Dance shoe

Abstract

The inventive subject matter is generally directed to dance shoes that include a distal portion for receiving at least a portion of a forefoot of a wearer. The distal portion includes a rigid structure for supporting the foot, such as a toe box for an en pointe dance shoe. A proximal portion extends from the distal portion and it is configured for receiving the midfoot and rearfoot portions of the foot. The shoe is constructed so as to conform to the shape of the foot through a range of foot flexations that vary the distance of the toes to the heel, particularly the flexations that occur when dancing en pointe. According to certain embodiments of the inventive subject matter, this is achieved in whole or part by configuring the proximal portion to be elastically, longitudinally extendible relative to the distal portion and/or configuring the shoe's foot-receiving compartment with a shape that generally mimics the foot in a shape corresponding to plantar flexation, for example, a shape mimicking a foot en pointe.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A dance shoe, having a foot-receiving compartment, comprising:
 a distal portion having a rigid structure comprising a toe box for encasing at least a portion of a forefoot of a wearer and supporting the foot en pointe; and   a proximal portion coupled to the distal portion and configured for receiving a midfoot to rearfoot portion of the foot; and   the proximal portion comprising an elastically, longitudinally extendible portion, allowing at least the proximal portion of the compartment to conform to a foot of an intended wearer through a range of plantar foot flexations that vary the distance between the toes and heel of the foot, the elastically extendible portion is disposed in at least a midfoot portion of the shoe, and   a shank coupled to the distal portion that extends at least along the midfoot portion of the foot compartment, and the proximal portion is longitudinally extendible relative to the shank.   
     
     
         22 . The dance shoe of  claim 21  wherein the foot compartment is configured to mimic the shape of a foot of an intended wearer in plantar flexion, namely a shape mimicking the en pointe shape of a foot. 
     
     
         23 . The shoe of  claim 22  wherein the foot compartment has a curved arch region configured to mimic the en pointe shape of a foot, the curved arch region being generally defined by a pivot point for downwardly rotating proximal and distal portions of the shoe toward each other and wherein the pivot point is generally disposed within the topline of the shoe and the pivot point is generally disposed from about 50% to about 75% of length of the shoe measuring back from the distal end of the shoe and wherein the distal and proximal portions are rotated about 15 to 40 degrees apart from each other. 
     
     
         24 . A last comprising a portion for defining a foot compartment for a shoe, the foot compartment portion having a curved arch region configured to mimic the shape of a foot of an intended wearer in plantar flexion, namely a shape mimicking the en pointe shape of a foot, the curved arch region being generally defined by a pivot point for downwardly rotating proximal and distal portions of the shoe toward each other and wherein the pivot point is generally disposed within the topline of the shoe and the pivot point is generally disposed from about 50% to about 75% of length of the shoe measuring back from the distal end of the shoe and wherein the distal and proximal portions are rotated about 15 to 40 degrees apart from each other. 
     
     
         25 . The dance shoe of  claim 21  wherein the shank has a profile generally mimicking the shape of an arch of the foot in plantar flexation, namely generally mimicking the en pointe position of the foot. 
     
     
         26 . The dance shoe of  claim 21  wherein the proximal portion of the shoe comprises elastic material so that the proximal portion is longitudinally extendible relative to the distal portion. 
     
     
         27 . The shoe of  claim 26  wherein the shank extends at least through the midfoot and rearfoot portions of the foot compartment, and the proximal portion of the foot-receiving compartment is sufficiently decoupled from the proximal portion, allowing the proximal portion to be longitudinally extendible relative to the shank. 
     
     
         28 . The dance shoe of  claim 21  further comprising a retaining element for holding the shank in place in the rearfoot region and for restricting transverse movement of the shank in the compartment while allowing longitudinal movement of the foot-receiving compartment relative to the shank. 
     
     
         29 . The dance shoe of  claim 28  wherein the retaining element comprises a loop coupled to the foot-receiving compartment. 
     
     
         30 . The dance shoe of  claim 23  further comprising a split sole comprising a front outsole secured to the forefoot portion of the compartment and a rear outsole secured to the rearfoot portion of the foot-receiving compartment, the midfoot portion being of a thinner construction than the combination of the compartment and the front or rear outsole and being elastically, longitudinally extendible. 
     
     
         31 . The dance shoe of  claim 30  further comprising an insole, a proximal portion of the insole being decoupled from the compartment in the midfoot region and in the rearfoot region. 
     
     
         32 . The dance shoe of  claim 23  further comprising an outsole portion disposed in the forefoot portion and/or the rearfoot portion of the shoe, and the shoe is substantially free of outsole in at least a portion of the midfoot portion, giving the midfoot portion a thinner, more flexible construction than the forefoot and/or rearfoot portions that include outsole material. 
     
     
         33 . The dance shoe of  claim 30  wherein the shank comprises a full-length shank extending from the distal portion to about the heel of the proximal portion, and the shank is sufficiently decoupled from some or all the proximal portion so as to allow the proximal portion to be longitudinally extendible relative to the shank. 
     
     
         34 . The dance shoe of  claim 30  wherein the forefoot portion of the shoe includes an outsole but the rearfoot portion is substantially free of outsole and has a thinner, more flexible construction than the forefoot portion. 
     
     
         35 . The dance shoe of  claim 30  further comprising a retaining element for holding the shank in place in the rearfoot region and for restricting transverse movement of the shank in the compartment while allowing longitudinal movement of the foot-receiving compartment relative to the shank. 
     
     
         36 . The dance shoe of  claim 35  wherein the retaining element comprises a loop coupled to the foot-receiving compartment. 
     
     
         37 . A method for making a dance shoe comprising:
 forming a foot-receiving compartment on a last, the foot-receiving compartment comprising a rigid distal portion capable of encasing at least the front of the toes of a foot of an intended wearer included in the forefoot portion of the flexible compartment; and   forming a proximal portion configured for receiving a portion of the foot of the wearer that is proximal to the portion of the forefoot of the wearer received in the distal portion, the proximal portion comprising an elastically, longitudinally extendible portion so that the assembly conforms to the foot of the wearer both in regular, weight-bearing positions of the foot and in an en pointe position of the foot, and   coupling a shank to the distal portion but allowing the shank to be sufficiently decoupled from some or all of the proximal portion so that the proximal portion is longitudinally extendable from the distal portion.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the rigid structure comprises a toe box disposed in the forefoot portion of the compartment. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38  further comprising coupling front a rear sole portions to the foot-receiving compartment to form a split sole wherein the resulting midfoot portion is substantially devoid of outsole and is thinner than the resulting forefoot and rearfoot portions. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39  wherein the shank has a profile generally mimicking the shape of an arch of the foot in plantar flexation, namely generally mimicking the en pointe position of the foot.