Footwear cooling system

Abstract

A footwear cooling system includes a main airflow tube and first and second secondary air flow tubes positioned in respective air inlets in the front of a shoe. The first and second secondary air flow tubes join the main air flow tube at respective acute angles at a junction positioned a selected distance behind the main air inlet. The portion of the main airflow tube in front of the junction and the first and second secondary air flow tubes each have a plurality of air ducts formed on their side surfaces. The main air flow tube is connected to a fan which pulls air in from the main and secondary air inlets and exhausts air out of the rear of the shoe.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of air flow tubes positioned in a sole portion of an item of footwear;   each of the air flow tubes having a plurality of air ducts formed therein;   a fan located in the item of footwear;   wherein the plurality of airflow tubes, plurality of air ducts and the fan are configured to create a circulating air flow within the shoe beneath a foot of a wearer of the item of footwear.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of airflow tubes conduct air towards a rear portion of the shoe. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein a portion of each air flow tube lies above a topmost of a sole portion of the item of footwear. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein each said portion of each airflow tube includes the plurality of air ducts formed in the respective airflow tube. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the circulating air flow comprises air flow within the item of footwear above a topmost surface of a sole portion of the item of footwear from a rear portion of the item of footwear towards a front portion thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a mesh screen insole placed on top of the plurality of air flow tubes. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  further comprising a fabric insole positioned above the mesh screen insole. 
     
     
         8 . A method of constructing an airflow system for and item of footwear comprising:
 forming a plurality of interconnected airflow tubes in an interior portion of the footwear;   forming a plurality of air ducts in each of the plurality of airflow tubes; and   connecting an end of one of the air flow tubes to a fan.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising forming one or more air inlets in the item of footwear and configuring the plurality of air flow tubes to draw air in through the one or more air inlets and to conduct the air towards a rear portion of the item of footwear. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising positioning the plurality of air flow tubes such that a portion each one lies above a topmost portion of the sole of the item of footwear. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein said portion includes the plurality of air ducts formed in each of the plurality of air flow tubes. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the air flow tubes, air ducts, and fan are further configured so as to cause air circulation within the item of footwear above the topmost surface of a sole portion of the item of footwear from a rear portion of the item of footwear towards a front portion thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising employing a Bluetooth enabled controller to control functioning of the fan. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a Bluetooth enabled controller configured to control the fan. 
     
     
         15 . A method comprising:
 installing a fan in a portion of an item of footwear,   installing an air flow control system in the item of footwear connected to the fan; and   configuring the air flow control system to comprise a plurality of airflow tubes arranged to intake air from a portion of the item of footwear and circulate it beneath a foot of a wearer of the item of footwear.