Warming rack for articles of footwear

A warming rack for holding footwear, the footwear rack comprising:

• a base defining a length between a first end and a second end and a width between a pair of opposing side edges;
• and
• an array of support posts supported by the base and configured to retain multiple articles of footwear above the base, each support post having a first portion extending from a proximal end in a first direction to a bend line, and each support post also having a second portion extending from the bend line at an angle relative to the first direction to a terminal end, the second portion configured to retain a corresponding article of footwear in a fixed position when the second portion is received by an interior void of the footwear;
• the array of support posts includes a first series of support posts having their respective terminal ends collinearly spaced apart from one another along the length of the base and disposed closer to one of the opposing side edges than their respective proximal ends, and a second series of support posts having their respective terminal ends collinearly spaced apart from one another along the length of the base and disposed closer to the other one of the opposing side edges than their respective proximal ends;
• and
• wherein each adjacent pair of the first series of support posts and the second series of support posts includes one of the support posts having the respective terminal end disposed closer to one of the first end and the second end of the base than the respective proximal end and the other one of the support posts having the respective terminal end disposed closer to the other one of the first end and the second end of the base than the respective proximal end.

A warming rack for holding footwear, the footwear rack comprising:

• a base defining a length between a first end and a second end and a width between a pair of opposing side edges;
• an array of support posts supported by the base and configured to retain multiple articles of footwear above the base, each support post having a first portion extending from a proximal end in a first direction to a bend line, and each support post also having a second portion extending from the bend line at an angle relative to the first direction to a terminal end, the second portion configured to retain a corresponding article of footwear in a fixed position when the second portion is received by an interior void of the footwear;
• the base defines a lateral axis that bisects the length of the base into a first zone and a second zone, the first zone of the base configured to support a first group of the support posts and the second zone of the base configured to support a second group of the support posts;
• and
• the second portions in each of the first group of the support posts extend toward their respective terminal ends in different directions away from one another, and the second portions of the second group of the support posts extend toward their respective terminal ends in different directions away from one another.

A warming rack for holding footwear, the footwear rack comprising:

• a base defining a length between a first end and a second end and a width between a pair of opposing side edges;
• an array of support posts supported by the base and configured to retain multiple articles of footwear above the base, each support post having a first portion extending from a proximal end in a first direction to a bend line, and each support post also having a second portion extending from the bend line at an angle relative to the first direction to a terminal end, the second portion configured to retain a corresponding article of footwear in a fixed position when the second portion is received by an interior void of the footwear;
• the base defines a lateral axis that bisects the length of the base into a first zone and a second zone, the first zone of the base configured to support a first group of the support posts and the second zone of the base configured to support a second group of the support posts;
• and
• a first brace member supported by the base in the first zone above the upper surface, the first brace member defining a first group of apertures each defining a longitudinal axis extending substantially perpendicular to the upper surface of the base, the first group of apertures receiving corresponding ones of the first portions of the first group of the support posts;
• and
• a second brace member supported by the base in the second zone above the upper surface, the second brace member defining a second group of apertures each defining a longitudinal axis extending substantially perpendicular to the upper surface of the base, the second group of apertures receiving corresponding ones of the first portions of the second group of the support posts.

A heating system for warming footwear, the heating system comprising:

• a housing defining a chamber configured to hold a quantity of water;
• a heating element disposed within the chamber and operative to heat the quantity of water;
• and
• a warming rack disposed within the chamber and configured to hold a plurality of articles of footwear above an upper surface of the quantity of water, the warming rack comprising:
• a base supported by the housing within the chamber and defining a length between a first end and a second end and a width between a pair of opposing side edges;
• and
• an array of support posts supported by the base and configured to retain multiple articles of footwear above the upper surface of the quantity of water, each support post having a first portion extending in a first direction substantially perpendicular to the upper surface from a proximal end to a bend line, and a second portion extending at an angle relative to the first direction from the bend line to a terminal end, the second portion configured to retain a corresponding article of footwear in a fixed position above the upper surface of the quantity of water when the second portion is received by an interior void of the footwear.