Sustainable Footwear Article

This non-provisional patent application is a divisional of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/121,365, filed Mar. 14, 2023, and titled “Sustainable Footwear Article,” which in turn claims priority to U.S. provisional app. No. 63/320,078, filed Mar. 15, 2022, and titled “Sustainable Footwear Article,” and priority to U.S. provisional app. No. 63/320,125 filed Mar. 15, 2022, and titled “Articles of Footwear Having Modular, Replaceable, and/or Recyclable Parts,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Aspects herein relate to a sustainable article of footwear with a upper component formed of a knitted component and one or more sole components.

Conventional articles of footwear generally include an upper component and a sole component. The upper component is secured to the sole component and forms an interior chamber within the article of footwear for comfortably and securely receiving a foot. The upper component of the article of footwear generally extends over the instep and toe areas of the foot, along the medial and lateral sides of the foot, and around the heel area of the foot. Access to the interior chamber of the upper component cis generally provided by an ankle opening in a heel area of the footwear. A lacing system is often incorporated into the upper to adjust the fit of the upper, thereby facilitating entry and removal of the foot from the chamber within the upper.

Upper and sole components of conventional articles of footwear are often secured together using adhesive, stitching, or a combination thereof. In this way, they cannot easily be deconstructed into separate parts or easily recycled. In other words, when one component of the article of footwear becomes worn down, the entire article is replaced instead of a single component. Additionally, even where a use of an entire article of footwear is no longer desired, materials traditionally used to secure the upper and sole components together often impede easy recycling of the article of footwear. This impediment may be due to the materials themselves not being recyclable or due to the additional effort to separate the components, which are often made of different types of materials and are recycled according to different processes.

The subject matter of the present invention is described with specificity herein to meet statutory requirements. However, the description itself is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Rather, the inventors have contemplated that the claimed or disclosed subject matter might also be embodied in other ways, to include different steps or combinations of steps similar to the ones described in this document, in conjunction with other present or future technologies. Moreover, although the terms “step” and/or “block” might be used herein to identify different elements of methods employed, the terms should not be interpreted as implying any particular order among or between various steps herein disclosed unless and except when the order of individual steps is explicitly stated.

As described, certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to articles of footwear or aspects thereof. The term “article of footwear” or “footwear article” or “footwear” refers to any type of wearable apparel for the feet, including any shoe or boot. Illustrative, non-limiting examples of footwear includes athletic or sport-specific shoes, such as basketball shoe, a biking shoe, a cross-training shoe, a global football (soccer) shoe, an American football shoe, a bowling shoe, a golf shoe, a hiking shoe, a ski or snowboarding boot, a tennis shoe, a running shoe, and a walking shoe. Example footwear may also include various types of non-athletic shoes, such as a dress shoe, a loafer, and a sandal. Accordingly, the concepts disclosed with respect to articles of footwear apply to a wide variety of footwear types.

Positional terms used when describing the article of footwear and components thereof, such as top, bottom, front, sides, back, superior, inferior, anterior, posterior, lateral, medial, right, left, interior, exterior, and the like, are used with respect to the article of footwear being worn as intended with the wearer standing upright such that the wearer's foot is in the foot-receiving chamber and the wearer's ankle or leg extends through the ankle opening. It should be understood, however, that use of positional terms do not depend on the actual presence of a human being for interpretative purposes.

The term “knitted upper component,” as used herein, refers to a textile piece used for an upper that is formed from at least one yarn that is manipulated (e.g., with a knitting machine) to form a plurality of intermeshed loops that define courses and wales. The term “course,” as used herein, refers to a predominantly horizontal row of knit loops (in an upright textile as knit) that are produced by adjacent needles during the same knitting cycle. The course may comprise one or more stitch types, such as a knit stitch, a held stitch, a float stitch, a tuck stitch, a transfer stitch, a rib stitch, and the like as these terms are known in the art of knitting. The term “knit stitch,” as used herein, refers to the basic stitch type where the yarn is cleared from the needle after pulling a loop of the yarn from the back to the front of the textile through a previous stitch. The term “wale,” as used herein, refers to a predominantly vertical column of intermeshed or interlooped knit loops, generally produced by the same needle at successive (but not necessarily all) courses or knitting cycles. The terms “horizontal” and “vertical” as used herein are relative to an upright textile as knit in which the heads of knit loops face toward the top of the textile and the course knit first is oriented towards the bottom of the textile.

