Patent ID: 8516721

Claim:
An article of footwear comprising: a sole defining a bending feature between a phalanges portion and a metatarsus portion of the sole, the bending feature allowing the phalanges sole portion to articulate upward with respect to the metatarsus sole portion; and an upper attached to the sole, the upper defining a foot void and having a phalanges portion that defines at least one toe receiver volume, the at least one toe receiver volume defining a raised shape with respect to an adjacent metatarsus portion of the upper; wherein articulation of the phalanges sole portion and substantially unrestricted toe lift movement into the at least one toe receiver volume allows substantially unrestricted upward toe flexion of a received foot in the foot void; wherein the upper comprises: an enclosure layer; and a reinforcing layer disposed on at least a forefoot portion of enclosure layer, the reinforcing layer having webs extending from a common location in a medial forefoot portion of the upper to spaced locations near a lateral edge of the upper.