Rapid-entry footwear having a pocket for a compressed medium
A rapid-entry shoe having an upper, a sole portion, and at least one pocket coupled to a rear portion of the upper and encapsulating a compressed medium that biases a topline of the shoe toward an uncollapsed configuration.
1. A rapid-entry shoe comprising:
a sole portion;
an upper coupled to the sole portion;
a pocket coupled the upper;
wherein the pocket extends between medial and lateral sides of the rapid-entry shoe and is at an angle to the sole portion;
wherein the pocket and the sole portion define a window at a rear portion of the upper;
wherein the pocket encapsulates a medium;
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 pocket is compressed downward toward the sole portion of the rapid-entry shoe;
wherein in the uncollapsed configuration, the pocket is expanded away from the sole portion of the rapid-entry shoe; and
wherein the rapid-entry shoe is biased by the 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 pocket 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 pocket encapsulating a medium;
wherein the pocket is coupled to a rear portion of the upper and extends between medial and lateral sides of the rapid-entry shoe;
wherein the pocket defines a window at the rear portion of the upper;
wherein a topline of the rear portion has an uncollapsed configuration;
wherein the topline of the rear portion has a collapsed configuration in which the topline is collapsed downward into the window; and
wherein the pocket biases the topline upward toward the uncollapsed configuration.
6. The rapid-entry shoe of claim 5 , wherein pressurization of the medium in the pocket biases the topline toward the uncollapsed configuration.
7. The rapid-entry shoe of claim 5 , wherein the pocket 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.