Rapid-entry footwear having a pocket for a compressed medium

1. A rapid-entry shoe comprising:

a sole portion;

an upper coupled to the sole portion;

a pocket coupled to a side of the upper;

wherein the pocket comprises an arm and a leg, the leg of the pocket being substantially parallel to the sole portion, and the arm of the pocket being at an acute angle to the leg;

wherein the pocket encapsulates a medium;

wherein the medium is pressurized;

wherein the leg comprises a flange coupled to the sole portion;

wherein the pocket and the flange together comprise a v shape;

wherein the rapid-entry shoe has a collapsed configuration in which an opening of the rapid-entry shoe is expanded to facilitate reception of a foot of an individual donning the rapid-entry shoe;

wherein the rapid-entry shoe has an uncollapsed configuration in which the opening is unexpanded to retain the foot within the rapid-entry shoe;

wherein in the collapsed configuration, the arm of the pocket is compressed downward toward the sole portion of the rapid-entry shoe;

wherein in the uncollapsed configuration, the arm of the pocket is expanded away from the sole portion of the rapid-entry shoe; and

wherein the rapid-entry shoe is biased by the pressurized medium toward the uncollapsed configuration.

2. The rapid-entry shoe of claim 1 , wherein the medium is a gas.

3. The rapid-entry shoe of claim 1 , wherein the medium is a liquid.

4. The rapid-entry shoe of claim 1 , wherein the arm comprises a plurality of serrations or scallops.

5. A rapid-entry shoe comprising:

a sole portion;

an upper coupled to the sole portion; and

a plurality of pockets, each of the plurality of pockets encapsulating a medium;

wherein each of the plurality of pockets is coupled to a rear portion of the upper;

wherein a first pocket of the plurality of pockets is located exclusively on a medial side of the shoe, and a second pocket of the plurality of pockets, the second pocket being separate and distinct from the first pocket, is located exclusively on a lateral side of the shoe;

wherein a topline of the rear portion has an uncollapsed configuration;

wherein the topline of the rear portion has a collapsed configuration in which a dimension of an opening of the shoe is greater than in the uncollapsed configuration; and

wherein the at least one pocket biases the topline toward the uncollapsed configuration.

6. The rapid-entry shoe of claim 5 , wherein pressurization of the medium in each of the plurality of pockets biases the topline toward the uncollapsed configuration.

7. The rapid-entry shoe of claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of pockets extends into the sole portion.

8. The rapid-entry shoe of claim 5 , wherein the medium is a gas.

9. The rapid-entry shoe of claim 5 , wherein the medium is a liquid.

10. A rapid-entry shoe comprising:

a sole portion;

an upper coupled to the sole portion;

a pocket coupled to the upper;

wherein the pocket encapsulates a medium;

wherein the medium is pressurized;

wherein the rapid-entry shoe has a collapsed configuration in which an opening of the rapid-entry shoe is expanded to facilitate reception of a foot of an individual donning the rapid-entry shoe;

wherein the rapid-entry shoe has an uncollapsed configuration in which the opening is unexpanded to retain the foot within the rapid-entry shoe;

wherein in the collapsed configuration, an upper portion of the pocket is compressed downward toward the sole portion of the rapid-entry shoe;

wherein in the uncollapsed configuration, the upper portion of the pocket is expanded away from the sole portion of the rapid-entry shoe; and

wherein the rapid-entry shoe is biased by the pressurized medium toward the uncollapsed configuration; and

wherein a sole portion of the pocket extends under a footbed of the rapid-entry shoe into the sole portion such that a force exerted on the footbed expels the medium from the sole portion of the pocket into the upper portion of the pocket.

11. The rapid-entry shoe of claim 10 , wherein the medium is a gas.

12. The rapid-entry shoe of claim 10 , wherein the medium is a liquid.

13. The rapid-entry shoe of claim 10 , wherein the pocket comprises a plurality of serrations or scallops.