US20140223770A1

US20140223770A1 - Footwear Assembly With Inner And Outer Articles

Info

Publication number: US20140223770A1
Application number: US13/764,878
Authority: US
Inventors: Ann Marie Fallow; Steven R. Hofhiens; Jason P. Humble; Georgina James
Original assignee: Nike Inc
Current assignee: Nike Inc
Priority date: 2013-02-12
Filing date: 2013-02-12
Publication date: 2014-08-14

Abstract

A footwear assembly includes an open toed inner article of footwear and an outer article of footwear. The inner article of footwear can be inserted into the outer article of footwear. The inner article of footwear can be worn separately from, or in combination with, the outer article of footwear. The footwear assembly can also include a wrapping member.

Description

BACKGROUND

The present embodiments relate generally to articles of footwear, and in particular to an assembly including an inner article of footwear and an outer article of footwear.
Articles of footwear for activities such as yoga and dance may comprise generally lightweight articles that are flexible and conform to the foot. However, such articles may provide limited cushioning and/or coverage for the foot.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, a footwear assembly includes an inner article of footwear with an open toe portion. The footwear assembly further includes an outer article of footwear configured to receive the inner article of footwear, where the outer article of footwear provides greater coverage of a sole of a foot than the inner article of footwear. The inner article of footwear can be worn independently from the outer article of footwear and the outer article of footwear can be worn over the inner article of footwear.
A footwear assembly including an inner article of footwear with an open toe portion and an outer article of footwear configured to receive the inner article of footwear, where the outer article of footwear provides greater coverage of a sole of a foot than the inner article of footwear. The inner article of footwear can be worn independently from the outer article of footwear. The inner article of footwear includes a first plurality of traction elements. The outer article of footwear includes a second plurality of traction elements.
A kit of parts includes an inner article of footwear with an open toe portion. The kit of parts also includes an outer article of footwear configured to receive the inner article of footwear, where the outer article of footwear provides greater coverage of a sole of a foot than the inner article of footwear. The kit of parts also includes a wrapping member configured to be wrapped around the foot and ankle.
A footwear assembly includes an inner article of footwear with an open toe portion, the inner article of footwear further including a vamp portion that partially covers a top of a foot. The footwear assembly also includes an outer article of footwear configured to receive the inner article of footwear. The outer article of footwear includes an opening and the vamp portion of the inner article of footwear extends through the opening.
Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the embodiments will be, or will become, apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features and advantages be included within this description and this summary, be within the scope of the embodiments, and be protected by the following claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the embodiments. Moreover, in the figures, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views.

FIG. 1 is a schematic isometric view of an embodiment of a container configured to store components including a footwear assembly;

FIG. 2 is a schematic isometric view of the container of FIG. 1, in which the container is opened;

FIG. 3 is a schematic top down view of the container of FIG. 1 in an opened state;

FIG. 4 is a schematic isometric view of an embodiment of a kit of parts including a pair of footwear assemblies;

FIG. 5 is a schematic isometric view of an embodiment of a footwear assembly;

FIG. 6 is a schematic isometric view of an embodiment of a footwear assembly in which an inner article of footwear has been separated from an outer article of footwear;

FIG. 7 is a schematic top down view of an embodiment of an inner article of footwear and an outer article of footwear;

FIG. 8 is a schematic bottom view of an embodiment of an inner article of footwear and an outer article of footwear;

FIG. 9 is a schematic isometric view of an embodiment of a step of placing a wrapping member around a foot;

FIG. 10 is a schematic isometric view of an embodiment of a step of tying a wrapping member around a leg after an inner article of footwear has been placed onto a foot;

FIG. 11 is a schematic isometric view of an embodiment of a step of associating an inner article of footwear with an outer article of footwear;

FIG. 12 is a schematic isometric view of an embodiment of a footwear assembly on a foot;

FIG. 13 is a schematic isometric view of an embodiment of a user wearing a pair of footwear assemblies;

FIG. 14 is a schematic isometric view of an embodiment of a user wearing inner articles of footwear with the corresponding outer articles of footwear removed; and

