Design and performance of the heel area based on knitted 3D full molding technology

This study investigates a fully fashioned, zone-specific knitting approach that integrates the heel of athletic shoe uppers into a one-piece structure. Eight fabrics—single-face and double-face variants produced with either high-tenacity or standard polyester drawn-textured yarns—were knitted on a four-needle-bed flat-knitting machine and evaluated through warp- and weft-direction tensile and tear tests, air- and moisture-vapour permeability measurements, PhabrOmeter hand analysis, and digital-image correlation of heel deformation. Statistical analysis shows that macro-structure governs mechanical strength, drape, and hand, while high-tenacity yarns supply a secondary but beneficial increase in breaking load and permeability. Seamless heels sustained roughly 40% higher tensile forces and exhibited more homogeneous lateral contraction than stitched heels, confirming that integrated construction can simultaneously improve support, durability, and wearer comfort in knitted footwear uppers.