Apparatus and method by means of which an item of footwear is adapted

An apparatus of adapting a prefabricated item of footwear to a user's foot or leg, the item of footwear consisting, at least in part, of hard thermoplastic material, the apparatus comprising:

• a pressure exerting element substantially enveloping said item of footwear in operation of the apparatus, said pressure exerting element having an accommodating space for accommodating the item of footwear;
• a deformable material at least partly delimiting said accommodating space and forming an inner layer of said pressure exerting element;
• an outer layer tightly bonded to said inner layer of said pressure exerting element and forming a cavity therebetween;
• an inlet opening in communicating relationship with said cavity for introducing a pressure application fluid into said cavity of said pressure exerting element;
• said pressure exerting element being formed with at least one area into which the pressure application fluid will not enter.

A method of producing an item of footwear adapted to a user's foot and/or leg, the method which comprises:

• providing a prefabricated item of footwear consisting of hard thermoplastic material to be used in sports;
• providing a pressure exerting element being at least partly comprised of deformable material delimiting a cavity formed between an inner layer that is tightly bonded to an outer layer of the pressure exerting element and formed to substantially envelope the item of footwear when the item of footwear is inserted into the pressure exerting element;
• heating at least a portion of the prefabricated item of footwear and inserting the at least partially heated item of footwear into the pressure exerting element;
• introducing pressure application fluid into the cavity for applying pressure from outside to thereby deform the heated area and adapt the item of footwear to the user's foot and/or leg, wherein at least one area of the pressure exerting element is formed such that pressure application fluid will not enter when the fluid is introduced into the cavity;
• and
• subsequently cooling the item of footwear.