EXPANDABLE SHOE WITH SLIDING INSOLE

Abstract

A shoe design is expandable along its lengthwise axis utilizing one or both of a sliding outsole configuration or a sliding insole configuration. In one embodiment, the shoe has a multipart upper and/or multipart outsole interconnected by an expandable section made of a stretchable material which surrounds a pair of insole members arranged in an overlapping manner but allowed to move freely relative to one another as the expandable section expands or contracts. In one embodiment, the outsole of the shoe is slidably received within the heel of the shoe so as to allow for lengthwise expansion of the outsole as the upper portion of the shoe expands.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/680,515, filed on Aug. 7, 2012, entitled EXPANDABLE SHOE WITH FLOATING OUTSOLE, the entire subject matter of which is incorporated herein by this reference for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a shoe that expands and contracts along a lengthwise direction of the shoe,

BACKGROUND

The construction techniques and materials utilized in modern footwear and shoes have enabled most shoes to outlive the wearer's individual needs for shoes of that size. Such needs may occur over an extended length of time, such as a child's gradual outgrowth of their current shoes, or on a daily basis, such as the need for a larger size shoe due to swelling of the feet, water retention, gout, arthritis, etc.

Certain prior art designs of expandable shoes either add significantly to the manufacturing costs of the shoe or adversely affect the aesthetics or comfort of the shoe or even require specific reconfiguration of the shoe to achieve discrete incremental increases in the lengthwise size of the shoe.

Accordingly, a need exists for a shoe design in which the shoe is expandable and contractible along the lengthwise axis of the shoe to accommodate either temporary or gradual changes in the foot size of the wearer.

A further need exists for a shoe design in which the shoe is continuously expandable and contractible along the lengthwise axis of the shoe.

Yet another need exists for a shoe design in which the shoe is expandable and contractible in a manner which does not adversely affect the aesthetics or comfort of the shoe or require specific reconfiguration of the shoe to achieve expansion or contraction of the shoe.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,374,515 discloses a shoe with an insole configuration which enables expansion of the shoe's upper portions. The floating insole has a section that spans a gap between separate front and heel outsole parts. Although the insole does provide some degree of protection from pebbles rocks or other debris on the walking surface, the intermediate gap portion of the shoe is exposed.

Accordingly, need exists for expandable shoe that adequately protects the under surface of wearer's foot, while still allowing for expansion of the shoe upper.

Further need exists for an expendable shoe that provides a protective outsole over the entire length of the shoe while still allowing for expansion of the shoe upper.

SUMMARY

A shoe design is expandable along its lengthwise axis utilizing one or both of a sliding outsole configuration or a sliding insole configuration. In one embodiment, the shoe has a multipart upper and/or multipart outsole interconnected by an expandable section made of a stretchable material which surrounds a pair of insole members arranged in an overlapping manner, but allowed to move freely relative to one another as the expandable section expands or contracts. In another embodiment, the shoe has an outsole slidably received within the heel of the shoe in addition to the expandable section and/or overlapping insole members.

More specifically, disclosed herein is a shoe design in which a shoe, having an upper portion that is expandable at least along a length of the shoe, further includes a multipart insole slidably disposed within the upper portion of the shoe so as to allow for lengthwise expansion of the insole as the upper portion of the shoe expands. In various embodiments, the upper portion itself may be made of an expandable material or may comprise front and back portions interconnected by an expandable segment. The outsole of the shoe may also have front and back portions or may utilize the sliding outsole design as described herein. In the contemplated embodiments, at least two insole pieces slide relative to each other, with each piece being attached to either a portion of the shoe upper or shoe outsole. In various disclosed embodiments, a front insole portion may be disposed either above or beneath a rear insole portion to allow motion relative thereto as the shoe expands lengthwise.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, an insole for use in an expandable shoe comprises a front insole portion and a back insole portion disposed adjacent one another but not mechanically coupled so as to allow relative sliding motion therebetween when the portion of the shoe to which the insole portion is attached moves along a lengthwise axis of the shoe,

