Article Of Footwear Incorporating A Knitted Component With An Integral Knit Ankle Cuff

Abstract

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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper including a knitted component that is formed of unitary knit construction, the knitted component including:
 a foot region forming a substantial majority of the upper, the foot region extending through a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region of the article of footwear, the foot region including an instep area that extends between a medial side and a lateral side of the upper;   an ankle region forming a portion of the upper that extends above the foot region, the ankle region including an ankle cuff that defines a throat opening to a void within the upper for receiving a foot;   wherein the ankle cuff is formed of unitary knit construction with at least the instep area of the foot region and a portion of foot region disposed on the medial side and lateral side in the heel region; and   wherein the ankle cuff further comprises at least one malleolus zone disposed on at least one of the medial side and the lateral side of the upper, the at least one malleolus zone including a plurality of indentations in an exterior surface of the ankle cuff.   
     
     
         2 . The article of footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein the ankle cuff comprises at least two knit layers; and
 wherein a first knit layer comprises a majority of the exterior surface of the ankle cuff and a second knit layer comprises a majority of an interior surface of the ankle cuff.   
     
     
         3 . The article of footwear according to  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of indentations are formed by voids in the first knit layer that expose the second knit layer. 
     
     
         4 . The article of footwear according to  claim 3 , wherein the voids in the first knit layer comprise at least one of a 1×1 mock mesh knit structure and a 2×2 mock mesh knit structure. 
     
     
         5 . The article of footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one malleolus zone on the ankle cuff is disposed at a location that corresponds to an ankle of a foot of a wearer. 
     
     
         6 . The article of footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein the knitted component further comprises a tied-lace receiving aperture formed into at least one of the instep area and the ankle cuff, the tied-lace receiving aperture being configured to receive loose ends of a tied lace within an interior of the upper. 
     
     
         7 . The article of footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein the instep area further comprises a stretch padding zone disposed between the medial side and the lateral side of the upper along a top portion of the article of footwear;
 the strech padding zone being configured to stretch in a lateral direction across the article of footwear between an unstretched condition and a stretched condition; and   wherein the stretch padding zone has a first thickness in the unstretched condition and a second thickness in the stretched condition, the first thickness being larger than the second thickness.   
     
     
         8 . An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper including a knitted component that is formed of unitary knit construction, the knitted component including:
 a foot region forming a substantial majority of the upper, the foot region extending through a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region of the article of footwear, the foot region including an instep area that extends between a medial side and a lateral side of the upper;   an ankle region forming a portion of the upper that extends above the foot region, the ankle region including an ankle cuff that defines a throat opening to a void within the upper for receiving a foot;   the instep area further including a stretch padding zone surrounded by and formed of unitary knit construction with the instep area, the stretch padding zone being disposed between the medial side and the lateral side of the upper along a top portion of the article of footwear;   the strech padding zone being configured to stretch in a lateral direction across the article of footwear between an unstretched condition and a stretched condition; and   wherein the stretch padding zone has a first thickness in the unstretched condition and a second thickness in the stretched condition, the first thickness being larger than the second thickness.   
     
     
         9 . The article of footwear according to  claim 8 , wherein the stretch padding zone is formed by a first knit structure and a remaining portion of the instep area being formed by a second knit structure, the first knit structure being different from the second knit structure. 
     
     
         10 . The article of footwear according to  claim 9 , wherein the second knit structure includes at least one of a jersey knit structure and a double jersey knit structure. 
     
     
         11 . The article of footwear according to  claim 8 , wherein the knitted component further comprises a plurality of lace apertures configured to receive a lace, the plurality of lace apertures being disposed in a longitudinal direction along the upper on each of the medial side and the lateral side of the instep area. 
     
     
         12 . The article of footwear according to  claim 11 , wherein the stretch padding zone extends between the plurality of lace apertures on each of the medial side and the lateral side of the instep area. 
     
     
         13 . The article of footwear according to  claim 8 , wherein the stretch padding zone is formed of unitary knit construction with the ankle cuff such that the stretch padding zone includes at least one course in common with the ankle cuff. 
     
     
         14 . The article of footwear according to  claim 8 , wherein the ankle cuff is formed of unitary knit construction with at least the instep area of the foot region and a portion of foot region disposed on the medial side and lateral side in the heel region; and
 wherein the ankle cuff further comprises at least one malleolus zone disposed on at least one of the medial side and the lateral side of the upper, the at least one malleolus zone including a plurality of indentations in an exterior surface of the ankle cuff.   
     
     
         15 . The article of footwear according to  claim 8 , wherein the knitted component further comprises a tied-lace receiving aperture formed into at least one of the instep area and the ankle cuff, the tied-lace receiving aperture being configured to receive loose ends of a tied lace within an interior of the upper. 
     
     
         16 . An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper including a knitted component that is formed of unitary knit construction, the knitted component including:
 a foot region forming a substantial majority of the upper, the foot region extending through a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region of the article of footwear, the foot region including an instep area that extends between a medial side and a lateral side of the upper;   an ankle region forming a portion of the upper that extends above the foot region, the ankle region including an ankle cuff that defines a throat opening to a void within the upper for receiving a foot; and   wherein the knitted component further comprises a tied-lace receiving aperture formed into at least one of the instep area and the ankle cuff, the tied-lace receiving aperture being configured to receive loose ends of a tied lace within an interior of the upper.   
     
     
         17 . The article of footwear according to  claim 16 , wherein the knitted component comprises a knit element having two sides, including a first side forming a substantial majority of an exterior surface of the upper and a second side disposed opposite the first side, the second side forming a substantial majority of an interior surface disposed within the interior of the upper;
 wherein the tied-lace receiving aperture defines a hole that extends through the first side and the second side of the knit element; and   wherein the loose ends of the tied lace are configured to rest along the interior surface within the interior of the upper when disposed through the hole of the tied-lace receiving aperture.   
     
     
         18 . The article of footwear according to  claim 16 , wherein the tied-lace receiving aperture comprises a button-hole stitch in the knitted component. 
     
     
         19 . The article of footwear according to  claim 16 , wherein the ankle cuff is formed of unitary knit construction with at least the instep area of the foot region and a portion of foot region disposed on the medial side and lateral side in the heel region; and
 wherein the ankle cuff further comprises at least one malleolus zone disposed on at least one of the medial side and the lateral side of the upper, the at least one malleolus zone including a plurality of indentations in an exterior surface of the ankle cuff.   
     
     
         20 . The article of footwear according to  claim 16 , wherein the instep area further comprises a stretch padding zone disposed between the medial side and the lateral side of the upper along a top portion of the article of footwear;
 the strech padding zone being configured to stretch in a lateral direction across the article of footwear between an unstretched condition and a stretched condition; and   wherein the stretch padding zone has a first thickness in the unstretched condition and a second thickness in the stretched condition, the first thickness being larger than the second thickness.