Split-Sole Footwear

An article of footwear comprising:

• a textile sock upper component;
• an integral split sole having a forefoot portion and a heel portion separated by a gap configured to lie beneath a wearer's instep;
• a back strap configured to wrap around the wearer's heel and attached at one end to the medial side of the heel portion and at the other end to the lateral side of the heel portion;
• an x-shaped bridge configured to arch over a wearer's foot comprising an apex configured to lie over the wearer's instep, the apex comprising a portion from which medial arms extend to a medial side of the forefoot portion of the split sole and to a medial side of the heel portion of the split sole, and lateral arms extend to a lateral side of the forefoot portion of the split sole and to a lateral side of the heel portion of the split sole, wherein the medial arms are configured to extend in part down the side of the wearer's foot and the lateral arms are configured to extend in part over the top of the wearer's foot;
• a lateral front protective element and a medial front protective element configured to curve around and over the sides and front of the wearer's foot to provide protection for the wearer's foot, leaving an opening at the dorsal surface of the foot,
• wherein the split sole is a unitary product formed by injecting mold material into a cavity having a last within the textile sock upper component defining one side of the cavity, such that the mold material impregnates the textile sock upper component and forms the split sole attached to the textile sock upper component.

An article of footwear comprising:

• a textile sock upper component;
• an integral split sole having a forefoot portion and a heel portion separated by a gap, wherein the forefoot portion comprises a lateral front protective element and a medial front protective element configured to curve over the sides and front of a wearer's foot, leaving an opening at the foot's dorsal surface;
• an x-shaped bridge configured to fit over the wearer's foot at the wearer's instep, the x-shaped bridge comprising first, second, third and fourth arms extending downwards from an apex of the x-shaped bridge to attach to the forefoot portion and the heel portion of the sole,
• wherein the first arm extends down to attach to the medial side of the forefoot portion, the second arm extends down to attach to the lateral side of the forefoot portion, the third arm extends down to attach to the medial side of the heel portion and the fourth arm extends down to attach to the lateral side of the heel portion, and wherein the split sole and the textile sock upper component form an integral product.

An article of footwear comprising:

• a split sole and a textile sock upper;
• wherein the split sole comprises a forefoot portion and a heel portion separated by a gap, an x-shaped bridge having an apex and first, second, third and fourth arms, the x-shaped bridge configured to arch over a wearer's instep,
• wherein the first arm attaches to a medial side of the forefoot portion, the second arm attaches to a lateral side of the forefoot portion, the third arm attaches to a medial side of the heel portion and the fourth arm attaches to a lateral side of the heel portion,
• wherein the textile sock upper comprises an ankle portion and an instep portion, and wherein the article of footwear was fabricated by inserting a last into the fabric sock upper, positioning the last with the textile sock upper over a mold, and injecting molding material into the mold to form the split sole.