Patent Application
20250194748
This application claims priority to German Patent Application 10 2023 135 606.2, filed on Dec. 18, 2023, the entire contents and disclosures of which are incorporated herein. The foregoing application, and all documents cited therein or during their prosecution (“appln cited documents”) and all documents cited or referenced in the appln cited documents, and all documents cited or referenced herein (“herein cited documents”), and all documents cited or referenced in herein cited documents, together with any standards, manufacturer's instructions, descriptions, product specifications, and product sheets for any products mentioned herein or in any document incorporated by reference herein, are hereby incorporated herein by reference, and may be employed in the practice of the invention. More specifically, all referenced documents are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual document was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.
The present invention relates to a knitted upper for a sports shoe to a shoe comprising such a knitted upper and to a method of manufacturing such a knitted upper.
An article of footwear usually includes two primary elements, an upper and a sole element. Knitting is frequently used for producing shoe uppers, in particular for sports shoes. Knitted uppers offer great comfort, flexibility, as well as breathability. A particular design focus of shoe uppers for sports shoes in general is the collar portion of the upper. As the collar portion is usually located at or near the Achilles tendon, which is quite sensitive to pressure, the collar of a shoe upper, in particular for a sports shoe, needs to be designed carefully. On the other hand, the collar portion adds to the fit of the shoe and must provide some support to the ankle portion to avoid a slipping of the foot in the shoe. Finally, the collar portion needs to provide sufficient grip to the fingers to support stepping into the shoe.
Thus, known knitted uppers leave room for improvement, especially regarding the design of the collar portion to address the above mentioned needs.
Citation or identification of any document in this application is not an admission that such document is available as prior art to the present invention.
The above-mentioned objects are at least partially achieved by the subject-matter of the independent claims. Embodiments are subject of the dependent claims, and other suitable aspects of the present invention are described through the overall disclosure of the present application.
In one aspect, these objects are addressed by a knitted upper for a shoe that may include a knitted inner collar defining a circumferential first free edge of the upper and being adapted to completely surround a portion of a leg of a wearer of the shoe during use. The knitted upper may also include at least one knitted outer collar at least partially surrounding the inner collar and defining a second free edge of the upper. Further, in a knitted upper the inner collar and the outer collar are a one-piece knitted construction.
The knitted upper according to the invention includes a knitted inner collar and a knitted outer collar. “Inner” and “outer” is to be understood with respect to the location of the collars relative to a foot or leg of a wearer who would wear a shoe comprising the knitted upper in a usual way. Thus, the inner collar would be located proximate to a leg portion, e.g. an ankle, lower leg or even knee, whereas the outer collar would be located more distal to the portion of the leg. Depending on the tension and/or diameter and/or height and/or vertical extension of the inner collar, it could contact the foot, leg or a sock of a wearer at least partially.
According to the invention, both collars are knitted, which usually means that they are knitted on a conventional knitting machine as is the rest of the knitted upper. The inner collar defines a circumferential free edge of the upper. “Circumferential” is again understood with respect to a foot or leg of a wearer and means that the edge defined by the inner collar completely surrounds the foot or leg. The edge is furthermore “free” in the sense that it is not directly joined to other portions of the upper. For example, it would be possible to grab the free edge and hold it between two fingers.
Also the outer collar defines a free edge in the sense explained with respect to the inner collar. Thus, the free edge of the inner collar is in particular not directly joined to portions of the outer collar and the free edge of the outer collar is in particular not joined to portions of the inner collar.
The inner collar and the outer collar are a one-piece knitted construction which means that they are not knitted in separate processes and then joined e.g. by gluing, welding or sewing. Instead, both the inner collar and the outer collar are obtained in a single knitting process. This is easily visible by the absence of additional connection means like glue, molten material or sewing threads. Rather, some loops forming the outer collar are connected by knitting to some loops forming the inner collar. A corresponding technique will be explained below in more detail.