FIG. 15 is a schematic isometric view of an embodiment of a user in an athletic position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 through 4 illustrate schematic views of an embodiment of a footwear kit 100 including one or more footwear assemblies. Footwear kit 100, also referred to hereafter as simply kit 100, can be used with any type of footwear. In addition, the principles discussed throughout this detailed description may not be limited in use to footwear. Similar principles could be applied to kits for various different types of apparel as well.
Kit 100 and/or individual components comprising kit 100 may be obtained in a variety of manners. In some embodiments, kit 100 may be purchased by a customer at a retail location, such as a retail store or kiosk. In other embodiments, kit 100 may be purchased and shipped to an address associated with a customer.
Referring to FIGS. 1-4, kit 100 comprises various components associated with articles of footwear as well as provisions for storing those components. In some embodiments, kit 100 comprises a first footwear assembly 130 and a second footwear assembly 150. As discussed in further detail below, each footwear assembly can further include a corresponding outer article of footwear, inner article of footwear as well as a wrapping element. For example, in the current embodiment, first footwear assembly 130 includes a first outer article of footwear 132 and a first inner article of footwear 134, which are shown as assembled in FIGS. 1-4. First footwear assembly 130 further includes a first wrapping member 136, which is shown separated from first outer article of footwear 132 and first inner article of footwear 134. Additionally, second footwear assembly 150 includes a second outer article of footwear 152 and a second inner article of footwear 154, which are shown as assembled in FIGS. 1-4. Second footwear assembly 150 further includes a second wrapping member 156, which is shown separated from second outer article of footwear 152 and second inner article of footwear 154. Further description of each of these components is given in further detail below.
In some embodiments, kit 100 may also include provisions that facilitate the use of one or more footwear assemblies. For example, some embodiments may include provisions that facilitate washing or cleaning of various components. In some embodiments, kit 100 could include a bag 170. In some cases, bag 170 may be a mesh bag. In other embodiments, bag 170 could be any other kind of bag including, but not limited to: a knit bag, a plastic bag, as well as any other kind of bag.
Kit 100 may comprise a container 102 that can be used to transport and/or store first footwear assembly 130, second footwear assembly 150 and bag 170. In some embodiments, container 102 may be configured as an outer container body 104 with a drawer 106 that slides with respect to outer container body 104. In other embodiments, however, container 102 may have any other configuration, including, for example, a shoebox-like configuration.
In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 1-4, container 102 may comprise separate compartments for storing different components of kit 100. However, in other embodiments multiple components may be stored in a single compartment. Moreover, it will be understood that the number and/or sizes of compartments used may be selected according to the number and sizes of components to be stored within container 102.
In some embodiments, container 102 includes various compartments for receiving components of kit 100. For example, container 102 may include first compartment 110 storing first outer article of footwear 132 and first inner article of footwear 134 (which may be assembled for storage). Likewise, container 102 may include second compartment 112 for storing second outer article of footwear 152 and second inner article of footwear 154 (which may be assembled for storage). Additionally, container 102 may include third compartment 114 and fourth compartment 116 for storing first wrapping member 136 and second wrapping member 156, respectively. In some embodiments, container 102 may additionally include a fifth compartment 118 for storing bag 170. This arrangement of components within individual compartments of container 102 may facilitate ease of storage and removal of the components.
Referring now to FIG. 4, the individual components of kit 100 have been removed from container 102 to better illustrate their structure. For example, first wrapping member 136 and second wrapping member 156 are seen to comprise substantially elongated ribbon-like members. In particular, first wrapping member 136 and second wrapping member 156 may have a substantially two-dimensional structure, such that the corresponding length and width of each member is substantially greater than the thickness of the member. This structure allows first wrapping member 136 and second wrapping member 156 to function as strap-like elements that facilitate support when wrapped around portions of a foot. As discussed in further detail below, in some embodiments, first wrapping member 136 and second wrapping member 156 may be used to facilitate the functioning of first inner article of footwear 134 and second inner article of footwear 154, respectively.
In some embodiments, bag 170 may comprise a mesh bag that can receive one or more components of a footwear assembly. For example, in some embodiments, bag 170 may function as a laundry bag. In other words, a user can place on or more components of a footwear assembly (or a pair of footwear assemblies) into bag 170. Bag 170 may then be put in a washing machine so that the footwear assembly can be cleaned. In this way, bag 170 may provide protection for the components of a footwear assembly during cleaning. In other embodiments, bag 170 may provide additional functions. For example, in another embodiment, a user may carry and/or store one or more footwear assemblies within bag 170, rather than using container 102.