Further disclosed herein is a shoe design in which a shoe, having an upper portion that is expandable at least along a length of the shoe, further includes an outsole slidably received within the heel of the shoe so as to allow for lengthwise expansion of the outsole as the upper portion of the shoe expands. In one embodiment, the shoe comprises a heel having a top surface and a breast surface, the heel defining a cavity that is open on one of the breast surface and top of the heel. The outsole extends from a front of the shoe upper to the heel, with a rear portion of the outsole being received within the cavity. An optional shield element, having a front portion connected to the outsole and a rear portion connected to heel, preventing water and dirt from entering the heel cavity. In other embodiments, the sides of the shield are connected to the shoe upper in manner that does not inhibit the longitudinal expansion of the upper. For example, the connection of the sides of the shield to the upper may be accomplished by a cross-stitch or a zig-zag stitch.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, a shoe comprises an expandable upper having first and second ends, and an outsole having first and second ends, wherein a first end of the outsole is fixed relative to an end of the expandable upper and a second end of the outsole is unattached to the expandable upper and floats relative to the expandable upper in both expanded or contracted states.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, a shoe comprises an expandable upper, a heel securable to the expandable upper and defining a cavity at least partially extending through the heel, and an out sole having a first end movably disposed within the heel cavity and a second end fixed relative to an end of the expandable upper.

According to still another aspect of the invention, an expandable shoe comprises a front upper portion, a rear upper portion, a front outsole portion, and a rear outsole portion, an expandable portion between the front upper portion and the rear upper portion and between the front outsole portion and the rear outsole portion, a first insole on the front outsole portion, and a second insole on the first insole and the rear outsole portion, the rear insole being sized substantially the same as a foot contour, wherein the first insole is movable relative to a front portion of the second insole along a lengthwise direction of the expandable shoe. In one embodiment, the first insole is sized substantially the same as the front outsole. The rear outsole portion comprises a heel. The first insole is securely coupled to one or both of the front upper portion and the front outsole portion. A rear portion of the second insole is securely coupled to one or both of the rear upper portion and the rear outsole portion. The first insole frictionally contacts the front portion of the second insole. The expandable portion is made of a stretchable material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosed shoe apparatus will be more fully understood when read in conjunction with the drawings where like reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a shoe having a sliding insole and a sliding outsole in accordance with the disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of an embodiment of the sliding outsole and heel configuration in accordance with the disclosure;

FIG. 3A is a front view of an embodiment of a heel useful with a sliding outsole in accordance with the disclosure;

FIG. 3B is a front view of the he& and heel seat useful with a sliding outsole in accordance with the disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the heel of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 5 is a top view of an outsole in relation to the heel of FIGS. 3A and 3B in accordance with the disclosure;

FIG. 6 is an exploded, perspective view of an embodiment of the sliding outsole in accordance with the disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a lateral, cross-sectional view of the sliding outsole embodiment of FIG. 6, as seen along the line XII-XII.

FIG. 8 is a side view of a shoe having a sliding insole in accordance with the disclosure;

FIGS. 9A and 9B are exploded, cross-sectional views of sliding insole of FIG. 8 in normal and expanded configurations, respectively, relative to the expandable upper and outsole in accordance with the disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a side view of a shoe having a sliding insole in accordance with the disclosure;

FIG. 11 is partial views of sliding insole of FIG. 10 with the perimeter of the shoe upper illustrated in phantom in accordance with the disclosure; and

FIGS. 12A and 12B are exploded, cross-sectional views of sliding insole in normal and expanded configurations, respectively, relative to the expandable upper and outsole in accordance with the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Sliding Outsole

Referring now to FIGS. 1-9B, a shoe 100A according to an illustrative embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1-5, comprises a shoe upper 12 and a sliding outsole configuration 10. The shoe upper 12 is expandable and may include at least an expandable shank area made of neoprene, GORETEX®, or other known or hereafter developed expandable material. Alternatively, the entire upper 12 may be made of an expandable material. The expandability of the shoe accommodates temporary or permanent increases in the size of the wearer's foot.

In one embodiment, the shoe 100A uses an expandable goring or stretch leather in the toe box so as to allow widthwise expansion in addition to the lengthwise expandability. In an alternative embodiment, the shoe upper 12 is made of a flexible material, such as leather, suede, etc., with a V-cut vamp formed thereon. An expandable material 22, such as neoprene, GORETEX®, or other known or hereafter developed materials, may be formed at the V-cut vamp of shoe upper 12. The shoe upper 12 is thus partially expandable widthwise for shoe 100A to accommodate the variable size of the wearer's foot.