A knitted upper according to the invention with an inner collar and an outer collar provides extra grip to support stepping into a shoe. To this end, a wearer may grab the inner collar with his/her fingers and pull the heel portion of the shoe comprising the upper so as to put the shoe over the foot. Thus, the inner collar acts as a kind of handle. Generally, the inner collar can be designed to target different functions. For example, the inner collar could be designed such that it securely fits to an ankle or shank portion of a wearer to provide support. In addition, the inner collar can be provided with additional cushioning or padding to protect the sensitive Achilles tendon and/or malleolus (ankle bones). Moreover, the height of the inner collar can be chosen independently from the location of the outer collar. Thus, the inner collar could end much higher on the foot or leg of a wearer as the outer collar. Thus, the inner collar could provide a better fit of the shoe while the outer collar could act as a handle or additional grip as described above, which would not be possible with just a single collar. A higher inner collar would also reduce pressure as it would have a much larger contact area compared to a low collar. Similarly, the inner collar could be designed to be much thicker than the outer collar to reduce pressure and to provide a means to grab and pull the shoe. Generally, the function of the inner collar can be designed independently of the function of the outer collar. Yet, as the collars can be manufactured together with the rest of the upper in a single knitting process, no additional parts are needed to obtain such decoupled functions which saves knitting time and manufacturing costs. The outer collar may act as an additional stabilizing element and may also ensure that the entire collar unit does not slip. The outer collar also increases the compression on the foot and ensures that it is more constant throughout the entire wearing period.
The inner collar and the outer collar may have been knitted in a single knitting process. As mentioned above, this allows to provide two different functionalities of the collar portion of the upper without any additional parts which saves manufacturing time and costs.
The outer collar may be formed in the shape of a flap or a lamella. In this way, the outer collar may be used as a handle to grab a shoe comprising the upper or to pull the shoe over a foot when stepping into the shoe.
The inner collar and the outer collar may overlap in a heel region of the upper. Thus, the outer collar may provide an additional function in the heel region. For example, the inner collar may be sufficiently thick and high to protect the Achilles tendon and/or malleolus. In addition, it could act as a handle in the heel region. The outer collar may act as an additional stabilizing element.
The inner collar may comprise a first yarn and the outer collar may comprise a second yarn, wherein the first yarn may be different from the second yarn. In this way, different functions can be provided to the inner and outer collar by choosing the yarns appropriately.
The first yarn may be more moisture wicking than the second yarn. Thus, the inner collar may wick away moisture from a foot, whereas the outer collar may provide a different function.
The second yarn may be more abrasion resistant than the first yarn. In this way, the outer collar may protect the inner collar which in turn may comprise a more sensitive yarn providing a different function such as moisture wicking as explained above.
The inner collar may be arranged proximal to a foot of a wearer wearing a shoe comprising the knitted upper and, wherein the outer collar is arranged distal to the foot. Thus, as explained above, the inner collar can provide functions such as cushioning, padding and protection whereas the outer collar, being more distal to the foot, may provide functions such as additional grip.
The inner collar and/or the outer collar may comprise an elastic yarn. In this way, inserting a foot into the shoe comprising the upper is facilitated as both collars can sufficiently stretch.
At least one of the first collar and the second collar may have been obtained by partial knitting. Partial knitting is a technique which allows to use only a specific needle area of a series of needles for stitch formation. Thus, no knitting process takes place over the entire series of needles. Partial knitting allows to obtain collars with almost arbitrary shapes instead of just uniform circumferential collars.
The yarn tension in the inner collar may be different from the yarn tension in the outer collar. This allows to shape the inner collar in a different way than the outer collar as the yarn tension influences the shape of knitted structure. Moreover, the yarn tension determines the stretchability of a knitted structure to some extent, such that the inner collar and the outer collar can be provided with different stretchability.
The knitting structure of the inner collar may be different from the knitting structure of the outer collar. In this way, the functions provided by the inner collar and the outer collar may differ. For example, the knitting structure of the outer collar may be coarser than the knitting structure of the inner collar. In this way, the outer collar may more easily be gripped, for example to pull the shoe, whereas the inner collar provides a more comfortable feel. A coarser outer collar would provide a better thermal insulation and allow for absorption of higher forces, for example when tightening the shoe.
The shape of the inner collar may be different from the shape of the outer collar. In this way, the collars may be provided with targeted functions. For example, the outer collar may be shaped like a flap to allow gripping a shoe comprising the shoe upper.
The outer collar may define a circumferential second free edge of the upper which is adapted to surround a portion of a leg of a wearer of the shoe. Thus, the outer collar may surround the foot just like the inner collar. The outer collar may protect the underlying inner collar. In another example, the outer collar acts like a circumferential flap for gripping and/or pulling a shoe comprising the upper.
The inner collar and the outer collar may each be formed by a single knitted layer folded onto itself. This allows knitting both the inner and outer collar in a single knitting process.
