Custom Article of Footwear and Method of Making the Same

Abstract

The present invention teaches a method of making a custom article of footwear. Further, the article of footwear can include a knitted upper and means for cushioning. In addition, the components of the article of footwear can be selected from a wide range of options, and can be easily removed and replaced, as desired.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An article of footwear configured to be positioned about a wearer's foot, said wearer's foot comprising an instep, a plurality of phalanges, a plurality of toes including distal ends, and a heel, said article of footwear comprising;
 an upper,   said upper comprising a knit textile material element comprising an anterior side, a posterior side, a superior side, an inferior side, a medial side, a lateral side, an exterior side, an interior side, and a forefoot area,   said element comprising an opening defined by said element for receiving said wearer's foot,   said element coupled with a sole and comprising a junction between said element and said sole,   said element comprising a plurality of different knit sections coupled together,   said sections comprising a collar section, a dorsal section, a vamp section, a quarter section, a tip section, and a posterior section,   wherein said collar section comprises substantially a resilient elastic knit and extends substantially about said opening for receiving said wearer's foot,   wherein said dorsal section comprises a dorsal pad and extends on said superior side of said element above the position of said instep of said wearer's foot,   wherein said vamp section comprises substantially a four way stretch knit and extends substantially on said superior side of said element over the position of said plurality of phalanges of said wearer's foot,   wherein said quarter section comprises substantially at least a two way stretch knit which comprises greater resistance to elongation than said four way stretch knit located in said vamp section, and further comprises a medial quarter section and a lateral quarter section, and said medial quarter section extends on said medial side of said element along said junction between said element with said sole to said collar section and said dorsal section, and said lateral quarter section extends on said lateral side of said element along said junction between said element with said sole to said collar section and said dorsal section,   wherein said tip section comprises substantially a knit comprising greater resistance to elongation relative to said two way stretch knit located in said quarter section and also said four way stretch knit located in said vamp section, and extends on said anterior side of said element proximate to the position of said distal ends of said plurality of toes of said wearer's foot and also about a portion of said medial side and said lateral side of said element and around a majority of said forefoot area along said junction between said element and said sole,   wherein said posterior section comprises substantially a knit comprising greater resistance to elongation relative to said two way stretch knit located in said quarter section and also said four way stretch knit located in said vamp section, and extends on said posterior side of said element and about a portion of said medial side and said lateral side substantially about the position of said heel of said wearer's foot,   wherein each of said dorsal section, said collar section, said vamp section, said quarter section, and said tip section comprise a different knit textile material structure having different elongation characteristics, and,   wherein above said junction between said element and said sole, said element comprises substantially an entire exterior surface of said article of footwear.   
     
     
         2 . The article of footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein each of said sections comprise different mechanical properties. 
     
     
         3 . The article of footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein each of said sections comprise different knit textile materials. 
     
     
         4 . The article of footwear according to  claim 1 , further comprising a tongue. 
     
     
         5 . The article of footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein said upper is tongueless. 
     
     
         6 . The article of footwear according to  claim 1 , further comprising a shoe lace functionally coupled to said upper. 
     
     
         7 . The article of footwear according to  claim 1 , further comprising a strap functionally coupled to said upper. 
     
     
         8 . The article of footwear according to  claim 1 , further comprising an insole. 
     
     
         9 . The article of footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein said sole is removably coupled with said element. 
     
     
         10 . The article of footwear according to  claim 1 , further comprising a plastic material coupled to said element. 
     
     
         11 . The article of footwear according to  claim 1 , further comprising a backtab on said posterior side. 
     
     
         12 . The article of footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein said tip section comprises greater resistance to elongation relative to said collar section. 
     
     
         13 . The article of footwear according to  claim 1 , said element comprising at least a two way stretchable knit textile material on at least a portion of said inferior side extending between said medial side and said lateral side, wherein the length of said upper can be elongated by at least one half size. 
     
     
         14 . The article of footwear according to  claim 1 , further comprising a longitudinal opening on said superior side of said element in said dorsal section for accommodating the entry of said wearer's foot, a tongue, and a plurality of small annular shaped openings on each of said medial side and said lateral side of said element for receiving a lace, and a first knit textile material included in the area proximate to said longitudinal opening including said plurality of small annular openings for receiving a lace which comprises greater resistance to elongation relative to a second knit textile material included in said vamp section. 
     
     
         15 . The article of footwear according to  claim 1 , said dorsal pad comprising a tongue. 
     
     
         16 . The article of footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein said knit textile material element comprises a three dimensional knit textile material. 
     
     
         17 . The article of footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein said knit textile material element further comprises a woven textile material. 
     
     
         18 . The article of footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein said knit textile material element extends on at least said anterior side, said medial side, said lateral side, and said superior side. 
     
