Patent ID: 8661714

Claim:
A collapsible shoe, comprising: a front part, a rear part and a connecting part between the front part and the rear part, in a longitudinal direction of the shoe; the front part, the rear part and the connecting part add up to an overall length of the shoe in an extended state and the connecting part extends over a distance of at least 40% of the overall length of the shoe, wherein the connecting part is greater than each of the front part and the rear part; a shoe top part extending over the front part, the connecting part and the rear part; a flexible material forming the shoe top part in the connecting part, the flexible material providing for compression of the shoe top part in the longitudinal direction in the connecting part of the shoe; flexible, rigid material in the shoe top part in a toe region of the shoe and in a heel region of the shoe; and a plurality of reinforcing elements on or in the shoe top part in the connecting part, the reinforcing elements being parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, each of the reinforcing elements forming a closed ring around the shoe top part so that the reinforcing elements completely encircle the shoe, the reinforcing elements maintaining the shape of the shoe in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the shoe in the connecting part, such that the shoe can collapse in the connecting part of the shoe in the longitudinal direction; wherein the plurality of reinforcing elements are formed from a material more rigid than the flexible material forming the shoe top part in the connecting part.