FIGS. 5 through 8 illustrate various views of some components of first footwear assembly 130, also hereafter referred to simply as footwear assembly 130. Although the following discussion describes components of first footwear assembly 130, it will be understood that the discussion may also apply to components of second footwear assembly 150, which may be similar to first footwear assembly 130 in many respects.
As previously discussed, footwear assembly 130 includes first outer article of footwear 132 (also referred to simply as outer article of footwear 132) and first inner article of footwear 134 (also referred to simply as inner article of footwear 134). Outer article of footwear 132 and inner article of footwear 134 may comprise distinct articles that may be assembled together to form a composite article.
Referring now to FIGS. 5 through 7, for purposes of reference, outer article of footwear 132 and inner article of footwear 134 may be divided into corresponding forefoot portions, midfoot portions and heel portions. For example, outer article of footwear 132 may have a forefoot portion 200, a midfoot portion 202 and a heel portion 204. Forefoot portion 200 may be generally associated with the toes and joints connecting the metatarsals with the phalanges. Midfoot portion 202 may be generally associated with the arch of a foot. Likewise, heel portion 204 may be generally associated with the heel of a foot, including the calcaneus bone. In a similar manner, inner article of footwear 134 may have a corresponding forefoot portion 210, midfoot portion 212 and heel portion 214. Forefoot portion 210 may be generally associated with the toes and joints connecting the metatarsals with the phalanges. Midfoot portion 212 may be generally associated with the arch of a foot. Likewise, heel portion 214 may be generally associated with the heel of a foot, including the calcaneus bone.
In some embodiments, each article may further include a toe portion that comprises part, but not necessarily all, of a forefoot portion. For example, outer article of footwear 132 may include toe portion 208 that is associated with a forward portion of forefoot portion 200. Likewise, inner article of footwear 134 may include toe portion 218 that is associated with a forward portion of forefoot portion 210. Both toe portion 208 of outer article of footwear 132 and toe portion 218 of inner article of footwear 134 may correspond with the toes of the foot.
It will be understood that the terms forefoot portion, midfoot portion, heel portion and toe portion are only intended for purposes of description and are not intended to demarcate precise regions of either outer article of footwear 132 or inner article of footwear 134. Moreover, it will be understood that these portions in each article may correspond to one another, but may not be identical in dimension and/or shape. Still further, some portions may be closed (i.e., covered), while other portions may be open (i.e., uncovered). For example, in some embodiments, inner article of footwear 134 may comprise a generally open toe portion 218.
In some embodiments, inner article of footwear 134 comprises an open article that covers some, but not all, portions of a foot. In some embodiments, for example, inner article of footwear 134 may comprise portions that cover a sole of the foot, a heel of the foot, as well as some parts of the instep of the foot. In some embodiments, therefore, inner article of footwear 134 includes a bottom portion 230 for covering at least some of the sole of the foot, as well as a heel covering portion 232 that covers the heel.
In some embodiments, inner article of footwear 134 may further include at least one strap that covers portions of the instep (or top) of the foot. In some embodiments, inner article of footwear 134 includes first strap portion 240 and second strap portion 242. In some embodiments, first strap portion 240 and second strap portion 242 may extend in a crisscross arrangement from heel portion 214 to forefoot portion 210 of inner article of footwear 134. Moreover, first strap portion 240 and second strap portion 242 extend through a vamp portion 209 of inner article of footwear 134. Vamp portion 209 comprises a portion of inner article of footwear 134 that is associated with the top, or instep, of a foot. In this configuration, first strap portion 240 and second strap portion 242 may extend through vamp portion 209 in a manner that will partially cover the instep of a foot. Thus, with this arrangement, first strap portion 240 and second strap portion 242 may help secure inner article of footwear 134 to a foot.
The arrangement of inner article of footwear 134 described here provides for an opening 250, which may be formed between heel covering portion 232 and first strap portion 240 and second strap portion 242. Furthermore, the strap-like configuration provides several additional openings, or uncovered regions, along vamp portion 209.
In some embodiments, inner article of footwear 134 may comprise an open-toed article. In other words, in some embodiments, toe portion 218 of inner article of footwear 134 may be associated with one or more openings that allow some toes to be exposed or uncovered. In some embodiments, inner article of footwear 134 may include first toe opening 220 and second toe opening 222, which may be further separated by separating portion 224. In some embodiments, first toe opening 220 may receive the big toe of the foot, while second toe opening 222 may receive the remaining toes of the foot. In other embodiments, however, first toe opening 220 and second toe opening 222 could be arranged to receive any combination of the toes. Moreover, in other embodiments, additional separating portions may be used to create additional (i.e., more than two) toe openings. In still other embodiments, separating portions could be absent so that inner article of footwear 134 comprises a single opening at toe portion 218.
