Footwear with pivotal toe

An article of footwear adapted to receive the human foot and operative to prevent torsional rotation of the foor 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, and shell having a rear edge extending over the ball of the foot;
• a heel portion having a second sole portion formed independently of said first 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;
• hinge means interconnecting said toe portion and said heel portion for relative rotational motion about afixed 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 hinge means fixedly interconnectiong said toe portion and said heel portion in a manner substantially prohibiting torsional movement therebetween;
• and a masking panel extending between the first and second sole portions beneath the foot and operative to prevent ingress of unwanted materials into the article of footwear through an area between said first and second sole portions.

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

• 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 a having a second sole portion formed independently of said first sole portion and a second relatively rigid upper shell, said second uppershell 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 extendingt over the foot, said second upper shell and said second sole portion enclosing a rearward part of the foot;
• and
• hinge means interconnection said toe portion and siad heel portion for relative rotational motion about at least two rotational axes in and 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 angle with respect to one another, said hinge means fixedly interconnection said toe portion and said heel portion in a manner substantially prohibiting torsional movement therebetween.