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NikePatent applicationClothing & sportInterest 6/10

Nike patents one-piece knit shoe upper with built-in ankle cuff

This filing describes a method for making a cleated shoe where the top part, including the ankle cuff, is created as a single, continuous piece of knitted fabric. The design uses specific zones around the ankle bones for fit and applies a polymer layer to separate the knit upper from the rest of the shoe before attaching the sole.

Why it mattersIt offers a cleaner, more integrated construction for athletic shoes by combining the upper and ankle support into one knit piece.

In the filing’s own words

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 exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A method of manufacturing a cleated shoe, the method comprising: knitting a first portion of an upper such that the first portion forms an instep area and an ankle cuff of the upper; knitting a second portion of the upper such that the second portion forms at least a portion of at least one of: a medial side, a lateral side, a forefoot region, and a heel region of the upper; forming a plurality of inner lace apertures and a plurality of outer lace apertures on each of the medial side and the lateral side of the upper, wherein the plurality of inner lace apertures are positioned closer to a longitudinal midline of the upper than the plurality of outer lace apertures on each of the medial side and the lateral side of the upper; applying a polymer layer to at least the second portion of the upper, such that the polymer layer forms a boundary demarcating the instep area and the ankle cuff from the lateral side, the medial side, the forefoot region, and the heel region; securing a sole structure comprising a plurality of cleat members to the upper; and incorporating a lace into the plurality of inner lace apertures and the plurality of outer lace apertures on each of the medial side and the lateral side of the upper.

Facts

Company
Nike (NIKE, Inc.)
Official title
ARTICLE OF FOOTWEAR INCORPORATING A KNITTED COMPONENT
Publication number
US20260256234A1
Application number
19658916
Filed
Apr 27, 2026
Published
Sep 3, 2026
Inventors
7
Claims
26

Classified under

A43B 1/04 Human necessitiesA43B 5/02 Human necessitiesA43B 7/20 Human necessitiesA43B 23/02 Human necessitiesA43B 23/0205 Human necessitiesA43B 23/0235 Human necessities
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.