In some embodiments, outer article of footwear 132 comprises a lower portion 260 and an upper portion 262. Lower portion 260 may comprise an outsole-like structure that is configured to contact the ground as well as provide coverage for the sole of a foot. Upper portion 262 may cover various portions of the foot. In some embodiments, upper portion 262 comprises a heel covering portion 264 and a toe covering portion 266. Additionally, upper portion 262 may comprise a first sidewall portion 268 and a second sidewall portion 270 that extend between heel covering portion 264 and toe covering portion 266. Moreover, in some embodiments, outer article of footwear 132 is configured with a large opening 280 that receives inner article of footwear 134 as well as portions of the foot. With this arrangement, outer article of footwear 132 is configured to provide coverage for the lower portions of the foot, but may remain open at regions associated with the instep, or top, of the foot. In some embodiments, outer article of footwear 132 may provide greater coverage for a sole of the foot than inner article of footwear 134, which may be open at the toes.
As seen in FIG. 5, when inner article of footwear 134 is inserted into outer article of footwear 132, the assembled components comprise an assembly that provides coverage along both the bottom of the foot as well as some coverage on the top of the foot. In some embodiments, portions of inner article of footwear 134 may extend through opening 280 of outer article of footwear 132. For example, some portions of heel covering portion 232 of inner article of footwear 134 extends through opening 280. Likewise, portions of first strap portion 240 and second strap portion 242 (which comprise vamp portion 209) may extend through opening 280. This assembled configuration may provide a generally integrated appearance for outer article of footwear 132 and inner article of footwear 134.
In different embodiments, each of outer article of footwear 132 and inner article of footwear 134 may be configured with varying material characteristics. For example, in some embodiments, the resiliency of outer article of footwear 132 and inner article of footwear 134 could vary. In other embodiments, the rigidity of outer article of footwear 132 and inner article of footwear 134 could vary. In one embodiment, for example, outer article of footwear 132 could be substantially more rigid than inner article of footwear 134. This arrangement could provide increased rigidity, protection for the foot and durability when outer article of footwear 132 is worn over inner article of footwear 134. Moreover, this arrangement could allow inner article of footwear 134 to provide increased flexibility when used without outer article of footwear 132. This may facilitate the use of inner article of footwear 134 in a variety of athletic activities requiring flexibility, control and proprioception of the foot (such as Yoga or dance). However, in still other embodiments, outer article of footwear 132 could be configured as less rigid than, or with a substantially equal rigidity to, inner article of footwear 134.
In still other embodiments, outer article of footwear 132 and inner article of footwear 134 could vary in a variety of different material characteristics. These include, but are not limited to: rigidity, resiliency, elasticity, flexibility, durability, as well as possibly other material characteristics. In some other embodiments, outer article of footwear 132 and inner article of footwear 134 could share one or more material characteristics.
In order to achieve different material characteristics, some embodiments could use different materials (or combinations of materials) for outer article of footwear 132 and inner article of footwear 134. For example, in some embodiments inner article of footwear 134 could be made of a flexible material such as neoprene. In some embodiments, outer article of footwear 132 could comprise two or more materials. For example, outer article of footwear 132 could comprise a base material and a ground-contacting material (such as an outsole) that is substantially more resilient or rigid than the base material. In one embodiment, the base material could comprise neoprene and the ground-contacting material could comprise rubber. In other embodiments, any other kinds of materials can be used for outer article of footwear 132 and/or inner article of footwear 134 including, but not limited to: woven materials, non-woven materials, natural materials, synthetic materials as well as any kinds of materials known in the art for constructing footwear.
Embodiments can include provisions to facilitate traction when wearing either inner article of footwear 134 independently or in combination with outer article of footwear 132. In some embodiments, both inner article of footwear 134 and outer article of footwear 132 can include provisions to facilitate traction. In some embodiments, both inner article of footwear 134 and outer article of footwear 132 can be configured with a plurality of traction elements. The term “traction element” as used throughout this detailed description and in the claims refers to any element that facilitates increased friction, grip, or interaction of some kind, with a ground surface. The term is not intended to be limiting and could apply to various traction creating structures known in the art including, but not limited to: tread structures (such as ridges or other structures separated by grooves), studs, cleats, textured surfaces as well as other kinds of traction creating structures.
Referring now to FIG. 8, outer article of footwear 132 may be configured with a first plurality of traction elements 302. First plurality of traction elements 302 may comprise a plurality of tread features that are formed by a pattern of tread forming grooves 304. In this exemplary embodiment, plurality of traction elements 302 comprise various triangular shaped elements that are raised along the outer surface of lower portion 260. Still other embodiments could incorporate any other sizes, numbers, shapes and arrangements of traction elements.