The term “integrally knit,” as used herein, refers to a knit textile (such as a knitted upper component) having a yarn from one or more knitted courses in a first area being interlooped with one or more knitted courses of another area. The interlooping may be through a simple knit stitch, a tuck stitch, a held stitch, a float or miss stitch, and the like. In this way, areas that are integrally knit together have a seamless transition.

There are various numerical measurements provided herein. Unless indicated otherwise, the term “about” or “substantially” with respect to a measurement means within ±10% of the indicated value.

and B depict a lateral side view and a medial side view, respectively, of an example article of footwear. The footwearincludes an uppersecured to a sole structure. The uppermay extend partially or completely around the foot of a wearer and may extend under the foot of a wearer. The footwearmay be divided into three general regions: a toe region, a midfoot region, and a heel region. The toe regiongenerally includes portions of the footwearcorresponding to the toes and joints connecting the metatarsals with the phalanges when the footwearis worn. As described further herein, the toe regionmay include an anterior portionand a posterior portion. The midfoot regiongenerally includes portions of the footwearcorresponding with an arch of the foot when the footwearis worn. The heel regiongenerally corresponds with rear portions of the foot, including the heel and calcaneus bone when the footwearis worn. The footwearalso includes a lateral sideand a medial side, which may be defined by a longitudinal midline reference plane of the footwear. Each of the lateral sideand the medial sideextend through regions,, and, and correspond to opposite sides of the footwear. More particularly, the lateral sidecorresponds with an outside area of the foot (i.e., the side that faces away from the other foot) when the footwearis worn, while the medial sidecorresponds with an inside area of the foot (i.e., the side that faces towards the other foot) when the footwearis worn. These regions,, andand sidesandare not intended to demarcate precise areas of the footwearbut, rather, are intended to represent general areas of the footwearto aid in understanding the various descriptions provided herein.

The sole structuregenerally extends between the foot and the ground when the footwearis worn. The sole structuremay be configured to attenuate forces, enhance stability and/or provide traction to the footwear. In exemplary aspects, the sole structureincludes a midsole component. Further, aspects may include an exterior sole componentthat forms a ground-contacting surface. It should be understood that aspects of footwearmay exclude the exterior sole componentsuch that the midsole componentforms a ground-contracting surface. As such, any discussion of footwearand components thereof that is not expressly limited to the exterior sole componentmay be present in an aspect in which the exterior sole component is absent.

Additional sole components, such as an insole component (which also may be referred to as a sock liner), may be used. Various materials may be used to form the sole structure, such as rubber, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), thermoplastic elastomer (e.g., polyether block amide), and the like. In example aspects, the midsole componentand exterior sole componentprovide sufficient protection, stability, and support without the need for a separate heel counter or toe cap. But it is contemplated that, in other aspects, additional features for attenuating forces, enhancing stability, and/or providing traction, like a heel counter or toe cap may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

The upperdefines a chamber within the footwearfor receiving and securing a foot relative to the sole structure. Access to the chamber is provided by an ankle openinglocated in at least the heel region. The size of the ankle openingand fit of the upperaround a wearer's foot may be adjusted by a fastening system. The example fastening system depicted ininclude a laceextending across a throat area.

