Abstract: An insert forming apparatus is provided for making an insert to conformingly fit a shoe and a person's foot within the shoe. The apparatus includes an upper and lower shell half which, when fastened together, form a foot receiving cavity that conformingly fits the individual contours of the last from which the person's shoes are made. The apparatus also includes an injection tube for injecting insert forming material into the foot receiving cavity under and about the person's foot.

Abstract: An insert forming apparatus and method is provided for making an insert to conformingly fit a shoe and a person's foot within the shoe. The method for practicing the invention includes using standard molding techniques to form a mold of the bottom of the last and using the mold to vacuum form a lower shell half that conforms to the bottom of the last. With the lower shell half covering the mold and having vacuum communicating holes drilled therein, the last is placed in the lower shell half and the upper shell half is drawn down over the last and lower shell half by vacuum forming. When the upper and lower shell halves have been formed, a hole is drilled in the lower shell half for injecting curable material. A sheet of fabric or leather is placed over the lover shell half, a person's foot is placed on the fabric or leather in the lower shell half, and the upper shell half is placed over the person's foot and fastened to the lower shell half.

Abstract: An article of footwear being in the form of a sandle includes a platform, two straps anchored to the platform to secure the platform to a wearer's foot, and an expedient, such as a velcro strip, mounted to the edge of the platform for removably fastening an upper foot covering to the platform to convert the sandal to a shoe and vice versa. The sandal includes a sole, a heel provided on the sole, an arch-engaging loop, an ankle-encircling loop, and one or more toe-receiving loops. The sole, an arch, a wedged heel, and a plurality of channels for movably receiving the straps are formed in a single molded platform to reduce the number of fabrication steps and make the sandle lighter. Each of the loops is anchored to the sole for adjustably securing the sole to a wearer's foot and for adjustably engaging the toe or toes of the wearer's foot. The arch-engaging loop and the toe-receiving loops are formed by a first strap and the ankle-encircling loop is formed by a second strap.