Foldable Sandal

Abstract

A foldable sandal includes a forefoot portion that is adapted to be disposed under a front portion of a wearer's foot, a rear-foot portion that is adapted to be disposed under a rear portion of the wearer's foot, and a folding member outsole that functions as the folding member and the bottom layer of the sandal. The folding member is operatively coupled to both the forefoot portion and the rear-foot portion wherein the folding member is adapted to enable the foldable sandal to be selectively moved between an open configuration suitable for wearing and a folded configuration suitable for storage. The sandal may also have a retaining member fastened to the folding member outsole or the forefoot portion and/or the rear-foot portion to hold the sandal on the wearer's foot.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/175,873, filed 2009, May 6 by the present inventor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This application relates generally to footwear and more particularly to folding sandals.

2. Description of the Prior Art

People often use multiple types of footwear on a daily basis. It is more common that a person has multiple pairs of shoes adapted for particular purposes such as social activities, exercising, work activities, and lounging than owning one pair for all purposes. Often times the type of shoe worn is a high heel which provides a fashionable option, but which may not be comfortable for more than a few hours or for long distance walking. Many people who regularly wear high heels or other shoes with limited comfort will carry a spare set of comfortable shoes, often being sandals, in their personal carrying bags for convenience.

In addition, many people have a spare set of shoes for use after exercising or sporting activities. By changing into a sandal after exercising, the foot is allowed to breathe after sweating. Additionally, people engaging in sporting activities away from home prefer to shower before returning to work or other activities. Most people using common locker rooms and showers in gym facilities prefer to wear sandals in the locker room and shower rather than walking bare-footed. Sandals, in addition to their comfort and convenience, may be preferred in such circumstances because they promote hygiene by providing a barrier between the wearer and the floor. Typically, the necessary items for a person to leave work to exercise and return to work (such as exercise clothing, shoes, towels, personal hygiene products, and the like) fill or overfill the space in a bag.

Many people prefer to wear high heels or other fashionable shoes to dances, weddings, balls, or celebrations/events, which often include dancing. In many cases high heels are removed and dancing continues in bare feet due to the discomfort caused by many fashionable shoes. Most people prefer the cleanliness and comfort provided by sandals rather than walking or dancing in bare feet. Traditional sandals are too large to fit into many bags carried by people to these types of events. As a result, a more portable option is necessary.

In addition, various places of business require the use of open toed footwear. Many spas sell sandals to clients in closed toe footwear as normal footwear cannot be worn following a pedicure. This results in the purchase of sandals following each visit. Foldable sandals allow people to more easily bring their own footwear for use after a pedicure and avoid buying new sandals following each spa visit.

Many people prefer the comfort and convenience of a sandal for everyday wear or for wear around the house. Recently, designer sandals have experienced great popularity and are accepted in some circumstances as formal wear. Accordingly, sandals are often packed in bags or suitcases for overnight trips, business travel, or vacation travel. As with gym bags or lockers, space is often very limited when packing bags or suitcases for traveling.

In a typical sandal, the longitudinal direction (from toe to heel) is often several times greater than the lateral direction from the medial edge to the lateral edge. This configuration often leads to difficulty when trying to pack the sandals, particularly when trying to pack sandals into small gym bags, purses, laptop bags, and carryon suitcases. The length of the sandals generally makes it difficult or impossible to close the pocket or bag without exposing at least a portion of the sandals to the remaining items in the bag.

There is a continuing need for solutions to the overcrowding of bags, suitcases, and lockers. Specifically, the length/width/thickness ratio of conventional sandals makes conventional sandals difficult to pack in some circumstances. Additionally, the underside of sandals may be considered to be unsanitary or to pose increased risk of contact with dirt or bacteria from the ground, especially after being worn in public bathrooms, locker rooms, and showers. There is a continuing need for a method of packing or storing sandals that limits the exposure of the sole surface to other items being stored or packed. A single axis of rotation near the middle of each sandal allows for simple manufacturing and folding. The present disclosure addresses these continuing needs.