At least a portion of the uppermay be formed of at least one knitted upper component. In some aspects, the entire upperor substantially the entire the upperis formed of the knitted upper component. The knitted upper componentmay be formed as a single integral one-piece element during a knitting process, such as weft knitting, warp knitting, or any other suitable knitting process. Forming the upperwith the knitted upper componentmay provide the upperwith advantageous characteristics including, but not limited to, a particular degree of elasticity, breathability, bendability, strength, moisture absorption, weight, abrasion resistance, and/or a combination thereof. Further, forming the upperfrom an integrally knit knitted upper componentmay enable formation of various features and structures of the upperwithout the need for significant additional manufacturing steps or processes, thereby increasing production efficiency. Forming the upperwith the knitted upper componentmay further increase the recyclability of the upper. The knitted upper componentmay be formed entirely from material that is easily recyclable, such as a polyester yarn and because of the ability of the knitted upper componentto provide desired characteristics within the knitted component itself, the need to use additional components that may not be recyclable or as easily recyclable is removed.

In exemplary aspects, the upperand sole structureare coupled together without the use of adhesive or stitching to allow for easy deconstruction as well as construction of the footwear. Traditional footwear is typically made without the intention that a consumer would deconstruct the footwear and, as such, the upper and sole structure(s) of traditional footwear are typically secured together in a manner that inhibits deconstruction and reuse, such as through adhesives and/or stitching. In contrast, aspects of the footwearare constructed in a way that allows for easy deconstruction for recycling and/or reusing components of the footwear, including the knitted upper component, the midsole component, and the exterior sole component. As such, the footwearincludes a mechanical engagement mechanism by which the knitted upper component, the midsole component, and the exterior sole componentare secured to one another through a mechanical interaction without the use of adhesives or stitching.

In exemplary aspects and as described further with respect tobelow, protrusions in the midsole componentextend through openings in the knitted upper componentsuch that the knitted upper componentcan lock around the midsole component, and the exterior sole componentmay similarly engage with protrusions in the midsole component. For example,depicts an exploded view of a the footwearhaving the knitted upper component, the midsole component, the exterior sole component. The midsole componentmay fit within a chamber of the knitted upper componentaccess through the ankle opening, which may be enlarged by pulling back on an overfoot knit panelas described further herein. When the midsole componentis positioned inside the knitted upper component, protrusions (such as lateral-side protrusionsL and medial-side protrusionsM) on the midsole componentextend through openingson the knitted upper component. The exterior sole componentmay wrap around the combined knitted upper componentand midsole component. The lateral-side protrusionsL and medial-side protrusionsM of the midsole componentmay extend through openings, such as lateral-side openingsL and medial-side openingsM of the exterior sole component.

depicts a top perspective view of the midsole component, anddepicts a bottom view of the midsole component. The midsole componentincludes a top side, a bottom side, a lateral side, and a medial side. The top sidegenerally corresponds with a superior portion of the midsole componentthat is oriented towards a person's foot when the footwearis being worn. The bottom sideis opposite the top sideand generally corresponds with a bottom portion oriented away from the wearer's foot and towards the ground, floor, or other surface when the footwearis being worn. The lateral sideextends between the top sideand the bottom sideon the lateral sideof the footwear, and the medial side, which is opposite the lateral side, extends between the top sideand the bottom sideon the medial sideof the footwear.

The bottom sideof the midsole componentincludes a plurality of protrusions, including a first protrusionA, a second protrusionB, and a third protrusionC, which may be collectively referred to herein as the protrusions. The protrusionsextend outward from a recessed bottom surfaceof the bottom sideand toward a ground, floor or other external surface when the footwearis worn. Each protrusionincludes a protruding bottom surfacethat forms the surface of the protrusionthat is farthest form the top side, and also includes side wallsthat extend between the surfaceand the recessed bottom surface. In some aspects, these side wallsmay be continuous surfaces without ridges or recesses.

Recesses(or grooves) are formed between side wallsof adjacent protrusions. The first protrusionA may generally be located within a heel regionof the footwear; the second protrusionB may generally be located within the midfoot regionof the footwear, and the third protrusionC may generally be located within the toe regionof the footwear.

