Footwear with pivotal toe

An article of footwear adapted to receive the human foot and operative to prevent torsional rotation of the foot while permitting bending movement about the ball of the foot, comprising:

• a toe portion having a first sole portion and a first relatively rigid upper shell, said first sole portion and said first upper shell configured to extend around and enclose a forward part of the human foot from a forward tip receiving the toes rearwardly to a location just behind the ball of the foot, said shell having a rear edge extending over the ball of the foot;
• a heel portion having a second sole portion and a second relatively rigid upper shell, said second upper shell having an access opening to permit insertion and removal of the foot, said second upper shell extending around the rear of the foot and having a forward edge extending over the foot, said second upper shell and said second sole portion enclosing a rearward part of the foot;
• and
• hinge means including first and second side trunnion pins mounted on one of said first and second upper shells and rotationally received, respectively, in first and second mounts on the other of said first and second upper shells, said hinge means interconnecting said toe portion and said heel portion for relative rotational motion about a fixed rotational axis in an axis plane substantially parallel to the plane of the first sole portion between a flat position wherein the respective first and second planes of said first and second sole portion are substantially parallel and a flexed position wherein said first and second planes are at an angle with respect to one another, said forward edge and said rear edge defining a wedge-shaped cut out region between said first and second upper shell when in the flat position, said hinge means fixed interconnecting said toe portion and said heel portion in a manner substantially prohibiting torsional movement therebetween.

An article of footwear adapted to receive the human foot and operative to prevent torsional rotation of the foot while permitting bending movement about the ball of the foot, comprising:

• a toe portion having a first sole portion and a first relatively rigid upper shell, said first sole portion and said first upper shell configured to extend around and enclose a forward part of the human foot from a forward tip receiving the toes rearwardly to a location just behind the ball of the foot, said shell having a rear edge extending over the ball of the foot;
• a heel portion having a second sole portion and a second relatively rigid upper shell, said second upper shell having an access opening to permit insertion and removal of the foot, said second upper shell extending around the rear of the foot and forwardly to a location proximate the ball of the foot and having a forward edge extending over the foot, said second upper shell and said second sole portion enclosing a rearward part of the foot;
• and
• hinge means interconnecting said toe portion and said heel portion for relative rotational motion about a fixed rotational axis in an axis plane substantially parallel to the plane of the first sole portion and canted at an angle to a longitudinal direction defined by the sole of the foot such that said rotational axis is oriented generally along the functional axis of the metatarsal phalangial joint articulation of the human foot and whereby said toe portion and said heel portion are relatively rotatable between a flat position wherein the respective first and second planes of said first and second sole portion are substantially parallel and a flexed position wherein said first and second planes are at an angle with respect to one another, said forward edge and said rear edge defining a wedge-shaped cut out region between said first and second upper shell when in the flat position, said hinge means fixedly interconnecting said toe portion and said heel portion in a manner substantially prohibiting torsional movement therebetween.