Article of Footwear and Knitted Component Thereof

Abstract

An article of footwear and a knitted component thereof are provided. The article of footwear includes a shoe upper and a sole structure fixed to the shoe upper. The shoe upper defines a shoe cavity for a foot to be inserted thereinto. The shoe upper is formed by the knitted component and includes a plurality of upper regions. The knitted component is a two-dimensional structure knitted from at least one yarn and includes a plurality of knitted regions respectively corresponding to the plurality of upper regions. Each of the plurality of upper regions has a stretch ratio to its corresponding knitted region of the plurality of knitted regions. The number of stitches in each of the plurality of knitted regions is proportional to its corresponding stretch ratio, so when the foot is inserted into the shoe cavity, courses and wales formed by the at least one yarn in the plurality of upper regions are substantially orthogonal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A knitted component knitted from at least one yarn to be a two-dimensional structure, the knitted component configured to form a shoe upper comprising a plurality of upper regions and defining a shoe cavity for a foot to be inserted thereinto, the knitted component comprising:
 a plurality of knitted regions respectively corresponding to the plurality of upper regions of the shoe upper, each of the plurality of upper regions having a stretch ratio to its corresponding knitted region of the plurality of knitted regions, the number of stitches in each of the plurality of knitted regions being proportional to its corresponding stretch ratio, so when the foot is inserted into the shoe cavity, courses and wales formed by the at least one yarn in the plurality of upper regions are substantially orthogonal.   
     
     
         2 . The knitted component of  claim 1 , wherein the stretch ratio is a length ratio of the upper region when the foot is inserted into the shoe cavity to its corresponding knitted region. 
     
     
         3 . The knitted component of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of knitted regions comprise a heel region and an instep region respectively corresponding to a heel portion and an instep portion of the foot; the at least one yarn forming the heel region and the instep region comprises an elastic yarn, so the heel region and the instep region have an elastic modulus larger than other knitted regions. 
     
     
         4 . The knitted component of  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of knitted regions further comprise a lateral region corresponding to a lateral portion of the foot; the elastic yarn extends from the instep region to the lateral region. 
     
     
         5 . The knitted component of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one yarn forming the heel region further comprises a wear-resistant yarn and a structural yarn; the structural yarn is relatively thicker or harder than the elastic yarn. 
     
     
         6 . The knitted component of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of knitted regions comprise a shoe opening region and a toe region; the shoe opening region defines a shoe opening for allowing the foot to enter the shoe cavity; the toe region corresponds to toes of the foot; the at least one yarn forming the shoe opening region comprises a wear-resistant yarn and an elastic yarn; the at least one yarn forming the toe region comprises a wear-resistant yarn and a structural yarn. 
     
     
         7 . A knitted component knitted from at least one yarn, the knitted component configured to form a shoe upper defining a shoe cavity for a foot to be inserted thereinto, the knitted component comprising:
 a plurality of knitted regions respectively corresponding to different portions of the foot, the knitted regions comprising a heel region and an instep region respectively corresponding to a heel portion and an instep portion of the foot, the at least one yarn forming the heel region and the instep region comprising an elastic yarn, so the heel region and the instep region have an elastic modulus substantially larger than other knitted regions.   
     
     
         8 . The knitted component of  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of knitted regions further comprise a lateral region corresponding to a lateral portion of the foot; the elastic yarn extends from the instep region to the lateral region. 
     
     
         9 . The knitted component of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one yarn forming the heel region further comprises a wear-resistant yarn and a structural yarn; the structural yarn is relatively thicker or harder than the elastic yarn. 
     
     
         10 . The knitted component of  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of knitted regions comprise a shoe opening region and a toe region; the shoe opening region defines a shoe opening for allowing the foot to enter the shoe cavity; the toe region corresponds to toes of the foot; the at least one yarn forming the shoe opening region comprises a wear-resistant yarn and an elastic yarn; the at least one yarn forming the toe region comprises a wear-resistant yarn and a structural yarn. 
     
     
         11 . An article of footwear, comprising:
 a shoe upper defining a shoe cavity for a foot to be inserted thereinto; and   a sole structure fixed to the shoe upper,   wherein the shoe upper is formed by a knitted component and comprises a plurality of upper regions; the knitted component is a two-dimensional structure knitted from at least one yarn and comprises a plurality of knitted regions respectively corresponding to the plurality of upper regions; each of the plurality of upper regions has a stretch ratio to its corresponding knitted region of the plurality of knitted regions; the number of stitches in each of the plurality of knitted regions is proportional to its corresponding stretch ratio, so when the foot is inserted into the shoe cavity, courses and wales formed by the at least one yarn in the plurality of upper regions are substantially orthogonal.   
     
     
         12 . The article of footwear of  claim 11 , wherein the stretch ratio is a length ratio of the upper region when the foot is inserted into the shoe cavity to its corresponding knitted region. 
     
     
         13 . The article of footwear of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of knitted regions comprise a heel region and an instep region respectively corresponding to a heel portion and an instep portion of the foot; the at least one yarn forming the heel region and the instep region comprises an elastic yarn, so the heel region and the instep region have an elastic modulus larger than other knitted regions. 
     
     
         14 . The article of footwear of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of knitted regions further comprise a lateral region corresponding to a lateral portion of the foot; the elastic yarn extends from the instep region to the lateral region. 
     
     
         15 . An article of footwear, comprising:
 a shoe upper defining a shoe cavity for a foot to be inserted thereinto; and   a sole structure fixed to the shoe upper,   wherein the shoe upper is formed by a knitted component; the knitted component is a two-dimensional structure knitted from at least one yarn and comprises a plurality of knitted regions respectively corresponding to different portions of the foot; the knitted regions comprises a heel region and an instep region respectively corresponding to a heel portion and an instep portion of the foot; the at least one yarn forming the heel region and the instep region comprises an elastic yarn, so the heel region and the instep region have an elastic modulus substantially larger than other knitted regions.   
     
     
         16 . The article of footwear of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of knitted regions further comprise a lateral region corresponding to a lateral portion of the foot; the elastic yarn extends from the instep region to the lateral region. 
     
     
         17 . The article of footwear of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one yarn forming the heel region further comprises a wear-resistant yarn and a structural yarn; the structural yarn is relatively thicker or harder than the elastic yarn. 
     
     
         18 . The article of footwear of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of knitted regions comprise a shoe opening region and a toe region; the shoe opening region defines a shoe opening for allowing the foot to enter the shoe cavity; the toe region corresponds to toes of the foot; the at least one yarn forming the shoe opening region comprises a wear-resistant yarn and an elastic yarn; the at least one yarn forming the toe region comprises a wear-resistant yarn and a structural yarn.