The midsole componentmay also include a protrusions along the lateral side, medial side, anterior side, and/or posterior side, where these protrusions extend outward from the midsole componentin a direction generally perpendicular to the direction in which the protrusionson the bottom sideextend. For example, lateral-side protrusionsL extend outward from recessed lateral surfacesL along the lateral sideof the midsole component. Lateral-side recessesL are created between adjacent lateral-side protrusionsL. Medial-side protrusionsM extend outward from recessed medial surfacesM along the medial sideof the midsole component, and medial-side recessesM are created between adjacent medial-side protrusionsM. Further, a posterior-side protrusionP extends outward from recessed posterior surfacesP on the posterior sideand is positioned between two posterior-side recessesP. As shown in the example implementation shown in, a lateral anterior-side protrusionLA and a medial anterior-side protrusionMA may be adjacent anterior-side recessesA. The lateral anterior-side protrusionLA may be positioned to extend long both the lateral sideand the anterior sideof the midsole component, and the medial anterior-side protrusionMA may be positioned to extend long both the medial sideand the anterior sideof the midsole component.

The protrusionsmay have distal surfaces (i.e., bottom surfaces) facing away from the midsole componentthat have ribs or raised structures, which may provide traction and/or increased durability. An example of such raised structure is illustrated inbut removed from other views to not obstruct the view of other features. The distal surfaces of the protrusionson the bottom sideof the midsole componentmay have holes or cavities, which may aid in flexion and/or ground-force attenuation of the midsole component.

The locations of the protrusions,L,M,P,MA, andLA on the midsole componentmay correspond to openings in the knitted upper componentand/or opening in the exterior sole componentthat receive one or more of the protrusions.

depicts a lateral side view of the upperwith the knitted upper componentfolded into the shape of an upper and fastened with a fastening system, such as the lace. The knitted upper componentforms an overfoot portionand a lower portionof the upper. The overfoot portionforms a superior aspect of the upperin that it extends over the top and at least partway down the lateral and medial sides of a wearer's foot when the footwearis being worn. The overfoot portionextends at least through the toe regionand the midfoot region. The lower portionof the upper is configured to extend underneath a wearer's foot (either directly or separated by one or more sole components). The lower portionextends through the toe region, the midfoot region, and the heel region. The transition between the overfoot portionand the lower portionis represented by the dashed linein. Together, the overfoot portionand the lower portiondefine an interior chamber that may be accessed at least through the ankle opening.

The overfoot portionof the upperis formed by a main body portionof the knitted upper componentthat generally includes a continuous knit structure extending from within the toe region, through the midfoot region, and to the heel region. In contrast, a midsole containment portionof the knitted upper componentincludes a plurality of knit stripsthat define openingsin the knitted upper component.

The midsole containment portionis generally configured to engage with protrusions and recesses of the midsole componentto help keep the midsole componentcontained when in the interior chamber defined by the knitted upper componentas shown in, which depict a bottom perspective view and a bottom view, respectively, of the knitted upper componentcoupled to the midsole component. The knitted upper componentis depicted as solid black in(as well as inand) only for purposes of distinguishing the knitted upper component from the midsole componentin those views.

The lower portionof the knitted upper componentincludes stripsthat are integrally knitted together and define a plurality of openingsin the lower portion. Openingsat least partially defined by stripsthat extend between the lower portionand the overfoot portionare located partially in the lower portionand partially in the overfoot portion.

The knit stripsof the knitted upper componentinclude a first lower knit stripA and a second lower knit stripB each extending continuously from the lateral sideto the medial sideon the lower portion. Each of the first lower knit stripA and the second lower knit stripB are positioned within a recessdefined by adjacent protrusions of the midsole component. For example, the first lower knit stripA of the knitted upper componentis positioned within a recess between the first protrusionA and the second protrusionB on the bottom sideof the midsole component, while the second lower knit stripB of the knitted upper componentis positioned within a recess between the second protrusionB and the third protrusionC on the bottom sideof the midsole component.

The knit stripsalso include strips extending in a longitudinal direction, such as a third lower knit stripC and a fourth lower knit stripD. The third lower knit stripC of the knitted upper componentis positioned between the second protrusionB on the bottom sideand one or more protrusionson the lateral sideof the midsole component, while the fourth lower knit stripD is positioned between the second protrusionB and one or more protrusions on the medial sideof the midsole component. Each of the third and fourth lower knit stripsC andD continuously extend between the first and second lower knit stripsA andB, and lower knit stripsA-D collectively define an openingthrough which a protrusion of the midsole component(the second protrusionB) extends.

