Disclosed is a readily removable molded insert for footwear, including dress or casual shoes and sneakers. The insert may be manufactured from a variety of resiliently compressible, semi-rigid, and/or resiliently deformable materials and is designed for the purpose of maintaining the general shape and appearance of the upper section of a shoe. Embodiments of the insert are specifically designed to adapt to and conform to the shape of footwear and also to adapt to the contour of a user's foot while the footwear is being worn. The insert may be further cut, trimmed, or separated to fit a range of shoe sizes, by use of perforations along the outer rim of certain embodiments of the insert. Another embodiment of the insert may remain adhesively attached to the inside of the shoe, or it may be removed and repositioned within the shoe, as necessary.

In one embodiment, a storage device encloses the laces of footwear. The storage device comprises a lower member, an upper member, and a joint that permits articulated motion between the lower member and the upper member in a first direction along the longitudinal axis of the storage device. The upper member comprises an enclosure with an inner cavity that receives the laces therein. In one example, the outer member comprises a pair of closure members that articulate in a second direction toward the longitudinal axis.

A non-slip removable footwear insert includes an insert member and a non-slip material applied on an upper surface and a lower surface of the insert member. The insert member conforms to and is removably positioned on an inner surface of footwear. The upper surface of the insert member is proximal to a user contact surface, for example, a bottom surface of a user's foot, and distal to the inner surface of the footwear. The lower surface of the insert member is proximal to the inner surface of the footwear and distal to the user contact surface. The non-slip material applied on the upper surface and the lower surface of the insert member provides simultaneous gripping contact between the upper surface of the insert member and the user contact surface, and between the lower surface of the insert member and the inner surface of the footwear.

An article of clothing is disclosed herein. The article of clothing includes an item of footwear, a heel accessory, and a heel accessory fastener. The article of clothing is useful for providing a customizable item of footwear to which a heel accessory may be fastened with the use of a heel accessory fastener.

The present invention is directed to a new and improved footwear orientation training system including a first and second shoe having a toe portion, a heel portion, a bottom surface, a top portion, and an inner side. First and second attachment members extend from a first end distally to a second end, the first end of the attachment members affixed to the inner side of the shoes. A fastener comprises a first fastener segment and a second fastener segment, the first fastener segment joined to the second end of the first attachment member and the second fastener segment joined to the second end of the second attachment member. The first attachment member is manipulable to engage with the second attachment member at their respective said fastener segments, thereby connecting said left shoe and said right shoe.

A toe engaging apparatus or shoe insert includes one or more layers. Each layer is removably held to a neighboring planar layer. Each of the layers have a thickness, a longitudinal length, and a height; the height being such that the layers fits against a front wall of a target shoe. The layers are sized and shaped such that when affixed to the front wall area of the target shoe, the layers reduce the internal length of the target shoe, thereby effectively decreasing the size of the target shoe. The toe engaging apparatus optionally includes a mechanism for holding the plurality of layers against the front wall of the target shoe.

The convertible shoe consists of: a top portion having a stylized upper, a footbed, and an underside with bottom side attachment; an insert with top side attachment and a bottom side attachment; and a bottom portion having a top side attachment and a tread on the bottom. The top side attachment of the bottom portion and insert are identical, and the bottom side attachment of the top portion and insert are identical. The bottom side attachment is sized and configured to correspond to, and attach to, the top side attachment, such that the top portion can attach directly to the bottom portion to create a low-heeled shoe, or attach to the insert which is attached to the bottom portion to create a high-heeled shoe.

Footwear that connects a child's feet to an adult's feet for walk training or dance training of the child by the adult. The child's footwear has a first part of an attachment device such as hook-and-loop fastener material or a magnet on or in each sole. The adult footwear has a corresponding second part of the attachment device on or in the tops of the toe boxes. The adult can hold the child's hands to lift the child and place their feet on the adult's feet. This connects the soles of the child's footwear to the tops of the toe boxes of the adult footwear on contact in any of at least two orientations, including the child facing the adult for dancing, and the child facing away from the adult for walk training.

An apparatus includes a heel section, a mid-foot section, and a toe section. The heel section, the mid-foot section, and the toe section collectively have a geometric shape having a first slope of a polarity along an inner edge of the apparatus from the toe section to the heel section and a second slope of the polarity along the inner edge of the apparatus to an outer edge of the apparatus at the toe section.

According to one aspect, a shoe closure system and method for fastening a shoe closure system are provided. An exemplary system may comprise a shoe including at least two holes. A shoe lace may be configured to be threaded through each hole, where a first two-sided fastener has a first side integrated into the shoe lace and further has a second side integrated into a first location on the shoe. In an exemplary method, a first two-sided fastener may be fastened to a first location on a shoe having at least two holes. A second two-sided fastener may be threaded through the at least two holes. The second two-sided fastener may be fastened by coupling the first and second sides of the second two-sided fastener at a second location.