Outsole configuration 10 comprises an outsole 14 and a heel 16. Outsole 14 comprises a heel portion 14a and a toe portion 14b, as shown in FIG. 5. In various embodiments, outsole 14 may be formed of a flexible, yet rigid material, such as any natural or synthetic plastic resins, natural or synthetic rubber, leather, or other known or hereafter developed material utilized for shoe outer soles. Outsole 14 may be formed of a homogeneous material or may have multiple materials or patterns integrally formed therein, particularly to facilitate traction in the toe region 14b. The shape of outsole 14 may be similar or dissimilar to that illustrated in the Figures and may be any of symmetrical, non-symmetrical or irregular, at the discretion of the designer.

As shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 4, the heel 16 of outsole configuration 10 comprises a main body portion having a cavity 16b opening to either a top surface 16c or a breast surface 16a, i.e,, front surface, thereof. Rear portion 14a of outsole 14 is slidably received and movable within cavity 16b, depending upon the unexpanded or expanded length of upper 12 of shoe 100A, Outsole 14 may be attached to the shoe upper 12 proximate portion 14b thereof while portion 14a thereof is free to float in and out of cavity 1 ea of heel 16. In the illustrative embodiment, portion 14b of outsole 14 is detached from the upper 12 in a shank area 20 of the shoe 100A, as illustrated in FIG. 1, allowing the outsole 14 to move relative to the heel 16 as the upper 12 expands along the lengthwise axis of the shoe extending from the toe to the heel of the shoe.

As illustrated in Fig, 3B, an optional heel seat 16e may cover all or a portion of cavity 16b and may be disposed intermediate on top surface 16c of heel 16 and a portion of the upper 12 of shoe 100A. As illustrated in the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7, heel seat 16e may also be integrally formed with the body of heel 16, or, alternatively, may be eliminated altogether with its functionality performed by a portion of upper 12.

To prevent water, dirt, and other debris from entering the cavity 16b of heel 16, an optional shield 18 is disposed proximate the breast 16a of the heel 16 and outsole 14 in the shank area 20 proximate the entrance of cavity 16b, where outsole portion 14a is slidably received within heel 16. A front portion of shield 18 may be secured to the bottom and or sides of outsole 14 by any known attachment mechanism including, but not limited to, any of stitching, mechanical fasteners, various natural or synthetic adhesives, or thermal fusing or bonding, etc., depending upon the structural composition of both the shield material and outsole 14. A rear portion shield 18 may be secured to breast surface 16a of the heel 16 utilizing similar methods, In one embodiment, the side edges of shield 18 are stitched to the shoe upper 12 in the area between the front of the shield 18 and the heel 16. Such stitching may be implemented with a zig-zag stitch or cross-stitch pattern that does not inhibit the extension or expansion of the upper 12 in the area of the shank 20. In various embodiments, shield 18 may comprise natural or synthetic rubber, a natural or synthetic resin, such as polyurethane or polyester, a paper or fabric impregnated any of the foregoing, or any other material that is waterproof and is expandable to allow for the expansion or extension of the upper 12 in the area of the shank 20. To accommodate the expansion or extension of the upper 12, shield 18 may include an accordion pleat formed therein. In one embodiment, to anchor the rear end of the shield 18 to the heel 16, a rear end portion of shield 18 may be disposed and secured intermediate top lift 16d and the main body of the heel 16.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show an embodiment in which the cavity 16b opens to breast surface 16a of the heel 16, In this embodiment, the shield 18′ is a collared sleeve through which the rear portion 14a of the outsole 14 is movably received. A front part of the shield 18′ is cemented around the entire circumference to the outsole portion 14. The rear side of the shield 18′ is secured, using any of the previously described processes or techniques, to breast surface 16a of heel 16 to create a seal around the cavity 16b. For this purpose, the rear side of the shield 18′ is flange or collar. Although not shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the shield 18′ may also include an accordion pleat to facilitate extension. During assembly, shield 18′ may is secured to outsole 14 at a position along counsel 14 which will allow for expansion of the accordion pleat shield 18 simultaneously with expansion of upper 12 shoe 100, once shield 18′ is secured to heel 16. In other embodiments, all or a portion of shield 18′ may be integrally formed with heel 16.