     
         19 . An article of footwear configured to be positioned about a wearer's foot, said wearer's foot comprising an instep, a plurality of phalanges, a plurality of toes including distal ends, and a heel, said article of footwear comprising;
 an upper,   said upper comprising a knit textile material element comprising an anterior side, a posterior side, a superior side, an inferior side, a medial side, a lateral side, an exterior side, an interior side, and a forefoot area,   said element comprising an opening defined by said element for receiving said wearer's foot,   said element coupled with a sole and comprising a junction between said element and said sole,   said element comprising a plurality of different knit sections coupled together,   said sections comprising a collar section, a dorsal section, a vamp section, a quarter section, a tip section, and a posterior section,   wherein said collar section comprises substantially a resilient elastic knit and extends substantially about said opening for receiving said wearer's foot,   wherein said dorsal section comprises a dorsal pad and extends on said superior side of said element above the position of said instep of said wearer's foot,   wherein said vamp section comprises substantially a four way stretch knit and extends substantially on said superior side of said element over the position of said plurality of phalanges of said wearer's foot,   wherein said quarter section comprises substantially at least a two way stretch knit which comprises greater resistance to elongation than said four way stretch knit located in said vamp section, and further comprises a medial quarter section and a lateral quarter section, and said medial quarter section extends on said medial side of said element along said junction between said element with said sole to said collar section and said dorsal section, and said lateral quarter section extends on said lateral side of said element along said junction between said element with said sole to said collar section and said dorsal section,   wherein said tip section comprises substantially a knit comprising greater resistance to elongation relative to said two way stretch knit located in said quarter section and also said four way stretch knit located in said vamp section, and extends on said anterior side of said element proximate to the position of said distal ends of said plurality of toes of said wearer's foot and also about a portion of said medial side and said lateral side of said element and around a majority of said forefoot area along said junction between said element and said sole,   wherein said posterior section comprises substantially a knit comprising greater resistance to elongation relative to said two way stretch knit located in said quarter section and also said four way stretch knit located in said vamp section, and extends on said posterior side of said element and about a portion of said medial side and said lateral side substantially about the position of said heel of said wearer's foot, and said posterior section extends upwards on said posterior side to said collar section,   wherein each of said dorsal section, said collar section, said vamp section, said quarter section, and said tip section comprise a different knit textile material structure having different elongation characteristics, and,   wherein above said junction between said element and said sole, said element comprises substantially an entire exterior surface of said article of footwear.   
     
     
         20 . An article of footwear configured to be positioned about a wearer's foot, said wearer's foot comprising an instep, a plurality of phalanges, a plurality of toes including distal ends, and a heel, said article of footwear comprising;
 an upper,   said upper comprising a knit textile material element comprising an anterior side, a posterior side, a superior side, an inferior side, a medial side, a lateral side, an exterior side, an interior side, and a forefoot area,   said element comprising an opening defined by said element for receiving said wearer's foot,   said element coupled with a sole and comprising a junction between said element and said sole,   said element comprising a plurality of different knit sections coupled together,   said sections comprising a collar section, a dorsal section, a vamp section, a quarter section, a tip section, and a posterior section,   wherein said collar section comprises substantially a resilient elastic knit and extends substantially about said opening for receiving said wearer's foot,   wherein said dorsal section comprises a dorsal pad and extends on said superior side of said element above the position of said instep of said wearer's foot,   wherein said vamp section comprises substantially a four way stretch knit and extends substantially on said superior side of said element over the position of said plurality of phalanges of said wearer's foot,   wherein said quarter section comprises substantially at least a two way stretch knit which comprises greater resistance to elongation than said four way stretch knit located in said vamp section, and further comprises a medial quarter section and a lateral quarter section, and said medial quarter section extends on said medial side of said element along said junction between said element with said sole to said collar section and said dorsal section, and said lateral quarter section extends on said lateral side of said element along said junction between said element with said sole to said collar section and said dorsal section,   wherein said tip section comprises substantially a knit comprising greater resistance to elongation relative to said two way stretch knit located in said quarter section and also said four way stretch knit located in said vamp section, and extends on said anterior side of said element proximate to the position of said distal ends of said plurality of toes of said wearer's foot and also about a portion of said medial side and said lateral side of said element and around a majority of said forefoot area along said junction between said element and said sole,   wherein said posterior section comprises substantially a knit comprising greater resistance to elongation relative to said two way stretch knit located in said quarter section and also said four way stretch knit located in said vamp section, and extends on said posterior side of said element and about a portion of said medial side and said lateral side substantially about the position of said heel of said wearer's foot,   wherein each of said dorsal section, said collar section, said vamp section, said quarter section, and said tip section comprise a different knit textile material structure having different elongation characteristics, and,   wherein above said junction between said element and said sole, said element comprises substantially an entire exterior surface of said article of footwear, and said upper substantially comprises in at least said tip section a single layer construction on said exterior side.