Magnetic footwear fasteners and magnetic footwear utilizing the same

Footwear, comprising:

• a sole;
• a shell coupled to the sole and defining, with the sole, a foot compartment sized to receive a wearer's foot when the footwear is worn, wherein the foot compartment includes a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region corresponding to respective regions of the wearer's foot when the wearer's foot is received in the foot compartment, wherein the shell defines a foot opening above the heel region of the foot compartment and a channel extending from the foot opening toward the forefoot region;
• and further wherein the shell includes first and second vamp portions on opposed sides of the channel;
• and
• a magnetic footwear fastener, comprising:
• a first magnetic coupler including a magnetic coupling surface and further including a mechanical coupling region integrated into a first vamp portion of the footwear's shell;
• a second magnetic coupler including a magnetic coupling surface and further including a mechanical coupling region integrated into a second vamp portion of the footwear's shell;
• wherein one of the first magnetic coupler and the second magnetic coupler includes a magnet, wherein the other of the first magnetic coupler and the second magnetic coupler includes at least one of a magnet and a magnetic material;
• and
• wherein the magnetic coupling surfaces of the first and second magnetic couplers are configured to be magnetically coupled together to secure the magnetic footwear fastener in a coupled configuration;
• and further wherein when the magnetic footwear fastener is in the coupled configuration, the magnetic footwear fastener restricts enlargement of the foot opening and the foot compartment of the footwear.

Footwear, comprising:

• a sole;
• a shell coupled to the sole and defining, with the sole, a foot compartment sized to receive a wearer's foot when the footwear is worn, wherein the foot compartment includes a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region corresponding to respective regions of the wearer's foot when the wearer's foot is received in the foot compartment, wherein the shell defines a foot opening above the heel region of the foot compartment and a channel extending from the foot opening toward the forefoot region;
• and further wherein the shell includes first and second vamp portions on opposed sides of the channel;
• and
• a magnetic footwear fastener, comprising:
• a first magnetic coupler including a magnetic coupling surface and a mechanical coupling region mechanically coupled to a first vamp portion of the footwear's shell;
• a second magnetic coupler including a magnetic coupling surface and mechanical coupling region mechanically coupled to a second vamp portion of the footwear's shell;
• and
• wherein at least one of the first magnetic coupler and the second magnetic coupler includes at least one of correlated magnets, a Halbach array of magnets, and a series of magnetic dipoles;
• and wherein the other of the first magnetic coupler and the second magnetic coupler includes at least one of a magnet, a magnetic material, correlated magnets, a Halbach array of magnets, and a series of magnetic dipoles;
• and
• wherein the magnetic coupling surfaces of the first and second magnetic couplers are configured to be magnetically coupled together to secure the magnetic footwear fastener in a coupled configuration;
• and further wherein when the magnetic footwear fastener is in the coupled configuration, the magnetic footwear fastener restricts enlargement of the foot opening and the foot compartment of the footwear.