The distance between the free edge of the inner collar and a location where the inner collar and the outer collar are joined may be larger than a distance between the free edge of the outer collar and the location where the inner collar and the outer collar are joined. In other words, the inner collar extends higher up on the leg of the wearer with respect to the outer collar, when the shoe is worn. Thus, the inner collar may for example be higher than the outer collar to reduce pressure on the foot or leg while still provide sufficient support.
The inner collar may be thicker than the outer collar. As explained, this allows the inner collar to protect for example the Achilles tendon while the outer collar could act like a flap for gripping and/or pulling a shoe comprising the upper.
The inner collar and the outer collar may have been manufactured on a circular knitting machine, a small circular knitting machine, or an intarsia small circular knitting machine. An intarsia knitting machine includes a cylinder that is capable of reciprocating movements to work intarsia sequences. A circular knitting machine allows the formation of the knitted upper as tube-like structure which corresponds to the usual shape of a 3D upper or a sock. In contrast to knitting on a flat knitting machine, no or just a few additional steps are required to bring the upper into its final shape. According to ISO 8117:2003 a small circular knitting machine has a diameter between 2¼ and 6½ inch which corresponds to 57.15 mm to 165.1 mm.
The inner collar and/or the outer collar may be filled with a padding. In this way, the ankle portion, in particular the Achilles tendon, may be protected and the wearing comfort of a shoe comprising the upper is increased. Padding is in particular advantageous in the back of the collar and on the left and right sides under the ankle. In this case, the padding can be inserted directly during knitting or a corresponding foam element can be inserted afterwards with appropriate preparation for example by creating an opening and/or pocket.
The knitted upper may comprise a plurality of outer collars. The additional outer collars may comprise the same features as described herein with respect to the (single) outer collar. Thus, what is described herein with respect to the (single) outer collar is applicable to multiple outer collars as well, in particular with respect to the functions, features, embodiments and advantages of the (single) outer collar. Moreover, additional outer collars may provide additional functions to the upper. For example, the inner collar could provide moisture wicking and a soft feel, a first outer collar arranged on the inner collar could comprise abrasion resistant yarn to protect the inner collar and a second outer collar arranged on the first outer collar could comprise highly abrasive reflective yarns to meet safety aspects. This would not be possible with a single collar as the abrasive yarn would come into contact with the wearer's skin or sock which would be perceived as uncomfortable.
The knitted upper may further comprise an inner sock and an outer sock integrally knitted with the inner sock. By folding the inner sock in the outer sock, a complete upper is obtained. The inner sock and the outer sock may provide different functions to the upper. For example, the inner sock may be softer than the outer sock and/or provide moisture wicking. The outer sock may be more abrasion resistant and/or stiffer than the inner sock.
The knitted upper may further comprise a knitted tongue integrally knitted with the inner sock and having a double layer construction. The knitted tongue may be similarly knitted as the inner collar and outer collar. Thus, the number of additional components of the knitted upper is substantially reduced as is the manufacturing costs and time.
The knitted tongue may be formed by a single knitted layer folded onto itself to obtain the double layer construction. This allows knitting the tongue and the inner sock in a single knitting process similarly to the inner collar and outer collar.
The invention also relates to a shoe comprising a knitted upper according as described herein and a sole structure. It is understood that what is described herein with respect to the knitted upper is applicable to the shoe comprising such an upper as well, in particular with respect to the functions, features, embodiments and advantages of the knitted upper.
The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing a knitted upper as described herein. The method includes the steps: (a) knitting a first portion of the upper on a series of needles; (b) transferring at least a portion of a knitting row from the series of needles to holding means; (c) knitting the inner collar or the outer collar; (d) transferring the portion of the knitting row held on the holding means back to the series of needles; (e) knitting at least one row or a portion thereof; (f) repeating steps (b)-(e) to obtain the other of the outer collar or the inner collar. In step (e) of the method, in some embodiments one (1) to ten (10) rows may be knitted. In a specific instance, step (e) may include knitting two (2) to six (6) rows. In a particular example, when knitting according to the method step (e) may involve knitting four (4) to five (5) rows.
It is understood that in step (c) either the inner collar or the outer collar is knitted and that in step (f) the outer collar is knitted if in step (c) the inner collar was knitted and vice versa. It is also understood that what is described herein with respect to the knitted upper is applicable to the method of manufacturing the knitted upper as well, in particular with respect to the functions, features, embodiments and advantages of the knitted upper.