Sliding Insole

Referring to FIGS. 8 through 12B, shoes 100B, 100C and 100D according to illustrative embodiments, each comprise a shoe upper 12 and outsole 14. The shoe upper 12 may comprise a front upper portion 12A and a rear upper portion 12B interconnected by an expandable portion 15, illustrated with crosshatching for clarity. Front upper portion 12A and a rear upper portion 12B may comprise materials as previously described with reference to shoe 100A. Expandable portion 15 comprise any of neoprene, GORETEXO, or other known or hereafter developed expandable material. Alternatively, the entire upper 12 of shoe 100B or 100C may comprise an expandable material, such as those described herein. In addition, any of shoes 100C-100D may comprise an upper formed from straps or noncontiguous sections, similar to a sandal or other casual shoe allowing the wearer's foot to be partially exposed

As illustrated in FIGS. 9A and 9B, outsole 10 may comprise an outsole 14 and a heel 16 substantially as described with reference to FIGS. 1 through 7. In the embodiments described with reference to FIGS. 10 through 126, outsole 14 may comprise a front outsole portion 14A and a rear outsole portion 14B. One or both of outsole portions 14A or 14B may comprise a flexible, yet rigid material, such as any natural or synthetic plastic resins, natural or synthetic rubber, leather, or other known or hereafter developed material utilized for shoe outer soles and may be formed of a homogeneous material or may have multiple materials or patterns integrally formed therein, particularly to facilitate traction, The shape of outsole 14 may be similar or dissimilar to that illustrated in the Figures and may be any of symmetrical, non-symmetrical or irregular, at the discretion of the designer. Further, front outsole portion 14A and a rear outsole portion 14B may be similar or dissimilar from each other in both shape and/or material composition.

As illustrated in FIGS. 10 through 12B, front outsole portion 14A and a rear outsole portion 14B are separated by a space or gap but are movably coupled together by expandable portion 15 to enable expansion and contraction of outsole portion 14A and a rear outsole portion 14B relative to each other along a lengthwise axis of shoes 100C-100D.

Shoes 1006-100D additionally comprise a sliding insole 25, which, in one embodiment, comprises a front insole portion 25A and a rear insole portion 25B which at least partially overlap one another in both contracted and expanded states of shoe 100B or 100C. Front insole portion 25A and rear insole portion 25B can be made of leather, synthetic material, rubber, plastic, or any other known or hereafter developed material suitable for use as a shoe insole. Note that front insole portion 25A and rear insole portion 25B do not have to comprise the same material and may have dissimilar shapes.

Front insole portion 25A and a rear insole portion 25B are not mechanically coupled or attached directly to each other whether by a rigid, semi-rigid or stretchable member. Instead, an end of rear insole portion 25B proximate the region in which they overlap is free and unsecured to allow for relative sliding motion therebetween along the lengthwise axis of shoe 100. This arrangement enables longitudinal extension or contraction of shoe 100B or 100C to accommodate temporary swelling of a wearer's foot and/or to accommodate foot growth.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 9A-9B and 11, insole portion 25B is formed on heal 16 and outsole 14, overlapping a substantial portion of insole portion 25A, for receiving a wearer's foot. As shown in FIG. 9A when shoe 100B is in a contracted state, rear insole portion 25B extends from heel 16 to the front end of outsole 14, covering the entire upper portion of front insole portion 25A. As shown in FIGS. 9B and 12B and, when shoes 100B and 100C are in an extended state, rear insole portion 25B is pulled to slide over the top of insole portion 25A in a rearward direction, thereby exposing a part of the upper portion of insole portion 25A at the toe region of shoes 100A and 100B. In FIG. 11, the amount of movement of insole portion 25B is illustrated by line segment X-X′, although not shown to scale.