SUMMARY

Some embodiments include a foldable sandal including a forefoot portion that is adapted to be disposed under a front portion of a wearer's foot, a rear-foot portion that is adapted to be disposed under a rear portion of the wearer's foot, and a folding member outsole that functions as the folding member and the bottom layer of the sandal. The folding member is operatively coupled to both the forefoot portion and the rear-foot portion wherein the folding member is adapted to enable the foldable sandal to be selectively moved between an open configuration suitable for wearing and a folded configuration suitable for storage. The sandal may also have a retaining member fastened to the folding member outsole or the forefoot portion and/or the rear-foot portion to hold the sandal on the wearer's foot.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of a foldable sandal shown in an open configuration according to the present description.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the sandal of FIG. 1 illustrating an example of the foldable sandal in an open configuration.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the sandal of FIG. 1 illustrating an example of the foldable sandal in an open configuration.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the sandal of FIG. 1 shown in transition between an open configuration and a folded configuration.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the sandal of FIG. 1 in a folded configuration.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the sandal of FIG. 1 with the rear foot portion shown in a folded configuration.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the sandal of FIG. 1 in an open configuration while being worn.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A foldable sandal 9 is illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 as including a folding member outsole 15 and a retaining member 12. While the present description refers to a foldable sandal, the term “sandal” should be understood herein to refer to any article of footwear having an upper adapted to allow the folding member outsole to fold according the present description. For example, the term “sandal” may refer to a traditional thong-style sandal or to a wrap-style sandal. Additionally, the term “sandal” may refer to the more contemporary variations of a sandal such as those with heel retaining members and toe retaining members, some of which also couple the heel retaining members and the toe retaining members together to form a sort of aerated or ventilated shoe. Accordingly, retaining member 12 illustrated in FIG. 1 is merely exemplary of the one or more retaining members that may operate to hold the sandal on the wearer's foot during use. Retaining member 12 may include multiple retaining members, may include straps or cords, or the like, may include panels of material between straps or cords, and may, in some embodiments, be akin to traditional shoe uppers when adapted to allow folding member outsole 15 to fold as described herein.

With reference to FIG. 1, insole 20 includes a forefoot portion 10 and a rear-foot portion 13. Forefoot portion 10 may be adapted to be disposed under the front portion of a wearer's foot during use. Forefoot portion 10 may extend rearward to a forward end region 11. Rear-foot portion 13 may be adapted to be disposed under a rear portion of the wearer's foot during use. Similar to the forefoot portion, rear-foot portion 13 may extend forwardly to a rearward end region 16. Forward end region 11 and rearward end region 16 may be disposed adjacent to each other or may be spaced from each other fully by folding member outsole 15.

Foldable member outsole 15, in addition to acting as the folding member, acts as the outsole, having a folding member outsole surface 18, that may be comprised of conventional materials used in the construction of footwear. For example, folding member outsole 15, and specifically folding member outsole surface 18, may include wear-resistant materials adapted to endure conditions of use over a variety of terrains. In addition, folding member outsole surface 18, may be provided with ridges or other features which will increase grip and prevent slipping on smooth or wet surfaces. Insole 20, and specifically insole surface 19, may include materials adapted to provide a comfortable feel to the bottom of a wearer's foot. Additionally, insole 20, may include treated materials to resist bacteria, fungi, and the like. Foldable sandal 9, may include a sole made from traditional footwear materials or from the most contemporary footwear materials used in high-performance wear, including waterproof materials.

With reference to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 and with continuing reference to FIG. 1, the transition of the foldable sandal between an open configuration and a folded configuration is illustrated. FIGS. 4 and 5 continue with the illustration of the folding member outsole 15 acting as both the foldable member and the outsole. Foldable sandal 9 is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 7 in an open configuration suitable for wearing. In the open configuration, forefoot portion 10 and rear-foot portion 13 may provide a substantially flat insole surface 19 for supporting the wearer's foot. As discussed above, insole 20 may include features or structures deviating from a flat surface, such as ridges, contours, or nubs.

As can be seen with reference to FIGS. 2, 4, and 5, the transition from the open configuration to the folded configuration is accomplished by rotating forefoot portion 10 and/or rear-foot portion 13 about the axis of rotation 21. The rotation of forefoot portion 10 and rear-foot portion 13 about the axis of rotation 21, may occur in any order or simultaneously. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the axis of rotation 21, may be adapted to allow each sole portion to rotate substantially 90 degrees from the starting position in the open configuration to the folded configuration. While greater or lesser rotation may be possible, rotating each of the sole portions substantially 90 degrees allows the sandal to be folded compactly, reducing the longitudinal dimension of the sandal for easier packing and storing. As discussed above, in some embodiments, line of articulation 21 may be disposed substantially midway between a forward end 22 and a rearward end 23 of folding member outsole 15. In such a configuration, folding sandal 9 reduces the longitudinal dimension by about half.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate that foldable sandal 9 may be configured to fold downwardly. Folding downwardly should be understood to refer to rotating the forefoot portion 10, and the rear foot portion 13, about the axis of rotation 21, so that outsole surface 18 is adjacent to itself, as shown in FIG. 5. Such downward folding may help to keep dirt, bacteria, fungi, or other undesirable material that may be on the outsole surfaces from contacting other items stored together with the sandals.