The series of needles may for example be a needle bed of a flat knitting machine or a round needle carrier like a cylinder of a circular knitting machine. Generally, the invention is not restricted to a particular type of knitting. In one embodiment, a circular knitting machine is used to perform the method. In some embodiments, a small circular knitting machine is used. An embodiment includes the use of an intarsia small circular knitting machine.
In one embodiment a circular knitting machine is used to perform the method. A small circular knitting machine may be used for certain embodiments. In some instances, an intarsia small circular knitting machine is used to perform the method. For example, in an embodiment a small circular knitting machine may be used in step (e) above to knit one (1) to ten (10) rows. In some instances, a small circular knitting machine may be used to knit two (2) to six (6) rows. In a particular example, when knitting according to the method using a small circular knitting machine step (e) may involve knitting four (4) to five (5) rows.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention not to encompass within the invention any previously known product, process of making the product, or method of using the product such that Applicants reserve the right and hereby disclose a disclaimer of any previously known product, process, or method.
It is noted that in this disclosure and particularly in the claims and/or paragraphs, terms such as “comprises”, “comprised”, “comprising” and the like can have the meaning attributed to it in U.S. Patent law; e.g., they can mean “includes”, “included”, “including”, and the like; and that terms such as “consisting essentially of” and “consists essentially of” have the meaning ascribed to them in U.S. Patent law, e.g., they allow for elements not explicitly recited, but exclude elements that are found in the prior art or that affect a basic or novel characteristic of the invention.
These and other embodiments are disclosed or are obvious from and encompassed by, the following Detailed Description.
The following detailed description, given by way of example, but not intended to limit the invention solely to the specific embodiments described, may best be understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
In the following only some possible embodiments of the invention are described in detail. However, the present invention is not limited to these, and a multitude of other embodiments are applicable without departing from the scope of the invention. The presented embodiments can be modified in a number of ways and combined with each other whenever compatible and certain features may be omitted in so far as they appear dispensable. In particular, the disclosed embodiments may be modified by combining certain features of one embodiment with one or more features of another embodiment.
It is to be understood that not all features of the described aspects/embodiments have to be present for realizing the technical advantages provided by the present disclosure, which is defined by the subject-matter of the claims. The disclosed aspects/embodiments may be modified by combining certain features of one aspect/embodiment with one or more features of another aspect/embodiment. Specifically, the skilled person will understand that features, and/or functional elements of one aspect/embodiment can be combined with technically compatible features, and/or functional elements of any other aspect/embodiment of the present disclosure given that the resulting combination falls within the definition of the present disclosure.
While the embodiments below are described primarily with reference to a knitted upper for a shoe, in particular for a sports shoe, the skilled person will recognize that the disclosure according to the invention can equally be applied in a plurality of different technical fields and/or use cases.
Throughout the present figures and specification, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements. For the sake of clarity and conciseness, certain aspects of components or steps of certain embodiments are presented without undue detail where such detail would be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the teachings herein and/or where such detail would obfuscate an understanding of more pertinent aspects of the embodiments.
As understood by the skilled person and/or in order to avoid redundancies, reference is also made to the explanations in the preceding sections, which also apply to the following detailed description. Further, not all features, parts, elements, aspects, components and/or steps are expressly indicated by reference signs for the sake of brevity and clarity. This particularly applies, where the skilled person recognizes that such features, parts, elements, aspects, components and/or steps are present in a plurality.
The knitted upper 1 includes an inner collar 2 with a circumferential free edge 3. This means that the free edge 3 would completely surround a foot or leg of a wearer of a shoe that includes the knitted upper 1. The knitted upper 1 also includes an outer collar 4 which also includes a free edge 5. In the example of
The inner collar 2 and the outer collar 4 are knitted as one piece in a single knitting process, which means that in particular the entire upper 1 shown in
When the knitting process approaches the collar portion of the knitted upper 1, the last knitted row or a section thereof is taken up by the holding down jacks 12. The holding down jacks 12 substantially form a horizontal back series of needles comprising hooks that are not able to create loops/stitches but are only used to hold the threads and/or transfer loops/stitches. The knitting process then continues on the needles 11 and forms the inner collar 2. Alternatively, the outer collar 4 is formed first. When the inner collar 2 is finished, the threads that were held on the dial jacks 12 are moved back to the cylinder 13 and a few rows (e.g., four (4) to five (5) rows) are knitted to secure the collar just formed to the rest of the material that was previously knit. This process is then repeated to form the other collar, i.e. if the inner collar 2 has been formed first, the outer collar 4 is now knitted and if the outer collar 4 has been formed first, the inner collar 2 is now knitted.