In some embodiments, inner article of footwear 134 may comprise a second plurality of traction elements 310. In this embodiment, second plurality of traction elements 310 comprise a plurality of raised elements that are bonded to lower surface 330 of inner article of footwear 134. Moreover, second plurality of traction elements 310 may be further characterized by a first group of traction elements 312 and a second group of traction elements 314 associated with forefoot portion 210 and heel portion 214, respectively, of inner article of footwear 134. In some embodiments, first group of traction elements 312 and second group of traction elements 314 are separated by an intermediate region 316 of lower surface 330, which does not include any traction elements. In other words, first group of traction elements 312 and second group of traction elements 314 may be disjoint, or non-overlapping, groups.
FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary pattern for traction elements on inner article of footwear 134 in which traction elements are configured as diamonds arranged in a grid-like pattern. However, other embodiments could utilize any other traction pattern including variations in the sizes, shapes and arrangements of traction elements.
FIGS. 9-12 illustrate schematic isometric views of steps of putting footwear assembly 130 onto a foot 400. During a first step, shown in FIG. 9, wrapping element 136 may be associated with foot 400. Wrapping element 136 may have a first end portion 410, a second end portion 412 and an intermediate portion 414 disposed between the first end portion 410 and the second end portion 412. In some cases, during this first step, intermediate portion 414 of wrapping element 136 may be placed under arch portion 402 of foot 400.
Next, as seen in FIG. 10, a user may place inner article of footwear 134 onto foot 400. As seen here, with inner article of footwear 134 inserted over foot 400, toes 404 may be exposed through opening 220 and opening 222 of toe portion 208. Moreover, first strap portion 240 and second strap portion 242 may extend over instep 406 of foot 400.
In some embodiments, once inner article of footwear 134 has been placed onto foot 400, wrapping element 136 may be wrapped and tied around the leg. In some cases, first end portion 410 and second end portion 412 of wrapping element 136 may extend over the top of inner article of footwear 134 (i.e., first strap portion 240 and second strap portion 242). As seen in FIG. 11, first end portion 410 and second end portion 412 may be tied together at leg portion 408 to secure wrapping element 136 in place. This configuration may help increase support for the foot and ankle, as well as adding some decorative features for footwear assembly 130.
With wrapping element 136 and inner article of footwear 134 placed onto foot 400, outer article of footwear 132 may be easily inserted over these components to form the assembled footwear system. As shown in FIG. 12, footwear assembly 130 gives the appearance of a unified article when worn together on foot 400.
FIGS. 13 through 15 illustrate an exemplary situation in which a pair of footwear assemblies may be used. In particular, FIG. 13 illustrates a schematic view of a user 500 who intends to practice yoga. FIG. 14 illustrates a schematic view of the feet of user 500 after the outer articles of footwear have been removed. Finally, FIG. 15 illustrates a schematic view of user 500 taking an athletic pose, in which the benefits of the traction elements provided on the inner articles of footwear are highlighted.
Referring first to FIG. 13, user 500 may arrive at a destination (such as a gym) for practicing yoga, dance, or similar athletic activities. In this case, user 500 may carry mat 502. Additionally, user 500 may be wearing a pair of footwear assemblies that include first footwear assembly 130 and second footwear assembly 150. In particular, at this point user 500 may be wearing first outer article of footwear 132 over first inner article of footwear 134 and second outer article of footwear 152 over second inner article of footwear. First outer article of footwear 132 and second outer article of footwear 154 may provide increased resiliency and durability for walking in various environments (i.e., walking outside on concrete, asphalt, etc.).
Referring next to FIG. 14, with mat 502 in place on a ground surface, user 500 may remove first outer article of footwear 132 and second outer article of footwear 152. With these outer articles of footwear removed, first inner article of footwear 134 and second inner article of footwear 154 may provide increased flexibility, traction and proprioception for the foot, while also providing some protection to the feet.
Referring next to FIG. 15, user 500 is able to perform a variety of athletic moves (e.g., yoga moves and/or dance moves). In the exemplary pose of FIG. 15, first inner article of footwear 134 and second inner article of footwear 154 provide substantial flexibility as well as exposure of the toes, which may help user 500 to make good contact with the ground. Moreover, as seen in the schematic enlargements of FIG. 15, the plurality of traction elements 310 provided on the bottom of first inner article of footwear 134 allow the foot to be planted without substantial slipping. Similar traction elements associated with second inner article of footwear 154 may also facilitate planting of the associated foot as well. This arrangement allows increased traction to be provided on inner article of footwear 134 without limiting the ability of inner article of footwear 134 to adapt to the various positions of the foot.
While various embodiments have been described, the description is intended to be exemplary, rather than limiting and it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible that are within the scope of the embodiments. Accordingly, the embodiments are not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents. Also, various modifications and changes may be made within the scope of the attached claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A footwear assembly, comprising:

