Foldable Sandal

Abstract

A foldable sandal includes a forefoot portion that is adapted to be disposed under a front portion of a wearer's foot, a rear-foot portion that is adapted to be disposed under a rear portion of the wearer's foot, and a folding member outsole that functions as the folding member and the bottom layer of the sandal. The folding member is operatively coupled to both the forefoot portion and the rear-foot portion wherein the folding member is adapted to enable the foldable sandal to be selectively moved between an open configuration suitable for wearing and a folded configuration suitable for storage. The sandal may also have a retaining member fastened to the folding member outsole or the forefoot portion and / or the rear-foot portion to hold the sandal on the wearer's foot.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 61 / 175,873, filed 2009, May 6 by the present inventor.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]This application relates generally to footwear and more particularly to folding sandals.[0004]2. Description of the Prior Art[0005]People often use multiple types of footwear on a daily basis. It is more common that a person has multiple pairs of shoes adapted for particular purposes such as social activities, exercising, work activities, and lounging than owning one pair for all purposes. Often times the type of shoe worn is a high heel which provides a fashionable option, but which may not be comfortable for more than a few hours or for long distance walking. Many people who regularly wear high heels or other shoes with limited comfort will carry a spare set of comfortable shoes, often being sandals, in their personal carrying bags for conveni...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Often times the type of shoe worn is a high heel which provides a fashionable option, but which may not be comfortable for more than a few hours or for long distance walking.

In many cases high heels are removed and dancing continues in bare feet due to the discomfort caused by many fashionable shoes.

Traditional sandals are too large to fit into many bags carried by people to these types of events.

As with gym bags or lockers, space is often very limited when packing bags or suitcases for traveling.

This configuration often leads to difficulty when trying to pack the sandals, particularly when trying to pack sandals into small gym bags, purses, laptop bags, and carryon suitcases.

The length of the sandals generally makes it difficult or impossible to close the pocket or bag without exposing at least a portion of the sandals to the remaining items in the bag.

Specifically, the length / width / thickness ratio of conventional sandals makes conventional sandals difficult to pack in some circumstances.

Additionally, the underside of sandals may be considered to be unsanitary or to pose increased risk of contact with dirt or bacteria from the ground, especially after being worn in public bathrooms, locker rooms, and showers.

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