Patent ID: 7774957

Claim:
A padded shoe, comprising: a flexible, resilient sole having a substantially smooth surface; a shoe upper adjoined to the sole, wherein at least a portion of the shoe upper has padding disposed therein, the shoe upper defining a vamp having a throat and a quarter having an ankle collar top line; an ankle padding structure extending from the shoe upper, the ankle padding structure being adapted such that the ankle padding structure at least partially covers the medial malleolus of a wearer and does not cover the lateral malleolus; a padded tongue attached to the shoe upper; a retaining structure to retain the shoe on the foot of a wearer; an outer protective flap attached to the shoe upper, the outer protective flap being located such that the outer protective flap covers at least a portion of the retaining structure; and an engagement structure for securing the outer protective flap to the shoe upper, the engagement structure being located at least partially under the outer protective flap such that the outer protective flap substantially covers the engagement structure, whereby the wearer can strike a target with the shoe, and the target and the wearer are protected from injury caused by direct impact with at least one of the retaining structure, the engagement structure, and the wearer's medial malleolus.