an inner article of footwear with an open toe portion;

an outer article of footwear configured to receive the inner article of footwear, wherein the outer article of footwear provides greater coverage of a sole of a foot than the inner article of footwear; and

wherein the inner article of footwear can be worn independently from the outer article of footwear and wherein the outer article of footwear can be worn over the inner article of footwear.

2. The footwear assembly according to claim 1, wherein the outer article of footwear is more resilient than the inner article of footwear.

3. The footwear assembly according to claim 1, wherein the outer article of footwear is substantially more rigid than the inner article of footwear.

4. The footwear assembly according to claim 1, wherein the outer article of footwear comprises at least two different portions made of substantially different materials.

5. The footwear assembly according to claim 1, wherein the outer article of footwear is configured to cover the toes of the foot.

6. The footwear assembly according to claim 1, wherein the outer article of footwear comprises a lower portion and an upper portion and wherein the upper portion is substantially more elastic than the lower portion.

7. A footwear assembly, comprising:

an inner article of footwear with an open toe portion;

an outer article of footwear configured to receive the inner article of footwear, wherein the outer article of footwear provides greater coverage of a sole of a foot than the inner article of footwear;

wherein the inner article of footwear can be worn independently from the outer article of footwear;

wherein the inner article of footwear includes a first plurality of traction elements; and

wherein the outer article of footwear includes a second plurality of traction elements.

8. The footwear assembly according to claim 7, wherein the first plurality of traction elements comprise a first group of traction elements associated with a first portion of the inner article of footwear and a second group of traction elements associated with a second portion of the inner article of footwear, and wherein the first portion is separated from the second portion.

9. The footwear assembly according to claim 8, wherein the first portion is a forefoot portion and wherein the second portion is a heel portion.

10. The footwear assembly according to claim 7, wherein the second plurality of traction elements comprise tread elements that are integral with a lower portion of the outer article of footwear.

11. The footwear assembly according to claim 10, wherein the second plurality of traction elements extend through a majority of the lower portion.

12. A kit of parts, comprising:

an inner article of footwear with an open toe portion;

a wrapping member configured to be wrapped around the foot and ankle.

13. The kit of parts according to claim 12, wherein the kit of parts further includes a container for storing the inner article, the outer article and the wrapping member.

14. The kit of parts according to claim 13, wherein the kit of parts further includes a bag and where the bag can be used to wash the inner article of footwear, the outer article of footwear and the wrapping member.

15. The kit of parts according to claim 13, wherein the container includes a drawer with at least three separated compartments and wherein the inner article of footwear and the outer article of footwear are configured to be stored in a first compartment, wherein the wrapping member is configured to be stored in a second compartment and wherein the bag is configured to be stored in a third compartment.

16. A footwear assembly, comprising:

an inner article of footwear with an open toe portion, the inner article of footwear further including a vamp portion that partially covers a top of a foot;

an outer article of footwear configured to receive the inner article of footwear;

wherein the outer article of footwear includes an opening; and

wherein the vamp portion of the inner article of footwear extends through the opening.

17. The footwear assembly according to claim 16, wherein the instep of a foot can extend through the opening.

18. The footwear assembly according to claim 16, wherein the inner article of footwear and the outer article of footwear have a substantially integrated appearance.

19. The footwear assembly according to claim 16, wherein the footwear assembly further includes a wrapping element that extends from beneath an arch of a foot to an ankle of the foot.

20. The footwear assembly according to claim 16, wherein the inner article of footwear provides for greater flexibility of the foot than the outer article of footwear.