Similarly, knit stripsextending up the sides of the knitted upper componentmay be positioned within recessesL,M,P,A between protrusionsL,M,P,LA, andMA. There may be some frictional engagement between the knit stripsof the knitted upper componentand the protrusions,L,M,P,LA, andM that help keep the knit stripsin place around the midsole component. In some aspects, there may be an additional mechanism to keep the knit stripsin place around the midsole component. For example, there may be removable securement devices that secure at least some of the knit stripsto the midsole componentas shown in.

depicts an example aspect in which removable securement deviceshelp secure the knit stripsaround the midsole component.shows the bottom sideand the top sideof the midsole component. While the view of the bottom sideincludes the knitted upper component, the knitted upper componenthas been removed from the top sideview so as to not obstruct the top side. The midsole componentincludes securement openingsextending from the top sideto the bottom sideof the midsole component. These openingsextend from a top-side surfaceon the top sideto the recessed bottom surfaceon the bottom side(which is visible in). Each removable securement deviceextends through a knit stripthat lays adjacent the recessed bottom surface, through a securement opening. After extending at least partially through a securement opening, the securement devices mechanically engages with the midsole componentin the inside of the openingor on the top-side surface, to keep the securement devicein place.

In this example, the removable securement devicesmay be referred to as pins or snaps. Each removable securement deviceincludes a first end, a second end, and a middle sectionbetween the first endand the second end. The first endmay include flanges made of a pliable material. When the first endextends through the securement opening, the flanges may flex inward toward the middle sectionso that the width or diameter of first endis at least partially reduced so that it is less than the width or diameter of the securement opening. In some aspects, the first endextends completely through the securement openingso that the flanges on the first endmay return to their extended positon and lock to the top-side surfacearound the securement opening. In other aspects, the first enddoes not exit the securement openingon the top sidebut, rather, engages with a structure within the securement openingso that the removable securement devicedoes not fall out of the securement openingon the bottom side. The middle sectionof the removable securement devicemay be configured to extend through and be positioned within the securement openingwhen the first endis engaged.

The second endof the removable securement devicemay be wider than the middle section. In some aspects, the securement openingis tapered or otherwise has a varied width, and the second endextends partway through the openingbut is unable to extend further when the width of the securement openingnarrows, which may help prevent the removable securement devicefrom falling out through the securement openingon the top side.

The removable securement devicesmay be removable in that a user may be able to remove them upon applying sufficient force, such as by pulling on the second ends. In this way, the removable securement devicesmay help keep the knitted upper componentsecured around the midsole componentwithout the use of adhesives, stitching or other mechanisms that would impede the ability to easily deconstruct the footwear. In exemplary aspects, the removable securement devicesare made from recyclable material.

depict a lateral side perspective view and a bottom side view of the exterior sole component. The exterior sole componentincludes a medial sideand a lateral side. The exterior sole componentfurther includes an underfoot portionand an upper portion. The underfoot portionis configured to extend underfoot when the footwearis worn, such that the underfoot portionmay form a ground-contacting surface for the footwear. The upper portionis configured to extend along and over portions of the knitted upper componentwhen the footwearis assembled.

The exterior sole componentincludes openings on at least the medial sideand the lateral sideconfigured to receive protrusions of the midsole component. For example, lateral-side openingsL on the exterior sole componentare configured to receive lateral-side protrusionsL on the midsole component, and medial side openingsM are configured to receive medial-side protrusionsM when the midsole componentis received within the exterior sole component.

The underfoot portionof the exterior sole componentmay include recesses for receiving protrusions of the midsole component. Particularly, the recessesA,B, andC (which may be collectively referred to as recesses) of the exterior sole componentmay receive the protrusionsA,B, andC, respectively, on the bottom sideof the midsole component. The recesseseach include a recessed surfacethat is positioned below the top-side surfaceof the underfoot portionthat extends between recesses. When the footwearis assembled, the recessed surfaceof the exterior sole componentis positioned adjacent to and contacts the bottom protruding surfaceon the bottom sideof the midsole component. The top-side surfaceof the underfoot portionof the exterior sole componentmay be positioned to be adjacent to and contact at least a portion of the knit stripsof the knitted upper componentwhen the footwearis assembled.

