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While all agree on the promise, knits do seem to have some negatives. "Knit
shoes are the trend for wearability, but not any shoe has nailed it for performance
and functionality," says Topher Gaylord, GM & SVP, Run at Under Armour. "A
lot of knit uppers provide a great socklike feel, but the foot is swimming around.
They might be nice for walking, but not what a real running shoe needs." Knits
are also less breathable and can be stiff and rough to the touch. "Either knit is
very supportive, but then it is stiff, or else it is soft—but having both in the same
shoe is quite hard to achieve," says David Allemann, co-founder of On, which is
sticking with the proven functionality of engineered mesh until knits improve.
The majority of brands, however, are using knit in some product. Many are
in the second round of knit design and are now combining other materials and
layers with the knit uppers to enhance foot-hold or create softer feel. The promise
of one-piece uppers, created with no waste, seems at least a generation away.
Knits are improving rapidly, however, and fully-engineered, 3D knit uppers with
dialed-in, custom zones should arrive soon. In the meantime, today's uppers, even
with a few layers, are lighter, more flexible and more adaptive to foot movement
than ever.
Nothing Is Standard
Beyond knowing where to hold and where to relax, good fit is further complicated
by the huge variety of foot shapes, even at rest. Arch shape, instep height, toe
length, heel width—all of these and more vary from runner to runner. White
BROOKS
BEDLAM
To add control to its circular-knit
upper, Brooks uses a reinforced
burrito-wrap tongue to lock down
the midfoot and provide more sup-
port on the medial side, enhances
the engineered zones to better
stretch or support where desired,
and debuts a rib-knit collar that
hugs the ankle with a sock-like fit.
