A shoe includes a sole having an insert piece and a layer of material disposed on a top surface of the insert piece; and an upper extending above the sole. The insert piece extends from at least one of a front or middle portion of the shoe to a rear of the shoe, with the top surface of the insert piece inclined upwardly toward the rear of the shoe and then leveling off at a rear portion of the shoe. A top surface of the layer of material is inclined upwardly from the at least one of the front or middle portion of the shoe to the rear of the shoe, such that at the rear portion of the shoe an angle of inclination is significantly greater for the top surface of the layer of material than for the top surface of the insert piece.

Flip flop sandals with a barrier around a perimeter of a sole. The barrier forms a continuous loop, thereby protecting the feet from wind and water in all directions. The flip flops comprise a medial strap, a lateral strap and a toe strap attached to the sole at locations interior to the barrier. The barrier protects the feet from water splashes, puddles, wet grass and wind. The barrier height can be in the range of 0.5-4 inches or 0.7-3 inches. Alternatively, the barrier height can be at least 40% or a length of the toe strap. The barrier can be made of closed cell foam or plastic film. The attachment between the sole and barrier can be water tight.

An improved sandal with several orthotic benefits is provided. The sandal has a unique combination of features that will be useful for the treatment and prevention of plantar fasciitis. The improved sandal has a medial split in the medial heel section of the sole. The medial split is designed so that it absorbs more energy than the other parts of the heel and promotes a lateral to medial rotation of the heel portion during the wearer's gait. In a preferred embodiment the sandal will include a rocker bottom sole and raised bed for the big toe that begins its rise at the metatarsophalangeal joint. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the sole of the sandal will also include a metatarsal bar that supports the transverse arch and an upward bend that that begins to rise from the sole at a point just forward of the end of the medial split and intersects with the metatarsal bar.

A sandal shoe comprising a flexible sole on the underside and a footbed on the upper side and releasable material, wherein the sole and the footbed comprise an elongate object of rollable bistable material, and a means for connecting releasable material to the sole and the footbed. Two embodiments thereof are described: the sole (2) and the footbed (3) enclose the rollable bistable material (4) or the footbed itself is the rollable bistable material. The means comprises for instance an attachment suitable for passage of releasable material, provided on the rear side of the footbed. An application for transporting the sandal shoe is further described wherein the sandal shoe is transported while rolled up, for instance in a bag or on an arm.

A footwear article comprising a generally elongate sole for engagement with and support of the foot of a person, said sole having an upper surface, a lower surface, a first portion being for interaction with at least the heel region of the foot of the person and a second portion for interaction with at least the metatarsal region of the foot of the person; and a foot engagement means for securing the footwear article to the foot of a person. The footwear article being characterized in that a first portion of the sole includes a first material having a first material property and the a second portion of the sole includes a second material having a second material property; and said first portion and said second portion extend at least to the upper surface of the sole and first material property provides for dampening of load imparted to the foot of the person upon contact with a surface.

Flip flops with a barrier circumscribing the flip flop sole. The barrier protects the feet from water splashes, puddles, wet grass and wind. The flip flops are open in a vertical direction, and therefore highly breathable. The barrier is waterproof and therefore provides excellent water protection. The barrier can be about 0.5-4 inches or about 0.7-3 inches tall. Alternatively, the barrier height can be at least 1/3, 40%, 1/2, 2/3, or 3/4 the length of a toe strap. The barrier can be made of closed cell foam or plastic film. The barrier can have attachment tabs for attachment to the sole. The attachment between the sole and barrier is water tight.

A method of manufacturing an article of footwear having an upper, a footbed, an outsole, and a bladder that is disposed between the footbed and the outsole includes providing a plurality of layers. The layers include a top, outsole, first bladder, and second bladder layer. Also, the method includes molding the layers together substantially simultaneously to form the upper, the footbed, the outsole, and the bladder.

A footwear ornamentation assembly includes at least one insert and a plurality of design members that can be mounted on the insert or a flip-flop for decoration purposes. The at least one insert is releasably affixed on top of a flip-flop sole. The plurality of design members present different appearances. A method for decorating a flip-flop using the flip-flop ornamentation assembly includes selecting the at least one insert from a plurality of inserts, affixing the selected insert to a top of the flip-flop sole, selecting one or more design members from the plurality of design members, and mounting the selected one or more design members to the at least one of the selected insert and the flip-flop.

A safety slipper (10) includes a stretchable fabric material upper portion (12) and a porous anti-skid lower portion. The upper portion has a foot opening (16) and a profile heel pocket (17). The lower portion (13) is made from a scrim cloth type material having a knit of polyester threads (21) coated with a soft poly-vinyl chloride outer layer (22). The lower portion provides for a cris-crossing pattern or matrix of interconnected nodes (23) with spaces (24) therebetween.