An insole for offloading injuries on an area of a plantar surface of a patient's foot includes a body having a shape corresponding to the plantar surface of the patient's foot including a top surface and a bottom surface; and at least one supportive, deformable, deflatable bubble chamber. The at least one bubble chamber extends from the top surface of the body. The at least one bubble chamber is configured to be deflated to relieve pressure on the plantar surface of the patient's foot. A kit including the insole and an article of footwear including a sole, an upper connected about a periphery of the sole defining an interior of the article of footwear, and the insole positioned in the interior of the article, are also provided.

The present invention teaches a method of making a custom article of footwear. Further, the article of footwear can include a knitted upper and means for cushioning. In addition, the components of the article of footwear can be selected from a wide range of options, and can be easily removed and replaced, as desired.

A fastening device for connecting identified openings, including: an elongated main body member defining a longitudinal axis, the main body member having a first end portion and a second end portion at opposite ends of the longitudinal axis; first and second tip end members located at the first end portion and second end portion of the body, respectively, the first and second tip end members each adapted to fit through one of the identified openings; and a first deformable interference portion located between the main body member and the first tip end member, and a second deformable interference portion located between the main body and the second tip end member; where the first and second deformable interference portions are each normally located in a rest state where they define an outer dimension that prevents their passage through one of the identified openings. Other embodiments, features and methods are also described.

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.

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.

Disclosed herein is an article of footwear, more typically characterized as a boot, having a handgun holster permanently attached to its extended upper portion. The holster and handgun are easily concealed beneath a pant leg extending over the outer extended upper portion of the boot, and the handgun is easily accessible when needed. The holster is indirectly yet permanently attached to the extended upper portion of the boot in a manner that permits normal flexing of the boot while the wearer engages in all routine physical activities.

A device for directly securing the heel of the foot of a wearer to the interior of a rear heel cap of a shoe. The device can include a first portion for adhering directly to the skin of the heel of the wearer's foot. The device can include a second portion for adhering directly to the material of the interior heel of the shoe. The device can be particularly useful in connection with shoes leaving the upper portion of the foot exposed without securing straps and having high heels. The device is subject to a shear force between the first and second portions when worn as opposed to a tensile force more commonly exhibited when a base of an implement is attached to the sole of a shoe.

Methods and high heel foot wear pads help provide arch support and may include a soft pliable foot engageable sheet for fitting into a high heel foot wear to engage the downwardly sloping arch engageable portion of its inner sole. A fastener on the underside of the sheet is adapted to secure the pad in place on the sloping arch engaging inner sole of the high heel foot wear. An arch support component may be mounted to the underside of the sheet spaced from the edges of the sheet to help support the foot of the wearer.

A footwear-based gymnastics-training device for enabling a user to temporarily retain the user's feet in a together position, the footwear-based gymnastics-training device. The device having a pair of footwear constructions, the pair of footwear constructions being a left foot construction and a right foot construction, the left and right foot constructions being outfittable upon the user's left and right feet. Matable temporary fastening means are cooperably associated with the left and right foot constructions for temporarily fastening the left and right foot constructions together when outfitted upon the user's left and right feet, the pair of footwear constructions and matable temporary fastening means thus being cooperable for temporarily retaining the user's feet in the together position.

An ankle support having a leg portion connected sidewardly and rearwardly to a foot portion by at least one elongate resilient C-shaped member extending vertically on at least one medial or lateral side of an Achilles tendon of a wearer, wherein the at least one C-shaped member opens forwardly around at least one medial or lateral malleoli of the wearer, and wherein the at least one C-shaped member is constructed and arranged to allow natural functional ankle movement in both dorsiflexion and plantar flexion with minimal impedance while controllably inhibiting rolling ankle movement in inversion or eversion.