Footwear with Enhanced Toe Post

Abstract

According to the various embodiments of the present disclosure, footwear with an enhanced toe post is provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the footwear may comprise a sole portion to support and protect a wearer's foot, a strap portion attached to the sole to bind the footwear to a wearer's foot, and at least one toe post passing between a wearer's toes constructed at least partially of memory foam or other cushioning materials.

1 . An article of footwear, the footwear comprising:
 a sole comprising multiple layers, the multiple layers including a top surface and one or more layers configured to support a foot of a wearer;   a strap attached to the sole to bind the footwear to the foot of the wearer; and   a toe post configured to pass between toes of the wearer, the toe post comprising:
 a ribbon attached to, and continuously extending between, the sole and the strap, the ribbon comprising:
 a bottom end extending into the sole and attached thereto below the top surface of the sole; 
 a top end secured to the strap at an attachment point; 
 a hollow portion disposed between the bottom end and the top end, the hollow portion having a length that extends from at least the top surface of the sole to the strap; and 
 padding contained throughout the length of the hollow portion of the ribbon. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the top end of the ribbon includes a flat portion used to secure the ribbon to the strap. 
     
     
         3 . The footwear of  claim 1 , further comprising a cap covering a portion of the toe post that overlaps the strap. 
     
     
         4 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the top end of the ribbon is secured to the strap via stitching. 
     
     
         5 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the attachment point is covered by a lining. 
     
     
         6 . The footwear of  claim 5 , wherein the lining is disposed on a skin-facing portion of the strap. 
     
     
         7 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the top end is folded around the strap. 
     
     
         8 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the hollow portion is contained within a tubular portion of the ribbon. 
     
     
         9 . The footwear of  claim 8 , wherein the padding is cylindrical in shape and contained within the tubular portion. 
     
     
         10 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the padding includes a foam material. 
     
     
         11 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the padding includes memory foam. 
     
     
         12 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the padding includes a plurality of beads. 
     
     
         13 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the padding includes one or more of gel, rubber, thermoplastic elastomer, foam, polystyrene, phenolic, thermoplastic olefin, hemp, nylon, canvas, cotton, leather, elastane, neoprene, aerogel, nanofoam, ethylene-vinyl acetate, and microfiber. 
     
     
         14 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom end is attached using one or more of glue and stitching. 
     
     
         15 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the ribbon is attached to the sole by embedding the bottom end into the sole. 
     
     
         16 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom end is attached between at least two layers of the sole. 
     
     
         17 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the multiple layers of the sole include a bottom layer, a middle layer, and an insole defining the top surface. 
     
     
         18 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the strap is secured to the sole between layers of the multiple layers of the sole. 
     
     
         19 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the ribbon is made of nylon webbing. 
     
     
         20 . A method for manufacturing footwear, the method comprising:
 securing a strap to a multilayer sole having a top surface;   inserting at least one piece of padding into a toe post comprising a ribbon, wherein the ribbon comprises a top terminal portion, a tubular portion that has a length that extends from at least the top surface of the multilayer sole to the strap and comprises the padding throughout the length, and a bottom terminal portion;   attaching the top terminal portion of the ribbon to the strap by stitching the top terminal portion of the ribbon to the strap at an attachment point;   inserting the bottom terminal portion of the ribbon through the top surface of the multilayer sole; and   attaching the ribbon to the multilayer sole.