Reconfigurable article of footwear

Abstract

An article of footwear includes a sole, an upper connected to the sole, and an insole positioned within a foot cavity. The upper includes an outer shell extending from the heel region to the forefoot region, the outer shell including an outer heel wall defining an upper perimeter. A bootie is positioned within the outer shell and extends from the heel region to the forefoot region. The bootie is free floating relative to the outer shell within the heel region. The booting includes an inner heel cup configured to be moved between an upright position and a folded position. A posterior wall of the inner heel cup extends above the upper perimeter of the outer heel wall when the inner heel cup is in the upright position. The posterior wall of the inner heel cup is laid against the insole when the inner heel cup is in the folded position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An article of footwear comprising:
 a sole structure including a footbed; and   an upper including:
 an outer shell coupled to the sole, the outer shell including an outer heel wall oriented generally orthogonal to the footbed; and 
 an inner shell coupled to the sole structure, the inner shell including an inner heel wall generally aligned with the outer heel wall; 
   wherein the inner heel wall is pivotable away from the outer heel wall from a first position in which the inner heel wall is oriented generally parallel to the outer heel wall, to a second position in which the inner heel wall is oriented generally orthogonal to the outer heel wall.   
     
     
         2 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the outer heel wall extends a first height above the footbed and the inner heel wall extends a second height above the footbed, wherein the second height is greater than the first height. 
     
     
         3 . The article of footwear of  claim 2  wherein the second height is at least two times the first height. 
     
     
         4 . The article of footwear of  claim 1  further comprising a stabilization bar coupled to an exterior surface of the outer heel wall. 
     
     
         5 . The article of footwear of  claim 1  wherein the outer shell is comprised of a perforated material and the inner shell is comprised of a foam layer positioned between an inner layer of four-way stretch material and an outer layer of four-way stretch material. 
     
     
         6 . The article of footwear of  claim 5  wherein the perforated material is an inelastic fabric. 
     
     
         7 . The article of footwear of  claim 1  wherein the inner shell is a bootie including a hindfoot portion seamlessly coupled to a forefoot portion. 
     
     
         8 . The article of footwear of  claim 7  wherein the bootie includes a mouth providing an opening into a foot cavity, wherein a lip extends around the mouth, wherein the second position is an upright position, and wherein an entirety of the mouth is outside of the shell when the inner heel wall is in the upright position. 
     
     
         9 . The article of footwear of  claim 8  wherein, when the inner heel wall is in the upright position, the lip of the mouth extends continuously from a dorsum crest, to a lateral trough, to a heel apex, to a medial trough, and back to the dorsum crest, wherein the dorsum crest extends a first vertical height (h 1 ) above the lateral trough, and wherein the heel apex extends a second vertical height (h 2 ) above the lateral trough. 
     
     
         10 . The article of footwear of  claim 9  wherein 1.0<(h 1 /h 2 )<2.0. 
     
     
         11 . The article of footwear of  claim 10  wherein the lateral trough is a first horizontal length (l 1 ) from the dorsum crest, wherein the lateral trough is a second horizontal length (l 2 ) from the heel apex, and wherein 0.9<(l 1 /l 2 )<1.1. 
     
     
         12 . The article of footwear of  claim 8  wherein a first length of tape provides a coupling between the hindfoot portion and a forefoot portion on a medial side of the bootie, and wherein a second length of tape provides a coupling between the hindfoot portion and the forefoot portion on a lateral side of the bootie. 
     
     
         13 . The article of footwear of  claim 12  wherein:
 the first length of tape extends upward from an inner bottom position on the medial side of the bootie, around the lip, and downward to an outer bottom position on the medial side of the bootie; and 
 the second length of tape extends upward from an inner bottom position on the lateral side of the bootie, around the lip, and downward to an outer bottom position on the lateral side of the bootie. 
 
     
     
         14 . The article of footwear of  claim 8  wherein the article of footwear is a shoe, wherein the bootie comprises a textile laminate comprising an interior layer facing the foot cavity, wherein an exterior layer facing the outer shell and forming a portion of exterior of the shoe, and wherein an intermediate layer disposed between interior and exterior layers. 
     
     
         15 . The article of footwear of  claim 14  further comprising a lacing arrangement wherein:
 the lacing arrangement includes a plurality of tethers positioned between the bootie and the outer shell, each of the plurality of tethers including a first end extending from a bottom portion of the bootie, a second end extending from the bottom portion of the bootie, and a middle fold extending through one of a plurality of openings in the outer shell; and 
 a lace engages the middle fold of each of the plurality of tethers. 
 
     
     
         16 . The article of footwear of  claim 15  wherein:
 the plurality of tethers includes six tethers; and 
 the plurality of openings includes six openings. 
 
     
     
         17 . The article of footwear of  claim 15  wherein a portion of the lace is wound around a ratcheted spool, wherein the lace is tightened on the article of footwear when the spool is moved in a clockwise direction and the lace is loosened on the article of footwear when the spool is moved in a counter-clockwise direction. 
     
     
         18 . The article of footwear of  claim 17  wherein the spool is retained on the forefoot portion within a mounting base, the mounting base including an enlarged fitting that is retained within an instep socket on the bootie, and wherein the spool is connected to a dial that is rotatably positioned on the mounting base. 
     
     
         19 . The article of footwear of  claim 1  further comprising a triangular foam pad positioned on the inner heel wall, wherein a vertex of the triangular foam pad points upward when the inner heel wall is in the first position, and wherein the vertex of the triangular foam pad points to the forefoot of the article of footwear when the inner heel wall is in the second position. 
     
     
         20 . An article of footwear including a heel region, a midfoot region and a forefoot region, the article of footwear comprising:
 a sole;   an upper connected to the sole, the upper and the sole forming a foot cavity; and   an insole positioned within the foot cavity;   wherein, the upper comprises
 an outer shell extending from the heel region to the forefoot region, the outer shell including an outer heel wall defining an upper perimeter, and 
 a bootie positioned within the outer shell and extending from the heel region to the forefoot region, the bootie including an inner heel cup configured to be moved between an upright position and a folded position, wherein a posterior wall of the inner heel cup extends above the upper perimeter of the outer heel wall when the inner heel cup is in the upright position, and wherein the posterior wall of the inner heel cup is laid against the insole when the inner heel cup is in the folded position. 
   
     
     
         21 . The article of footwear of  claim 20  wherein the posterior wall of the inner heel cup is further positioned below the upper perimeter of the outer heel wall when the inner heel cup is in the folded position. 
     
     
         22 . An article of footwear including a heel region, a midfoot region and a forefoot region, the article of footwear comprising:
 a sole; and   an upper connected to the sole, the upper and the sole forming a foot cavity, the upper comprising:
 an outer shell extending from the heel region to the forefoot region, the outer shell including an outer heel wall, and 
 a bootie positioned within the outer shell and extending from the heel region to the forefoot region, the bootie free-floating relative to the outer shell within the heel region of the article of footwear, the bootie including a hindfoot portion and a midfoot portion with at least one seam formed between the hindfoot portion and the midfoot portion, the bootie further including a heel cup in the hindfoot portion, the heel cup configured to be moved between an upright position and a folded position, wherein at least one fold is formed in the heel cup on a posterior side of the seam when the heel cup is in the folded position. 
   
     
     
         23 . The article of footwear of  claim 22  wherein a length of tape covers the seam and provides a coupling between the hindfoot portion and the midfoot portion of the bootie.