# US 9,775,401 B2 · Sole system for an article of footwear incorporating a knitted component with a one-piece knit outsole

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- Number: US 9,775,401 B2
- Document ID: US9775401B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/598,406
- Filed: 2015-01-16
- Published: 2016-07-21
- Granted: 2017-10-03
- Earliest claimed: 2015-01-16
- Assignees: NIKE, Inc.
- Applicants: NIKE, Inc.
- Inventors: Tory M. Cross; Daniel A. Podhajny
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9775401B2

## CPC

- A43B 13/122: {characterised by the outsole or external layer}
- A43B 13/12: Soles with several layers of different materials
- A43B 13/223: {Profiled soles}
- A43B 23/0245: {characterised by the constructive form}
- A43C 15/16: Studs {or cleats} for football or like boots
- D04B 1/16: synthetic threads
- D04B 1/22: specially adapted for knitting goods of particular configuration
- D10B 2501/043: Footwear
- A43B: CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43C: FASTENINGS OR ATTACHMENTS OF FOOTWEAR; LACES IN GENERAL
- D04B: KNITTING
- D10B: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBLASSES OF SECTION D, RELATING TO TEXTILES

## Abstract

An article of footwear including a sole system, including an upper and the sole system. The sole system includes a knitted component incorporating a one-piece knit outsole. The knit outsole has a ground-facing side, a top side, and a ground-engaging cleat member protruding from the ground-facing side of the knit outsole. The upper is connected at its bottom to the top side of the knit outsole.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of making a sole system for an article of footwear, the method comprising:
molding a one-piece knit outsole having a ground-facing side and a top side to form a ground-engaging cleat member, the ground-facing side having a bottom surface;
the ground-engaging cleat member protruding from the ground-facing side of the knit outsole,
wherein the ground-engaging cleat member is configured to penetrate into a ground surface adjacent to the sole system such that the bottom surface contacts the ground surface when the ground-engaging cleat member penetrates into the ground surface, wherein the one-piece knit outsole includes between 5 and 15 ground-engaging cleat members.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the one-piece outsole comprises fusible yarn.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein one-piece knit outsole further comprises a first yarn and a second yarn.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the ground-engaging cleat member is reinforced.

### Claim 5

A method of making a sole system for an article of footwear, the method comprising:
knitting a one-piece knitted component;
the one-piece knitted component comprising a knit outsole;
the knit outsole having a top side and a ground-facing side; and
knitting between 5 and 15 ground-engaging cleat members on the ground-facing side of the knit outsole.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the one-piece knitted component comprises fusible yarn.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the knitted component further comprises a first yarn and a second yarn.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein at least one ground-engaging cleat member is reinforced.

### Claim 9 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the ground-engaging cleat members are configured to penetrate into a ground surface adjacent to the sole system.