Patent ID: 8745895

Claim:
An article of footwear comprising: a knitted element that includes a knitted foot-receiving portion and a first knitted strap formed of unitary construction with the foot-receiving portion, the foot-receiving portion shaped to extend around a foot and defining a void for receiving the foot, the foot-receiving portion including an opening that provides access to the void; the foot-receiving portion including a lateral side and a medial side extending along a longitudinal direction of the article of footwear, the lateral side and the medial side each having an outward-facing exterior side surface oriented approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; the first knitted strap having a planar configuration defined by a length and a first width at a first end and a second width at a second end; wherein the first knitted strap is joined to the foot-receiving portion at the outward-facing exterior side surface adjacent to the opening of the foot-receiving portion, the first end of the first knitted strap being formed of unitary knit construction with the foot-receiving portion throughout the extent of the first width and being oriented along the longitudinal direction of the article of footwear; and wherein the first knitted strap extends outward and away from the outward-facing exterior side surface of the foot-receiving portion on at least one of the lateral side and medial side of the foot-receiving portion.