Importance

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Abstract

An expandable shoe includes a front outer assembly and a rear outer assembly. A flexible, expandable segment is attached to the front and rear outer assemblies to define a shoe outer shell. The flexible segment extends at least partially along each side of the outer shell and transversely across the bottom of the outer shell. Within the outer shell an adjustable inner assembly is disposed and attached to the front and rear outer assembly. The inner assembly has a control to adjust a dimension of the inner assembly and thereby a corresponding dimension of the shoe. In one embodiment, a visualization window provides a view port to the inner assembly. The inner assembly may include size markings visible through the view port so that a size of the adjusted shoe may be determined as shoe size is adjusted. Under another embodiment, the inner assembly includes a first sole portion, a second sole portion, and a screw drive. The screw drive has an externally accessible screw passing through a screw insert mounted to one of the first and second sole portions and a screw-receiving portion attached to the other of the first and second sole portions. In this fashion, turning the screw causes the first and second portions to move relative to one another. Under still another embodiment, the inner assembly includes a first sole portion, a second sole portion, the first portion shaped for relative slidable engagement with the second portion, and a manually urgable member. The manually urgable member has at least a portion of the member accessible from the outer shell, and in engageable and releasable communication with an engagement member, fixed to one of the first and second sole portions. When the urgable member is released from the fixed engagement member the first and second sole portions may be moved to adjust the dimension of the shoe and when the urgable member is in engagement with the fixed engagement member the first and second portions resist slidable movement relative to one another.

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First Claim