One or both of front insole portion 25A and a rear insole portion 25B may be attached to either upper 12 or outsole 14. More specifically, insole portion 25A may be mechanically and securely coupled to one or both of front upper portion 12A or front outsole portion 14A, while rear insole portion 25B may be mechanically and securely coupled to one or both of rear upper portion 12B or rear outsole portion 14B. Alternatively, one or both of front insole portion 25A and a rear insole portion 25B may be attached to expandable portion 15 by itself or in addition to a portion of upper 12 or outsole 14, particularly if all or a substantial portion of upper 12 comprises an expandable material, such as those described herein.

The mechanical couplings of insole portions 25A and 25B to other portions of the shoe, which are not explicitly illustrated in the drawings, may be achieved by any known attachment mechanism including, but not limited to, stitching, mechanical fasteners, various natural or synthetic adhesives, or thermal fusing or bonding, etc., depending upon the structural composition of one or both of insole portion 25A and 25B. Further the exact location of such mechanical couplings may be left to the discretion of the designer so long as upon lengthwise expansion or contraction of the shoe along its lengthwise axis, the overlapping end regions of each of insole portions 25A and 25B are free to move relative to one another.

FIGS. 9A-9B are exploded, cross-sectional views of insole 25 in the fully contracted state, i.e., un-extended, state (FIG. 9A) and the extended state (FIG. 9B), relative to outsole 14 and expandable uppers 12. As illustrated in FIGS. 9A and 9B, front insole portion 25A is disposed adjacent to and below the fore of rear insole portion 25B so that insole portions 25A and 25B are movable relative to each other upon expansion and/or contraction of expandable portion 15. As portion 15 expands from its normally contracted state to an extended state, insole portion 25B slides over the top of insole portion 25A in a rearward direction towards the rear of the shoe 100B, while insole portion 25A slides under insole portion 25B in a forward direction towards the toe of the shoe 100B, As expandable portion 15 contracts from expanded state, the above-described process reverses itself with insole portions 25A-B moving opposite to that described above.

FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate a high-heeled shoe 100C which implements the sliding insole concepts disclosed herein. As illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11, front insole portion 25A is disposed adjacent to and below the fore of rear insole portion 25B so that insole portions 25A and 25B are movable relative to each other upon expansion and/or contraction of expandable portion 15. FIG. 11 is a partial view of shoe 100C in which the insole 25 and outsole 14 are illustrated in solid lines, with the profile the shoe upper 12 illustrated in phantom. As portion 15 expands from its normally contracted state to an extended state insole portion 25B slides over the top of insole portion 25A in a rearward direction towards the rear of the shoe 100C, while insole portion 25A slides under insole portion 25B in a forward direction towards the toe of the shoe 100C. alternatively, insult portion 25 a may be secured to either outsole 14 for over 12 so that it remains fixed relative to insole portion 25B during both expansion and contraction.

Note, in shoe 100C, expandable portion 15 is attached to and interconnects front upper portion 12A and rear upper portion 12B or front outsole portion 14A and rear outsole portion 14B or both or in combinations thereof, surrounding the overlapping regions of insole portions 25A and 25B, thereby defining a zone of expansion and contraction along the lengthwise axis of shoe 100C.

As illustrated in FIGS. 9A-B, the sliding outsole configurations 10, may be utilized utilized with a sliding insole configuration of shoe 100B. Similarly, the sliding floating insole configuration of shoes 100B may be utilized with a multipart outsole 14A and 14B in conjunction with a traditional heel 16, described with reference to FIGS. 10 through 12B. Note that it is contemplated that the location of the expandable portion 15 in upper 12 may be determined at the discretion of the designer, allowing the point of expansion and contraction to be located proximate the front, middle, rear, or anywhere along the lengthwise will lengthwise axis, of the shoe.

FIGS. 12A-B illustrate a shoe 100D having a floating insole 25 and multipart outsole 14 and multipart upper 12 having an expandable portion 15 located proximate the rear of the shoe proximate heel 16, as illustrated. Specifically, FIGS. 12A-12B are exploded, cross-sectional views of insole 25 in the contracted state, i.e,, un-extended, state (FIG. 12A) and the extended state (FIG. 12B), relative to outsole 14 and expandable uppers 12. Front insole portion 25A is disposed adjacent to and below the fore of rear insole portion 25B so that insole portions 25A and 25B are movable relative to each other upon expansion and/or contraction of expandable portion 15. As portion 15 expands from its normally contracted state to an extended state, insole portion 25B slides over the top of insole portion 25A in a rearward direction towards the rear of the shoe 100D, while insole portion 25A slides under insole portion 25B in a forward direction towards the toe of the shoe 100D. The construction of the various components of shoe 100 maybe similar to that described with reference to shoes 100A-100C, as applicable. As expandable portion 15 contracts from expanded state, the above-described process reverses itself with insole portions 25A B moving opposite to that described above.

