Athletic sock

Abstract

Athletic socks and associated methods of manufacturing are disclosed. An example athletic sock includes a body defining a closed end proximate a user's toes and an open end that at least partially encircle the user's leg. The sock includes an ankle portion formed of a cut-resistant material that at least partially surrounds the ankle of the user. The sock includes a leg portion extending between the ankle portion and the open end. The leg portion defines a calf section that surrounds at least a portion of the user's leg and a shin section that accommodates a shin guard received by the athletic sock. The sock includes a foot portion extending between the closed end and the ankle portion. The foot portion defines a heel section and toe sections that include tacky yarn knitted such that the same yarn is disposed on both an exterior and interior surface of the sock.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An athletic sock having a closed end configured to be disposed proximate a user's toes and an open end opposite the closed end and configured to at least partially encircle a user's leg, the athletic sock comprising:
 an ankle portion comprising a cut-resistant material, wherein the ankle portion is configured to at least partially surround the ankle of the user;   a leg portion extending between the ankle portion and the open end, wherein the leg portion defines:
 a calf section configured to surround at least a portion of the user's leg; and 
 a shin section configured to accommodate a shin guard received by the athletic sock; and 
   a foot portion extending between the closed end and the ankle portion, wherein the foot portion defines:
 a heel section configured to cover the heel of the user's foot; and 
 one or more toe sections configured to cover the toes and ball of the user's foot, wherein the heel section and the one or more toe sections comprise tacky yarn knitted such that the tacky yarn is disposed on both an exterior surface of the sock and an interior surface of the sock. 
   
     
     
         2 . The athletic sock according to  claim 1 , wherein the leg portion further comprises retention banding configured to prevent movement of the athletic sock with respect to the user's leg. 
     
     
         3 . The athletic sock according to  claim 2 , wherein the retention banding further comprises a first retention band comprising tacky yarn and a second retention band comprising tacky yarn, wherein the first retention band and the second retention band are knitted such that the tacky yarn is exposed on the interior surface of the sock. 
     
     
         4 . The athletic sock according to  claim 1 , wherein the foot portion further comprises a midfoot section extending between the heel section and the one or more toe sections, wherein the midfoot section is configured to impart compression on the user's foot. 
     
     
         5 . The athletic sock according to  claim 4 , wherein the midfoot section, the heel section, and the one or more toes sections are knitted via a flat knit knitting technique. 
     
     
         6 . The athletic sock according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more toe sections further comprise a top toe section and a bottom toe section, wherein the top toe section is knitted via a flat knit knitting technique and the bottom toe section is knitted via a terry loop knitting technique. 
     
     
         7 . The athletic sock according to  claim 1 , wherein the shin section is knitted so as to provide a first compression and the calf section is knitted so as to provide a second compression, wherein the second compression is greater than the first compression. 
     
     
         8 . The athletic sock according to  claim 1 , where the cut-resistant material comprises aramid fibers. 
     
     
         9 . A method of manufacturing an athletic sock having a closed end configured to be disposed proximate a user's toes and an open end opposite the closed end and configured to at least partially encircle a user's leg, the method comprising:
 knitting a body to define:
 a closed end configured to be disposed proximate a user's toes; and 
 an open end opposite the closed end and configured to at least partially encircle a user's leg; 
   knitting an ankle portion comprising a cut-resistant material, wherein the ankle portion is knitted so as to at least partially surround the ankle of the user;   knitting a leg portion extending between the ankle portion and the open end, wherein knitting the leg portion comprises:
 knitting a calf section configured to surround at least a portion of the user's leg; and 
 knitting a shin section configured to accommodate a shin guard received by the athletic sock; and 
   knitting a foot portion extending between the closed end and the ankle portion, wherein knitting the foot portion comprises:
 knitting a heel section configured to cover the heel of the user's foot; and 
 knitting one or more toe sections configured to cover the toes and ball of the user's foot, wherein the heel section and the one or more toe sections comprise tacky yarn knitted such that the tacky yarn is disposed on both an exterior surface of the sock and an interior surface of the sock. 
   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein knitting the leg portion further comprises knitting retention banding configured to prevent movement of the athletic sock with respect to the user's leg. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein knitting the retention banding further comprises knitting a first retention band comprising tacky yarn and a second retention band comprising tacky yarn, wherein the first retention band and the second retention band are knitted such that the tacky yarn is exposed on the interior surface of the sock. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein knitting the foot portion further comprises knitting a midfoot section extending between the heel section and the one or more toe sections, wherein the midfoot section is configured to impart compression on the user's foot. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the midfoot section, the heel section, and the one or more toes sections are knitted via a flat knit knitting technique. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein knitting the one or more toe sections further comprises knitting a top toe section and a bottom toe section, wherein the top toe section is knitted via a flat knit knitting technique and the bottom toe section is knitted via a terry loop knitting technique. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the shin section is knitted so as to provide a first compression and the calf section is knitted so as to provide a second compression, wherein the second compression is greater than the first compression. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 9 , where the cut-resistant material comprises aramid fibers. 
     
     
         17 . An athletic sock having a closed end configured to be disposed proximate a user's toes and an open end opposite the closed end and configured to at least partially encircle a user's leg, the athletic sock comprising:
 an ankle portion comprising a cut-resistant material, wherein the ankle portion is configured to at least partially surround the ankle of the user;   a leg portion extending between the ankle portion and the open end, wherein the leg portion is configured to surround at least a portion of the user's leg and defines retention banding configured to prevent movement of the athletic sock with respect to the user's leg; and   a foot portion extending between the closed end and the ankle portion, wherein the foot portion defines:
 a heel section configured to cover the heel of the user's foot; and 
 one or more toe sections configured to cover the toes and ball of the user's foot, wherein the heel section and the one or more toe sections comprise tacky yarn knitted such that the tacky yarn is disposed on both an exterior surface of the sock and an interior surface of the sock. 
   
     
     
         18 . The athletic sock according to  claim 17 , wherein the retention banding further comprises tacky yarn knitted such that the tacky yarn is exposed on the interior surface of the sock. 
     
     
         19 . The athletic sock according to  claim 17 , wherein the foot portion further comprises a midfoot section extending between the heel section and the one or more toe sections, wherein the midfoot section is configured to impart compression on the user's foot. 
     
     
         20 . The athletic sock according to  claim 17 , wherein the one or more toe sections further comprise a top toe section and a bottom toe section, wherein the top toe section is knitted via a flat knit knitting technique and the bottom toe section is knitted via a terry loop knitting technique.