In the example exterior sole componentdepicted in, the recessesin the underfoot portionreceive protrusionsof the midsole componentwhile preventing the protrusionsfrom extending all the way through the underfoot portionof the exterior sole component. In this way, the exterior sole componentmay provide the ground contacting surface when the footwearis assembled. For example, protruding bottom surfaceof the exterior sole componentthat forms the surface opposite the recessed surfacemay form the ground contacting surface. It is contemplated that, in other aspects, recesseson the underfoot portionof the exterior sole componentmay be openings (similar to openingsof the knitted upper component) such that the protrusionsof the midsole componentmay extend completely through the underfoot portionof the exterior sole componentto form ground-contacting surfaces.

The protruding bottom surfaceof the recesseson the opposite side of the underfoot portionmay include traction elements.depicts a bottom side view of an aspect of the exterior sole componentin which traction elementsare applied to the protruding bottom surface. Particularly, traction componentseach having a plurality of traction elements(such as protrusions or cleats) may be applied to the protruding bottom surfaceof the recessesA,B, andC (which may form protrusions when viewed from the bottom side of the exterior sole component). These traction componentsmay have substantially the same size and shape as the protruding bottom surfacesof these recessesA,B, andC. Further, traction componentsmay be made from a thermoplastic polymer material like the rest of the exterior sole component. For example, the traction componentsand the exterior sole componentmay be made from a thermoplastic polyurethane material. The traction componentsand the exterior sole componentmay be co-molded together such that they may effectively form a unitary structure. In this way, the traction componentsmay be recycled along with the exterior sole component

depicts the exterior sole componentwrapped around the midsole componentand the knitted upper component. While some details of the knitted upper componentmay been removed infor clarity, it should be understood that the knitted upper componentinshould be the same or similar to the knitted upper component of.

provides a schematic representation of a sustainable systemfor articles of footwear in accordance with aspects of the disclosure. The article of footwearofmay be constructed so that the components,, and, may be separated without substantial burden such that a user may separate the components,, orwithout ripping, tearing or otherwise destroying the integrity of the individual components,, and. In this way, the footwearmay be easily deconstructed from recycling the raw materials of the individual components,, oror for re-using components in another article of footwear with different combinations of components.

As shown in, footwearmay be deconstructed so that the exterior sole componentis removed from around the midsole componentand the knitted upper component, and the midsole componentis removed from the interior chamber of the knitted upper component. One or more of these components may be recycled for the creation of additional articles of footwear,, and.

In some aspects, the materials from the components,, andare recyclable materials such that they may be used to form new components for footwear articles,, and. For example, the footwearmay have a knitted upper component with yarns derived from the knitted upper componentwhere the knitted upper componentno longer exists in its original form. The footwearmay have a midsole component comprising a thermoplastic polymer material component recycled from the midsole componentof footwearwhere the midsole componentno longer exists in its original form. The footwearmay have an exterior sole component comprising a thermoplastic polymer material component recycled the exterior sole componentwhere the exterior sole componentno longer exists in its original form. Further, it should be understood that any of footwear articles,, andmay have multiple components made from recycled materials from a no-longer existing footwear. For example, footwearmay have a knitted upper component with yarns derived from a no-longer existing knitted upper, a midsole component comprising a thermoplastic polymer material component recycled a no-longer existing midsole component, and an exterior sole component comprising a thermoplastic polymer material component recycled a no-longer existing exterior sole component.

