Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention relates to an open toe footwear system including a base member, toe post, and strap member. The toe post is coupled to the base member at a region corresponding to a location between a user's big toe and the adjacent toe. The strap member is intercoupled between the toe post and two lateral foot coupling regions on the base member. The strap member includes a structural portion which may be composed of a stiffer fabric type material that is configured to maintain separation from the base member. The strap member further includes a stretched padding portion coupled to and extended over the structural portion so as to be externally exposed on both the top and bottom surfaces of the strap member. The coupling on the top surface of the strap member between the stretched padding portion and the structural portion may be seamless. The stretched padding portion may include both a wrapping and retaining tensile extension.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention relates to an open-toe footwear system including a base member, toe post, and strap member. The toe post is coupled to the base member at a region corresponding to a location between the user's big toe and adjacent toe. The base member includes a forefoot member and a hindfoot member having different densities. The hindfoot member is denser and/or stiffer than the forefoot member. The base member may further include a top and bottom member between which the forefoot and hindfoot members are disposed. The forefoot member and hindfoot member may be intercoupled and respectively positioned to be under the respective forefoot and hindfoot regions of a user's foot. The forefoot member may be shaped to anatomically correspond to the phalanx and metatarsal regions of the user's foot. The hindfoot member may be shaped to anatomically correspond to the heel and arch regions of the user's foot.