As can be seen, although the collars 2 and 4 are formed by a single knitted layer (because the knitting machine depicted in
Suitable yarns for knitting a knitted upper 1 include polyester, spandex and thermoplastic polyurethane (“TPU”) yarns but other yarns could be used as well. In particular, the yarns of the inner collar 2 and outer collar 4 may be different. Generally, an elastic yarn such as elastane may be used for the inner collar 2 and/or the outer collar 4. Elastane creates a more comfortable collar area and it is also smoother on the skin.
The knitted upper obtained by the knitting program 20 of
With the knitting technique thus described, an integral knitted tongue can be integrated in a knitted upper. Such a knitted upper could be the knitted upper 1 described above having an inner collar 2 and an outer collar 4, but it could also be a different knitted upper not having an inner collar 2 and an outer collar 4. The method will be described with reference to
For reasons of presentation, the knitting program in
As shown in
The knitting program 30 then continues with the outer sock 43, namely with an outer heel portion 35 (shown in
In the following, further embodiments of a knitted upper having an integrally knitted tongue are defined:
Embodiment 1. A knitted upper for a shoe comprising: an inner sock; an outer sock integrally knitted with the inner sock; and a knitted tongue integrally knitted with the inner sock and having a double layer construction.
Embodiment 2. Knitted upper according to embodiment 1, wherein the knitted upper has been knitted on a circular knitting machine, a small circular knitting machine, or an intarsia small circular knitting machine.
Embodiment 3. Knitted upper according to one of embodiments 1-2, wherein the knitted tongue is formed by a single knitted layer folded onto itself to obtain the double layer construction.
Embodiment 4. Knitted upper according to one of embodiments 1-3, wherein the knitted tongue includes a different yarn than the inner sock and/or the outer sock.
Embodiment 5. Knitted upper according to one of embodiments 1-4, comprising: a knitted inner collar defining a circumferential first free edge of the upper and being adapted to completely surround a portion of a leg of a wearer of the shoe; at least one knitted outer collar at least partially surrounding the inner collar and defining a second free edge of the upper, wherein the inner collar and the outer collar are a one-piece knitted construction.
Embodiment 6. Knitted upper according to embodiment 5, wherein the inner collar and the outer collar are knitted integrally with the inner sock and/or the outer sock.
Embodiment 7. Shoe comprising a knitted upper according to one of embodiments 1-6; and a sole structure.
Embodiment 8. Method of manufacturing a knitted upper according to one of embodiments 1-7, comprising the steps: (a) knitting a first portion of the inner sock on a series of needles; (b) transferring at least a portion of a knitting row from the series of needles to holding down jacks; (c) knitting the tongue; (d) transferring the portion of the knitting row held on the holding down jacks back to the series of needles; (e) knitting a second portion of the inner sock; and (f) knitting the outer sock.
Thus, it is to be understood that the embodiments of the knitted upper comprising an integrally knitted tongue can be combined with the embodiments of the knitted upper comprising an inner collar and an outer collar as described herein. Thus, by way of combination, an embodiment may be obtained which includes features from one or more embodiments of the knitted upper comprising an integrally knitted tongue and from one or more embodiments of the knitted upper comprising an inner collar and an outer collar. Although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
The present invention will be further illustrated in the following numbered paragraphs which are given for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention in any way.
Paragraph 1. A knitted upper (1) for a shoe, comprising: a knitted inner collar (2) defining a circumferential first free edge (3) of the upper (1) and being adapted to completely surround a portion of a leg of a wearer of the shoe; at least one knitted outer collar (4) at least partially surrounding the inner collar (2) and defining a second free edge (5) of the upper (1), wherein the inner collar (2) and the outer collar (4) are a one-piece knitted construction.
Paragraph 2. The knitted upper (1) according to Paragraph 1, wherein the inner collar (2) and the outer collar (4) have been knitted in a single knitting process.
Paragraph 3. The knitted upper (1) according to one of Paragraphs 1 or 2, wherein the outer collar (4) is formed in the shape of a flap or a lamella.
Paragraph 4. The knitted upper (1) according to one of Paragraphs 1-3, wherein the inner collar (2) and the outer collar (4) overlap in a heel region of the upper (1).
