Portable footwear and small apparel drying apparatus

A self-supporting apparatus for drying footwear and small articles of apparel, comprising:

• a flexible bag for holding said articles of apparel;
• a bottom base support positioned in said bag;
• a plurality of flexible rods having a first end and a second end, said first end and said second end of each said rod positioned at predetermined locations on said base support in said bag thereby forming a self-supporting dome shaped structure;
• means for drawing air into said bag;
• a vent formed in said bag for releasing said drawn air from said chamber;
• and
• means for accessing the inside of said chamber.

An apparatus for drying footwear and small articles of apparel, comprising:

• a flexible bag for holding said articles of apparel;
• means for rigidly supporting said flexible bag to establish an enclosed inner chamber, said rigid support means including a top panel attached to said bag for defining a top surface of said chamber, a bottom panel positioned in said bag substantially parallel to said top panel for defining a bottom surface of said chamber, an orthogonal first side panel positioned in said bag between said top panel and said bottom panel for defining a first side wall of said chamber, an orthogonal second side panel positioned opposite and substantially parallel to said first side panel for defining a second side wall of said chamber, and wherein said first side panel is movably attached to said bottom panel, said bottom panel is movably attached to said second side panel, and wherein said first side panel, said bottom panel, and said second side panel form a tri-fold insert, said tri-fold insert being removable from said bag;
• means for drawing air into said chamber, said drawing means mounted on said rigid support means;
• a vent formed in said bag for releasing said drawn air from said chamber;
• and means for accessing the inside of said chamber.