Footwear Article and Knitted Shoe Upper and Manufacturing Method Thereof

Abstract

A footwear article includes a sole and a knitted shoe upper secured to the sole. The knitted shoe upper includes a knitted fabric including a plurality of portions knitted from at least one yarn and a plurality of inlaid strands. The plurality of portions include a front portion, an instep portion, an inner lateral portion, an outer lateral portion, and a heel portion together to enclose a three-dimensional space for receiving a foot. The plurality of inlaid strands are inlaid in the knitted fabric along different directions of the three-dimensional space, so as to restrict relative displacements of the knitted fabric toward the front portion, the heel portion, and the instep portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A knitted shoe upper, comprising:
 a knitted fabric comprising a plurality of portions formed by knitting at least one yarn, the plurality of portions comprising a front portion, an instep portion, an inner lateral portion, an outer lateral portion, and a heel portion to enclose a three-dimensional space for receiving a foot; and   a plurality of inlaid strands inlaid in the knitted fabric along different directions of the three-dimensional space, so as to restrict relative displacements of the knitted fabric toward the front portion, the heel portion, and the instep portion.   
     
     
         2 . The knitted shoe upper of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of inlaid strands comprise a first inlaid strand extending along the inner lateral portion around the front portion to the outer lateral portion, a second inlaid strand extending along the inner lateral portion around the heel portion to the outer lateral portion, and a third inlaid strand extending along the inner lateral portion around the instep portion to the outer lateral portion. 
     
     
         3 . The knitted shoe upper of  claim 2 , wherein the first inlaid strand, the second inlaid strand, and the third inlaid strand start from adjacent locations of the inner lateral portion and end at adjacent locations of the outer lateral portion. 
     
     
         4 . The knitted shoe upper of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of portions further comprise a sole portion; the first inlaid strand, the second inlaid strand, and the third inlaid strand further extend to the sole portion from the inner lateral portion and the outer lateral portion. 
     
     
         5 . The knitted shoe upper of  claim 4 , wherein the first inlaid strand, the second inlaid strand, and the third inlaid strand start from and end at a middle portion of the sole portion, and the middle portion substantially corresponds to an arch portion of the foot. 
     
     
         6 . The knitted shoe upper of  claim 5 , wherein the first inlaid strand, the second inlaid strand, and the third inlaid strand are different sections of a single inlaid strand. 
     
     
         7 . The knitted shoe upper of  claim 1 , wherein the knitted fabric has an inner surface and an outer surface; the plurality of portions comprise a plurality of stitches formed by the at least one yarn; the plurality of inlaid strands extend through the plurality of stitches to be in and out of the inner surface and the outer surface. 
     
     
         8 . A footwear article, comprising:
 a sole; and   the knitted shoe upper of  claim 1 , wherein the knitted shoe upper is secured to the sole.   
     
     
         9 . A method of manufacturing a knitted shoe upper, comprising:
 forming a knitted fabric by knitting at least one yarn, the knitted fabric comprising a plurality of portions comprising a front portion, an instep portion, an inner lateral portion, an outer lateral portion, and a heel portion to enclose a three-dimensional space for receiving a foot; and   inlaying a plurality of inlaid strands in the knitted fabric along different directions of the three-dimensional space, so as to restrict relative displacements of the knitted fabric toward the front portion, the heel portion, and the instep portion.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the step of inlaying the plurality of inlaid strands is performed during formation of the knitted fabric. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the step of inlaying the plurality of inlaid strands comprises:
 inlaying a first inlaid strand, so the first inlaid strand extends along the inner lateral portion around the front portion to the outer lateral portion;   inlaying a second inlaid strand, so the second inlaid strand extends along the inner lateral portion around the heel portion to the outer lateral portion; and   inlaying a third inlaid strand, so the third inlaid strand extends along the inner lateral portion around the instep portion to the outer lateral portion.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of inlaying the plurality of inlaid strands comprises enabling the first inlaid strand, the second inlaid strand, and the third inlaid strand to start from adjacent locations of the inner lateral portion and end at adjacent locations of the outer lateral portion. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of forming the knitted fabric further comprises forming a sole portion, and the step of inlaying the plurality of inlaid strands further comprises enabling the first inlaid strand, the second inlaid strand, and the third inlaid strand to further extend to the sole portion from the inner lateral portion and the outer lateral portion. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the step of inlaying the plurality of inlaid strands comprises enabling the first inlaid strand, the second inlaid strand, and the third inlaid strand to start from and end at a middle portion of the sole portion, and the middle portion substantially corresponds to an arch portion of the foot. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the step of inlaying the plurality of inlaid strands comprises inlaying a single inlaid strand in the knitted fabric to form the first inlaid strand, the second inlaid strand, and the third inlaid strand. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the knitted fabric has an inner surface and an outer surface; the plurality of portions comprise a plurality of stitches formed by the at least one yarn; the step of inlaying the plurality of inlaid strands comprises enabling the plurality of inlaid strands to extend through the plurality of stitches to be in and out of the inner surface and the outer surface.