Side entry footwear and methods of making

Abstract

Footwear and methods of making footwear including an upper disconnected from the sole on at least a portion of one lateral side of the sole to enable a foot to enter the footwear laterally through a side gap, wherein the footwear is made by molding the footwear in a mold are disclosed. The foot may be held in place in the footwear, in part, with a resilient foot holder extending over the top of the foot. A lateral motion of the foot may overcome the force of the foot holder enabling hands-free removal of the footwear.

1 . A method of making footwear comprising 
 a sole having a toe region and a heel region;    a medial side and a lateral side, of which at least one is partially open, to allow foot entry and egress;    an upper connected to the sole along at least a portion of the lateral side, and being disconnected from the sole in an opening region along at least a portion of the second lateral side; and    a resilient foot holder located at least partially in a region of the upper and at least partially disconnected from the second side of the sole at the opening region to thereby permit lateral foot entry through the opening region, the foot holder for exerting a holding force on a foot to help prevent the foot from slipping out of the opening region during walking, and for deforming to permit the foot to slip out through the opening region in response to a lateral foot motion,    wherein the footwear is made by molding the footwear in a molding process.    
   
   
       2 . A method of making footwear comprising 
 a sole having a toe region and a heel region;    a medial side and a lateral side, of which at least one is partially open, to allow foot entry and egress;    an upper connected to the sole along at least a portion of the lateral side, and being disconnected from the sole in an opening region along at least a portion of the second lateral side; and    a resilient foot holder located at least partially in a region of the upper and at least partially disconnected from the second side of the sole at the opening region to thereby permit lateral foot entry through the opening region, the foot holder for exerting a holding force on a foot to help prevent the foot from slipping out of the opening region during walking, and for deforming to permit the foot to slip out through the opening region in response to a lateral foot motion,    wherein the footwear is made by a thermoforming process.    
   
   
       3 . A method of making footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein the process comprises the steps of introducing the material to be molded into the mold in liquid form and allowing the liquid material to solidify.  
   
   
       4 . A method of making footwear according to  claim 3 , wherein the mold comprises two or more elements.  
   
   
       5 . A method of making footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein the molding is a blow-molding technique comprising inflating a molten preformed tube of material inside a mold and allowing it to cure.  
   
   
       6 . A method of making footwear according to  claim 1  wherein the footwear further comprises a heel holder located proximate the heel region.  
   
   
       7 . A method of making footwear according to  claim 6 , wherein any combination of the resilient foot holder, the upper, the sole, and the heel holder are integrally formed.  
   
   
       8 . A method of making footwear according to  claim 2 , wherein the footwear further comprises a heel holder located proximate the heel region.  
   
   
       9 . A method of making footwear according to  claim 8 , wherein any combination of the resilient foot holder, the upper, the sole, and the heel holder are integrally formed.  
   
   
       10 . A method of making footwear comprising 
 a sole having opposing lateral sides;    an upper connected to the sole and,    the upper including a resilient foot holder at least partially connected to the sole along a first lateral side thereof, and at least partially disconnected from the sole in an opening region on a second lateral side thereof, the resilient foot holder for exerting a holding force on a foot of a wearer to help prevent the foot from slipping out of the opening region during walking, and for deforming, in response to lateral foot movement, to thereby permit the foot to be removed through the opening region,    wherein the footwear is made by molding the footwear in a molding process.    
   
   
       11 . A method of making footwear comprising 
 a sole having opposing lateral sides;    an upper connected to the sole and,    the upper including a resilient foot holder at least partially connected to the sole along a first lateral side thereof, and at least partially disconnected from the sole in an opening region on a second lateral side thereof, the resilient foot holder for exerting a holding force on a foot of a wearer to help prevent the foot from slipping out of the opening region during walking, and for deforming, in response to lateral foot movement, to thereby permit the foot to be removed through the opening region,    wherein the footwear is made by a thermoforming process.    
   
   
       12 . A method of making footwear according to  claim 10 , wherein the process comprises the steps of introducing the material to be molded into the mold in liquid form and allowing the liquid material to solidify.  
   
   
       13 . A method of making footwear according to  claim 12 , wherein the mold comprises two or more elements.  
   
   
       14 . A method of making footwear according to  claim 10 , wherein the molding is a blow-molding technique comprising inflating a molten preformed tube of material inside a mold and allowing it to cure.  
   
   
       15 . A method of making footwear according to  claim 10 , wherein any combination of the resilient foot holder, the upper, and the sole are integrally formed.  
   
   
       16 . A method of making footwear according to  claim 11 , wherein any combination of the resilient foot holder, the upper, and the sole are integrally formed.  
   
   
       17 . A method of making footwear comprising 
 a sole having first and second lateral sides; and    a foot holder integrally formed with the sole and configured to exert a holding force on a metatarsal region of a foot, wherein a surface of the foot holder and the sole define an opening region configured to enable a foot to enter and exit through the opening region in response to a generally lateral motion of the foot,    wherein the footwear is made by a process chosen from thermoforming and molding processes.    
   
   
       18 . A method of making footwear comprising 
 a sole having a toe region, a heel region, and first and second opposing lateral sides;    an upper integrally formed with the sole along at least a portion of the first lateral side, and being disconnected from the sole in an opening region along at least a portion of the second lateral side; and    a resilient foot holder located at least partially in a region of the upper and at least partially disconnected from the second side of the sole at the opening region to thereby permit lateral foot entry through the opening region,    wherein the footwear is made by a process chosen from thermoforming and molding processes.    
   
   
       19 . Footwear comprising: 
 a sole having a toe region and a heel region;    a medial side and a lateral side, of which at least one is partially open, to allow foot entry and egress;    an upper connected to the sole along at least a portion of the lateral side, and being disconnected from the sole in an opening region along at least a portion of the second lateral side; and    a resilient foot holder located at least partially in a region of the upper and at least partially disconnected from the second side of the sole at the opening region to thereby permit lateral foot entry through the opening region, the foot holder for exerting a holding force on a foot to help prevent the foot from slipping out of the opening region during walking, and for deforming to permit the foot to slip out through the opening region in response to a lateral foot motion,    wherein the footwear is made by a process chosen from thermoforming and molding processes.    
   
   
       20 . The footwear of  claim 19 , wherein any combination of the resilient foot holder, the upper, and the sole are integrally formed.  
   
   
       21 . Footwear comprising: 
 a sole having opposing lateral sides;    an upper connected to the sole and,    the upper including a resilient foot holder at least partially connected to the sole along a first lateral side thereof, and at least partially disconnected from the sole in an opening region on a second lateral side thereof, the resilient foot holder for exerting a holding force on a foot of a wearer to help prevent the foot from slipping out of the opening region during walking, and for deforming, in response to lateral foot movement, to thereby permit the foot to be removed through the opening region,    wherein the footwear is made by a process chosen from thermoforming and molding processes.    
   
   
       22 . The footwear of  claim 21 , wherein any combination of the resilient foot holder, the upper, and the sole are integrally formed.