Paragraph 5. The knitted upper (1) according to one of Paragraphs 1-4, wherein the inner collar (2) comprises a first yarn and the outer collar (4) comprises a second yarn, wherein the first yarn is different from the second yarn.
Paragraph 6. The knitted upper (1) according to Paragraph 5, wherein the first yarn is more moisture wicking than the second yarn.
Paragraph 7. The knitted upper (1) according to one of Paragraphs 5-6, wherein the second yarn is more abrasion resistant than the first yarn.
Paragraph 8. The knitted upper (1) according to one of Paragraphs 1-7, wherein the inner collar (2) is arranged proximal to a foot of a wearer wearing a shoe comprising the knitted upper (1) and, wherein the outer collar (4) is arranged distal to the foot.
Paragraph 9. The knitted upper (1) according to one of Paragraphs 1-8, wherein the inner collar (2) and/or the outer collar (4) comprises an elastic yarn.
Paragraph 10. The knitted upper (1) according to one of Paragraphs 1-9, wherein at least one of the inner collar (2) and the outer collar (4) were obtained by partial knitting.
Paragraph 11. The knitted upper (1) according to one of Paragraphs 1-10, wherein the yarn tension in the inner collar (2) is different from the yarn tension in the outer collar (4).
Paragraph 12. The knitted upper (1) according to one of Paragraphs 1-11, wherein the knitting structure of the inner collar (2) is different from the knitting structure of the outer collar (4).
Paragraph 13. The knitted upper (1) according to one of Paragraphs 1-12, wherein the shape of the inner collar (2) is different from the shape of the outer collar (4).
Paragraph 14. The knitted upper (1) according to one of Paragraphs 1-13, wherein the outer collar (4) defines a circumferential second free edge (5) of the upper (1) which is adapted to surround a portion of a leg of a wearer of the shoe.
Paragraph 15. The knitted upper (1) according to one of Paragraphs 1-14, wherein the inner collar (2) and the outer collar (4) each are formed by a single knitted layer folded onto itself.
Paragraph 16. The knitted upper (1) according to one of Paragraphs 1-15, wherein the distance between the free edge of the inner collar (2) and a location where the inner collar (2) and the outer collar (4) are joined is larger than a distance between the free edge of the outer collar (4) and the location where the inner collar (2) and the outer collar (4) are joined.
Paragraph 17. The knitted upper (1) according to one of Paragraphs 1-16, wherein the inner collar (2) is thicker than the outer collar (4).
Paragraph 18. The knitted upper (1) according to one of Paragraphs 1-17, wherein the inner collar (2) and the outer collar (4) have been manufactured on a circular knitting machine, preferably a small circular knitting machine and most preferably an intarsia small circular knitting machine.
Paragraph 19. The knitted upper (1) according to one of Paragraphs 1-18, wherein the inner collar (2) and/or the outer collar (4) are filled with a padding.
Paragraph 20. The knitted upper (1) according to one of Paragraphs 1-19 comprising a plurality of outer collars (4).
Paragraph 21. The knitted upper (1) according to one of Paragraphs 1-20, further comprising: an inner sock; an outer sock integrally knitted with the inner sock.
Paragraph 22. The knitted upper (1) according to Paragraph 21, further comprising: a knitted tongue integrally knitted with the inner sock and having a double layer construction.
Paragraph 23. The knitted upper (1) according to Paragraph 22, wherein the knitted tongue is formed by a single knitted layer folded onto itself to obtain the double layer construction.
Paragraph 24. Shoe, comprising: a knitted upper (1) according to one of Paragraphs 1-23; and a sole structure.
Paragraph 25. A method of manufacturing a knitted upper (1) according to one of Paragraphs 1-24, comprising the steps: (a) knitting a first portion of the upper (1) on a series of needles; (b) transferring at least a portion of a knitting row from the series of needles to holding means; (c) knitting the inner collar (2) or the outer collar (4); (d) transferring the portion of the knitting row held on the holding means back to the series of needles; (e) knitting at least one row or a portion thereof; (f) repeating steps (b)-(e) to obtain the other of the outer collar (4) or the inner collar (2).
Having thus described in detail embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that the invention defined by the above Paragraphs is not to be limited to particular details set forth in the above description as many apparent variations thereof are possible without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2023 135 606.2 | Dec 2023 | DE | national |
