RAPID-ENTRY FOOTWEAR HAVING AN ENERGY SET ZONE

1 . A rapid-entry shoe comprising:

a sole portion;

an upper coupled to the sole portion, the upper comprising a collapsible rear portion;

wherein the collapsible rear portion has an open configuration and a closed configuration;

wherein, in the open configuration, the collapsible rear portion is collapsed to facilitate donning and doffing of the rapid-entry shoe;

wherein, in the closed configuration, the collapsible rear portion is uncollapsed to facilitate retention of the rapid-entry shoe;

wherein the collapsible rear portion comprises an energy set zone; and

wherein the energy set zone biases the collapsible rear portion toward the closed configuration.

2 . The rapid-entry shoe of claim 1 , wherein the energy set zone comprises an energy activated material.

3 . The rapid-entry shoe of claim 2 , wherein the energy activated material comprises a material that, upon application of an external energy source, is characterized by an increased hardness or resiliency.

4 . The rapid-entry shoe of claim 2 , wherein the energy set zone further comprises an energy resistant carrier material.

5 . The rapid-entry shoe of claim 4 , wherein the energy activated material and the energy resistant carrier material are woven, stitched, bonded or otherwise coupled or adjacent together.

6 . The rapid-entry shoe of claim 2 , wherein the energy set zone extends from a lateral or a medial side of the upper partially around the collapsible rear portion.

7 . The rapid-entry shoe of claim 2 , wherein the energy set zone extends from a medial side of the rapid-entry shoe to a lateral side of the rapid-entry shoe.

8 . The rapid-entry shoe of claim 7 , wherein the energy set zone is horseshoe or arc shaped.

9 . The rapid-entry shoe of claim 2 , wherein the energy set zone is a portion of the upper harder or more resilient compared to a surrounding portion of the upper that is contiguous with the energy set zone.

10 . The rapid-entry shoe of claim 9 , wherein the energy set zone is a portion of the upper selectively activated by heat.

11 . The rapid-entry shoe of claim 9 , wherein the energy set zone is a portion of the upper selectively embroidered or laminated with the energy activated material.

12 . The rapid-entry shoe of claim 2 , wherein the energy set zone comprises at least one webbed area that further biases the collapsible rear portion toward the closed configuration.

13 . The rapid-entry shoe of claim 12 , wherein the at least one webbed area comprises a single ridge or a plurality of adjacent ridges.

14 . The rapid-entry shoe of claim 13 , wherein at least two of the plurality of adjacent ridges compress and/or fold closer to each other as the rapid-entry shoe transforms to the open configuration and stretch and/or fold apart from each other as the rapid-entry shoe transforms to the closed configuration.

15 . A method of making a rapid-entry shoe comprising:

providing a sole portion;

providing an upper for coupling to the sole portion, the upper comprising a collapsible rear portion, the collapsible rear portion comprising an energy set zone, and the energy set zone comprising an energy activated material; and

energy setting the energy activated material such that the energy set zone exhibits an increased hardness or resiliency to bias the collapsible rear portion from a collapsed configuration toward an uncollapsed configuration.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of energy setting the energy activated material comprises targeted heating.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of energy setting the energy activated material comprises masking and untargeted heating.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of energy setting the energy activated material occurs before or during a step of lasting the rapid-entry shoe.