When folding member outsole 15 is adapted to be folded downwardly as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the cords, straps, uppers, or other materials comprising retaining members 12 may be adapted to allow for such rotation. In some embodiments, such as a wrap-style sandal where the retaining members only cover the toes and forefoot area, retaining members 12 would require little if any modification to allow downward folding. In other embodiments, including thong-style sandals shown in FIGS. 1-7 and other sandals where one or more retaining members 12 spans from forefoot portion 10 to rear-foot portion 13, retaining members 12 may include elastic segments or selectively connectable segments to allow for a proper fit during use and to allow the sandal to fold downwardly for storage. For example, in an outdoor-type sandal having heel retaining members and forefoot retaining members coupled together to form a ventilated upper, connectors or couplers may be provided to the heel retaining members and the forefoot retaining members so that they may be coupled together during use and uncoupled when the sandal is folded for storage. Suitable connectors or couplers include those devices that are traditionally used on footwear, such as buckles, snaps, hook-and-loop fasteners, and other selective coupling systems. In some embodiments, such modifications to retaining members 12 may be unnecessary. For example, retaining members 12 will have some slack between the insole and the retaining members to accommodate for the foot of the user. Depending on the configuration of sandal 9, the retaining members may already be long enough to allow for the downward folding illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6.

Although this invention has been disclosed with reference to the specific forms and embodiments, it will be evident that a great number of variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, parts may be reversed, equivalent elements may be substituted for those specifically disclosed, and certain features of the invention may be used independently of other features all without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A foldable sandal, comprising:

a. a forefoot portion that is adapted to be disposed under a front portion of a wearer's foot;

b. a rear-foot portion that is adapted to be disposed under a rear portion of the wearer's foot; and

c. a folding member outsole that functions as the folding member that is operatively coupled to both said forefoot portion and said rear-foot portion, wherein the folding member includes one distinct axis of rotation and wherein the folding member is adapted to enable said foldable sandal to be selectively moved between an open configuration suitable for wearing and a folded configuration; and

d. a retaining member fastened to said forefoot portion and said rear-foot portion and adapted to hold the sandal on the wearer's foot.

2. The foldable sandal of claim 1, wherein said forefoot portion and said rear-foot portion each includes: an insole adapted to be disposed proximal the wearer's foot, the insole having an insole surface; said folding member outsole adapted to be disposed distal the wearer's foot, said folding member outsole having a folding member outsole surface; and wherein, when the sandal is moved into said folded configuration, either said folding member outsole surface or the insole surfaces of said forefoot portion and said rear-foot portion are disposed adjacent each other.

3. The foldable sandal of claim 1, wherein said forefoot portion includes at least one forefoot cutout; wherein said rear-foot portion includes at least one rear-foot cutout, wherein the forefoot cutout and the rear-foot cutout are adapted to be at least substantially contiguous when the sandal is placed in said open configuration.

4. The foldable sandal of claim 1 wherein, said folding member outsole of the sandal is a one piece uncompromised unit.

5. The foldable sandal of claim 1 wherein, said folding member sole of the sandal is a one piece unit that may have uniform or varying thicknesses of material that make it easier for the said axis of rotation to move freely.

6. The foldable sandal of claim 1, wherein said retaining member is either fastened to said forefoot portion and said rear-foot portion, said folding member sole, or both.

7. The foldable sandal of claim 1, wherein said folding member sole further includes a forward end and a rearward end, and wherein the folding member sole defines an axis of rotation that is located between the forward end and the rearward end.

8. The foldable sandal of claim 1, wherein said retaining member is fastened to said folding member outsole and/or said forefoot portion and/or said rear-foot portion and adapted to hold the sandal on the wearer's foot.

9. The foldable sandal of claim 1, wherein said insole surface is formed from a cushioning material.

10. The foldable sandal of claim 1, wherein said forefoot portion and said rear-foot portion are of varying thickness.

11. The foldable sandal of claim 1, wherein said folding member outside is formed from a rubber material.

12. The foldable sandal of claim 1, where said retaining member is made from cotton or other breathable material.