Reversible Multi-Purpose Liner

Abstract

A multi-sided, multi-purpose liner is provided for use in footwear. Each side of the liner provides one or more benefits to the wearer. The liner is reversible, such that a first side with a first benefit can contact the wearer's foot or a second side with a second benefit can contact the wearer's foot. The wearer can flip or rotate the liner so that the side having the desired benefit contacts their foot during use. One side of the liner may include a plurality of benefits in a preselected pattern across the surface. A liner kit provides a material blank from which the liner may be cut to produce a desired distribution of benefits. The benefits of the liner may vary with respect to the location on the surface of the liner, with some areas of the liner displaying an increased or decreased degree of a specific benefit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A footwear product comprising:
 an insert that is reversibly placeable on a footbed of a piece of footwear;   the insert comprising multiple functional outer surfaces on opposite sides of the insert;   the outer surfaces each defining a profile analogous with the shape of a foot such that the insert may be oriented with any one of the multiple functional outer surfaces in contact with a foot of a wearer of the piece of footwear and an opposite one of the multiple functional outer surfaces in contact with the footbed of the piece of footwear.   
     
     
         2 . The footwear product of  claim 1 , wherein a first of the multiple functional outer surfaces comprises a first construction having a first attribute, and a second of the multiple functional outer surfaces comprises a second construction having a second attribute that is different from the first attribute. 
     
     
         3 . The footwear product of  claim 2 , wherein the first attribute comprises a material composition. 
     
     
         4 . The footwear product of  claim 3 , wherein the material composition comprises a non-woven fiber with a hardness of approximately 0-35 measured on the Shore Durometer Scale O. 
     
     
         5 . The footwear product of  claim 3 , wherein the material composition comprises an elastic polymer with a hardness of approximately 36-70 measured on the Shore Durometer Scale O. 
     
     
         6 . The footwear product of  claim 3 , wherein the material composition comprises a glycerin or gel-type material. 
     
     
         7 . The footwear product of  claim 3 , wherein the material composition comprises a bactericide. 
     
     
         8 . The footwear product of  claim 2 , wherein the first attribute comprises a surface geography. 
     
     
         9 . The footwear product of  claim 8 , wherein the surface geography comprises ridges or grooves. 
     
     
         10 . The footwear product of  claim 8 , wherein the surface geography comprises embroidered patterns. 
     
     
         11 . The footwear product of  claim 8 , wherein the surface geography comprises raised or indented shapes. 
     
     
         12 . The footwear product of  claim 1 , wherein a first of the multiple functional outer surfaces comprises a first construction having a first attribute, and a second of the multiple functional outer surfaces comprises a second construction having a second attribute that is the same as the first attribute. 
     
     
         13 . The footwear product of  claim 2 , wherein the first attribute comprises a moisture wicking property or moisture absorbing property. 
     
     
         14 . The footwear product of  claim 2 , wherein the first attribute comprises an odor reducing property. 
     
     
         15 . The footwear product of  claim 2 , wherein the first attribute comprises a massaging property or posture correcting property. 
     
     
         16 . The footwear product of  claim 2 , wherein the first attribute comprises a temperature modulating property or traction modulating property. 
     
     
         17 . A footwear product comprising:
 a configurable footwear insert blank having multiple functional outer surfaces;   wherein a perimeter of the configurable footwear insert blank has a geometry to accommodate removal of excess material from the configurable footwear insert blank in order to arrive at a finished footwear insert having a profile matching a profile of a foot of a user of the footwear product;   wherein the finished footwear insert may be oriented with any one of the multiple functional outer surfaces in contact with the foot of a user of the footwear product;   wherein the finished footwear insert is reversibly placeable on a footbed of a piece of footwear.   
     
     
         18 . The footwear product of  claim 17 , wherein the configurable footwear insert blank has a varying construction such that the removal of excess material from the configurable footwear insert blank in order to arrive at the finished footwear insert having the profile matching the profile of the foot of the user of the footwear product may be performed in such a way that the finished footwear insert has a distribution of attributes tailored to the user of the footwear product. 
     
     
         19 . The footwear product of  claim 18 , wherein the varying construction comprises varying material composition, varying surface geography, or varying beneficial properties. 
     
     
         20 . A footwear product comprising:
 a plurality of inserts that are reversibly placeable on a footbed of a piece of footwear;   the inserts each comprising multiple functional outer surfaces on opposite sides of each respective insert;   the outer surfaces of each insert defining a profile analogous with the shape of a foot such that each insert may be oriented with any one of the multiple functional outer surfaces in contact with a foot of a wearer of the piece of footwear and an opposite one of the multiple functional outer surfaces in contact with the footbed of the piece of footwear;   wherein the outer surfaces of each respective one of the plurality of inserts have different properties;   wherein each one of the plurality of inserts has a unique combination of outer surfaces that is different from each other one of the plurality of inserts.