Therapeutic footwear

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to therapeutic footwear such as sandals, conventional shoes, and corrective inserts that may be inserted into conventional shoes. Specifically, the therapeutic footwear may be used for maintaining, correcting, or repositioning the great toe to decrease pressure on the first metatarsal-phalangeal joint or bunion. Additional therapeutic features may include spreading of the wearer's toes, supporting the wearer's arch to control excessive pronation, and providing sustained heel cord stretch at rest, during ambulation, pedicure, and before, during, or after medical treatment.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A therapeutic footwear for supporting a wearer's foot having a heel portion and plurality of toes including a great toe, the footwear including:
 a horizontally extending base having first and second spaced apart ends, the first end adapted to support the heel portion of the wearer's foot, the second end adapted to support the plurality of toes;   a covering positioned over the base, the covering and the base cooperating to define an interior of the therapeutic footwear; and   a band extending upward from the base, the band surrounds only the great toe of the plurality of toes, the band positioned to apply medial force to pull the great toe away from the remaining ones of the plurality of toes, the band being covered by the covering.   
     
     
         3 . The therapeutic footwear of  claim 2 , further comprising a plurality of extensions extending above the base, the plurality of extensions positioned to separate the remaining ones of the plurality of toes.