Adaptive footwear

Abstract

A shoe includes a flexible, bistable heel flap to facilitate access to a foot-receiving cavity of the shoe. The flexible, bistable heel flap moves between an open stable position and an upright position suitable for use. At the open stable position, the flexible, bistable heel flap bends away from the foot-receiving cavity of the shoe. A fastener may secure the flexible, bistable heel flap in the upright position suitable for use.

1 . A shoe, comprising:
 a sole extending in length from a toe portion to a heel portion;   a vamp coupled to the sole and forming a forward, foot-receiving cavity, wherein the vamp comprises:
 a vamp upper portion; and 
 a toe box; 
   a plurality of anchoring loops coupled to the vamp;   a flexible, bistable heel flap coupled to the heel portion, the flexible, bistable heel flap comprising:
 an upper edge; 
 a fastener below the upper edge; and 
 a bending region below the fastener, wherein the upper edge of the flexible, bistable heel flap bends away from the forward, foot-receiving cavity at the bending region to a stable open position, and wherein the fastener couples to the plurality of anchoring loops to secure the flexible, bistable heel flap in a stable upright position; 
   a medial slot between a medial side of the vamp upper portion and the flexible, bistable heel flap when the flexible, bistable heel flap is in the stable upright position; and   a lateral slot between a lateral side of the vamp upper portion and the flexible, bistable heel flap when the flexible, bistable heel flap is in the stable upright position.   
     
     
         2 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the fastener comprises a fastening strap, the fastening strap comprising:
 a middle portion, wherein the middle portion couples to an outside surface of the flexible, bistable heel flap;   a first free end extending from a medial edge of the flexible, bistable heel flap; and   a second free end extending from a lateral edge of the flexible, bistable heel flap, wherein the first free end and the second free end each loop an anchoring loop to secure the flexible, bistable heel flap in the stable upright position.   
     
     
         3 . The shoe of  claim 2 , wherein the first free end and the second free end each include a hook strip portion and a loop strip portion. 
     
     
         4 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the vamp upper portion further comprises:
 a medial portion terminating at a downward-angled edge; and   a lateral portion terminating at a downward-angled edge.   
     
     
         5 . The shoe of  claim 4 , wherein a first anchoring loop of the plurality of anchoring loops couples to the vamp at a position below the medial downward-angled edge, and wherein a second anchoring loop of the plurality of anchoring loops couples to the vamp at a position below the lateral downward-angled edge. 
     
     
         6 . The shoe of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a first upper connecting portion that couples to the sole between the vamp upper portion and the flexible, bistable heel flap for connecting a bottom of the medial downward-angled edge to a bottom of the medial edge of the bistable heel flap to form a bottom of the medial slot; and   a second upper connecting portion that couples to the sole between the vamp upper portion and the flexible, bistable heel flap for connecting a bottom of the lateral downward-angled edge to a bottom of the lateral edge of the bistable heel flap to form a bottom of the lateral slot.   
     
     
         7 . The shoe of  claim 6 , wherein the first upper connecting portion and the second upper connecting portion have curved upper edges. 
     
     
         8 . The shoe of  claim 6 , wherein the first connecting upper portion and second upper connecting portion have top edges that are between about 0 cm and about 2 cm above the sole, so that the medial slot and lateral slot extend almost to the sole. 
     
     
         9 . The shoe of  claim 6 , wherein the vamp, the first connecting upper portion, the first connecting upper portion, and the flexible, bistable heel flap form a continuous upper. 
     
     
         10 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible, bistable heel flap further comprises:
 an inner surface; and   a bottom edge coupling to the sole within the heel portion, wherein the flexible, bistable heel tapers from the upper edge to the bottom edge to form angled medial and lateral edges.   
     
     
         11 . The shoe of  claim 10 , further comprising a finger tab coupled to the inner surface of the flexible, bistable heel flap comprising:
 a first end;   a second end;   a first overlay stitched to the inner surface of the flexible, bistable heel flap for anchoring the first end; and   a second overlay stitched to the inner surface for anchoring the second end.   
     
     
         12 . The shoe of  claim 11 , wherein pulling the finger tab helps secure the flexible, bistable heel flap in the stable upright position. 
     
     
         13 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible, bistable heel flap is substantially horizontal in the stable open position. 
     
     
         14 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible, bistable heel flat angles slightly towards the toe portion of the shoe in the stable upright position to enclose a heel of a user's foot. 
     
     
         15 . A shoe, comprising:
 a sole extending in length from a toe portion to a heel portion and in width from a medial side to a lateral side;   a vamp upper portion attached to the sole, the vamp upper portion comprising a toe box, a medial side extending from the toe box and terminating in a medial edge and a lateral side extending from the toe box and terminating in a lateral edge to form a forward foot-receiving cavity;   a flexible, bistable heel flap attached to the heel portion of the sole, the flexible, bistable heel flap comprising an inner surface, an outer surface, an upper edge, a medial edge, a lateral edge and a bottom edge fastened to the heel portion of the sole, the upper edge of the flexible, bistable heel flap bendable away from the forward foot-receiving cavity between a stable open position and a stable upright position about a bending region of the flexible, bistable heel flap located between the upper edge and the bottom edge; and   a fastening strap securing the flexible, bistable heel flap relative to the vamp upper portion, the fastening strap comprising a middle portion anchored to the outer surface of the flexible, bistable heel flap, a first free end extending from the medial edge of the flexible, bistable heel flap for connecting to the medial side of the vamp upper portion and a second free end extending from the lateral edge of the flexible, bistable heel flap for connecting to the lateral side of the vamp upper portion, such that the middle portion stiffens the bending region of the flexible, bistable heel flap to promote bending about the bending region of the flexible, bistable heel flap.   
     
     
         16 . The shoe of  claim 15 , wherein the vamp medial edge, vamp lateral edge, flexible, bistable heel flap medial edge and flexible, bistable heel flap lateral edge are angled and parallel to each other to form an angled medial slot and an angled lateral slot between the vamp and flexible, bistable heel flap. 
     
     
         17 . The shoe of  claim 15 , wherein the vamp medial portion includes a first anchoring loop for receiving the first free end of the fastening strap and the vamp lateral portion includes a second anchoring loop for receiving the second free end of the fastening strap to secure the flexible, bistable heel flap in the stable upright position. 
     
     
         18 . A shoe, comprising:
 a sole extending in length from a toe portion to a heel portion and in width from a medial side to a lateral side;   a vamp upper portion attached to the sole, the vamp upper portion comprising a toe box, a medial side extending from the toe box and terminating in a medial edge and a lateral side extending from the toe box and terminating in a lateral edge to form a forward foot-receiving cavity;   a flexible, bistable heel flap attached to the heel portion of the sole, the flexible, bistable heel flap comprising an inner surface, an outer surface, an upper edge, a medial edge, a lateral edge and a bottom edge fastened to the heel portion of the sole, the upper edge of the flexible, bistable heel flap bendable away from the forward foot-receiving cavity between a stable open position and a stable upright position about a bending region located between the upper edge and the bottom edge;   a finger tab on the inside surface of the flexible, bistable heel flap.   
     
     
         19 . The shoe of  claim 18 , wherein the finger tab is anchored at a first end by a first overlay stitched to the inner surface and at a second end by a second overlay stitched to the inner surface. 
     
     
         20 . The shoe of  claim 18 , wherein the finger tab is located between the upper edge of the flexible, bistable heel flap and the bending region.