In other aspects, any of the components,, andmay be recycled in their entirety into a new footwear, rather than their materials being recycled to form new components. For example, new footwearmay include the knitted upper component. New footwearmay include the midsole component. New footwearmay include the exterior sole component. In this way, components that are being worn down may be replaced while other component(s) may still be used. This provides a more sustainable option than replacing an entire footwear when one of the components,, oris worn or broken. Additionally, it allows for greater options for a wearer's footwear. For example, a wearer may own multiple knitted upper components of different colors or styles that each fit with the midsole componentand the exterior sole componentand may switch out the knitted upper components for different uses of the footwear. Different midsole components and/or different exterior sole components may be similarly swapped out for different uses. Further, customized footwear may be easier in different colors and/or styles of the individual components may be manufactured ahead of time, and a user may select the desired colors and/or styles for each of the knitted upper component, midsole component, and exterior sole component. The user may even be able to assemble the footwearfrom the selected components.

As previously described, in some aspects of system, the knitted upper component, the midsole component, and the exterior sole componentmay each be recycled and incorporated into separate articles of footwear,, and. But it is contemplated that multiple components from footwear in the systemmay be recycled into the same new footwear. For example, the knitted upper componentand the midsole componentfrom footwearmay be used in a new footwear having a new exterior sole component. The knitted upper componentand the exterior sole componentfrom footwearmay be used together in a new footwear having a new midsole component. Similarly, the midsole componentand the exterior sole componentfrom footwearmay be used together in a new footwear having a new knitted upper component.

depicts an exploded view of another embodiment of footwear. Footwearmay have the same features as previously described with respect to, but may include an insole componentthat is configured to be positioned on top of the midsole componentinside the interior chamber of the knitted upper component. The insole componentincludes a top surfacegenerally configured to face the wearer's foot when the footwearis worn, and a bottom surfaceopposite the top surface and generally configured to face toward the midsole component. The insole componentmay have insole engagement protrusionsextending downward from the bottom surfaceof the insole componentand engage with openings on the top sideof the midsole component. In exemplary aspects, no adhesives or stitching is used to couple the midsole componentand the insole component. The insole componentmay provide a smoother and more comfortable surface for a wearer to place his or her foot when the footwearis worn. The insole componentmay be constructed from recyclable material, such as a thermoplastic polyurethane or other recyclable thermoplastic polymer material. The insole componentmay also be easily removed from the midsole componentthrough the use of some force.

depicts a planar view of the knitted upper componentin an unfolded configuration, anddepicts a lateral side perspective view when the knitted upper componentis folded and contains the midsole component. As previously discussed, the knitted upper componentmay be formed from recyclable materials, such as polyester yarn. Further, in some aspects, yarn forming the knitted upper componentmay be recycled from a no-longer existing item, such as a no-longer existing knitted upper component. As such, the yarns forming the knitted upper componentmay be recycled and further recyclable.

The constructions of the knitted upper componentmay further aid in the use of the knitted upper componentin a modular footwear system as described above with respect tothat enable easy recycling and/or customization of the footwear. For example, the knitted upper componentmay be knitted in a shape that allows for creation of a large opening through the ankle openingso that the midsole componentmay be inserted into and removed from the interior chamber of the knitted upper component.

The knitted upper componentincludes an overfoot knit panel, a lateral knit panel, a medial knit panel, and a lower knit panel. The overfoot knit panel, the lateral knit panel, and the medial knit panelmay generally form the main body portionof the knitted upper component, while the lower knit panelmay generally form the midsole containment portion. Although referred to as panels, it should be understood that these components of the knitted upper componentmay have a unitary knit construction such that they are integrally formed as a single textile piece on a knitting machine. As such, panels,,, andmay be seamlessly connected to one another through knitted stitches in one or more regions. In other aspects, one or more of these panels may be knit separately and stitched together. Even where knit panels are stitched together, the article of footwearmay otherwise not include stitching between the knitted upper componentand the midsole componentor the exterior sole component.

The lateral knit panelmay form a lateral aspect of the overfoot portionof the upper. Particularly, the lateral knit panelextends along the lateral side, from within the anterior portionof the toe regionat least towards the heel region. The lateral knit panelincludes a lateral-panel top edgehaving a first endand a second endopposite the first end. The first endof the lateral-panel top edgeterminates in the anterior portionof the toe region.