Further, it will be obvious to those reasonably skilled in the relevant arts, in light of the teachings and disclosures set forth herein, that the disclosed concepts may be applied to shoes or footwear having shape or style, or targeted to any gender, age group or specific purpose. For example, one or both of the sliding outsole and sliding insole concepts may be equally applicable to any of, including, but not limited to, high-fashion women's shoes, men's golf shoes, or children's recreational shoes, or any other shoe or footwear in which it is desirable to allow for expansion or contraction along the lengthwise axis of the shoe.

Claims

1. An expandable shoe, comprising:

a shoe upper portion at least partially expandable and contractible along a lengthwise axis of the shoe;

a front outsole portion coupled to the shoe upper portion;

a rear outsole portion coupled to the shoe upper portion:

first and second insole portions, each insole portion comprising a first secured end and a second end;

wherein the first and second insole portions are slidable along the lengthwise axis of the shoe relative to each other upon expansion or contraction of the shoe upper portion.

2. There expandable shoe of claim 1, wherein the first end of the first insole portion is attached to one of the shoe upper portion and an outsole portion.

3. There expandable shoe of claim 1, wherein the second end of the first insole portion is unattached and slidable along the lengthwise axis of the shoe relative to the second insole portion.

4. The expandable shoe of claim 1, wherein the first end of the second insole portion is attached to one of the shoe upper portion and an outsole portion.

5. The expandable shoe of claim 1, wherein the second end of the second insole portion is unattached and slidable along the lengthwise axis of the shoe relative to the first insole portion.

6. The expandable shoe of claim 1, wherein the shoe upper portion comprises:

a front upper portion and a rear upper portion interconnected by an expandable portion extending at least partially therebetween.

7. The expandable shoe of claim 5, wherein the expandable portion is made of a stretchable material.

8. An expandable shoe, comprising:

a front upper portion and a rear upper portion interconnected by an expandable portion extending at least partially therebetween;

a front outsole portion coupled to the front upper portion;

a rear outsole portion coupled to the rear upper portion; and

a first insole portion and a second insole portion, each insole portion comprising an attached first end and a second end;

wherein the first insole portion comprises an unattached second end slidable along a lengthwise axis of the shoe relative to the second insole portion.

9. The expandable shoe of claim 8, wherein the first end of the first insole portion is attached to one of the shoe upper portion and an outsole portion.

10. The expandable shoe of claim 8, wherein the first end of the second insole portion is attached to one of the shoe upper portion and an outsole portion.

11. The expandable shoe of claim 8, wherein the second end of the second insole portion is unattached and slidable along the lengthwise axis of the shoe relative to the first insole portion.

12. The expandable shoe of claim 8, wherein the shoe upper portion comprises:

a front upper portion and a rear upper portion interconnected by an expandable portion extending at least partially therebetween;

13. The expandable shoe of claim 8, wherein the expandable portion is made of a stretchable material,

14. An expandable shoe, comprising:

a shoe upper expandable lengthwise between front and rear ends thereof;

an outsole having front and rear ends, the front end of the outsole being attached to the shoe upper; and

a heel defining an open cavity therein, the heel attached to the shoe upper;

wherein the rear end of the front outsole is slidably disposed within the open cavity of the heel.

15. The expandable shoe of claim 14, further comprising a shield disposed proximate the unattached second end of the first insole portion a disposed within the open cavity of the heel.

16. The expandable shoe of claim 14, further comprising an intermediate outsole portion disposed intermediate the heel and the shoe upper.

17. The expandable shoe of claim 14, further comprising:

a first and second insole portions, each insole portion comprising a first secured end and a second end.

18. The expandable shoe of claim 14 wherein the first insole portion comprises an unattached second end slidable along a lengthwise axis of the shoe relative to the second insole portion.