second area comprise at least 5% fewer elastic yarns than the equivalent yarns of the first area. Advantageously the woven upper is woven using a jacquard machine. The present invention also provides a method of weaving the woven upper.

Yarns incorporating filaments of shape memory materials are described herein that enable the creation of fabrics, garments, and other materials with tunable force absorption or exertion capabilities, as well as creating complex shapes and structures upon actuation. Systems and methods described herein enable selective buckling, recruitment, compression, and other desirable phenomena by actuating fibers in knitted patterns, whether used as isolated filaments or in twisted yarns.

An article of footwear includes a midsole component and a seamless braided upper having a bottom peripheral portion connected to the midsole component. The seamless braided upper extends from a forefoot region to a heel region and from a lateral side to a medial side of the article of footwear. The bottom peripheral portion defines a bottom opening in the seamless braided upper, wherein the bottom peripheral portion extends along the forefoot region, the lateral side, the heel region, and the medial side of the article of footwear.