Footwear comprising a sole for supporting a foot and an upper attached to
the sole for covering the foot and adjoining ankle. The sole and upper define an
interior of the footwear and is sized and shaped for receiving the foot and ankle.
The upper has an outer shell that forms an exterior of the footwear and an inner
lining that is adjacent the foot and ankle when they are received in the interior
of the footwear. A compressible generally U-shaped pad is positioned between the
shell and the lining of the upper. The pad has a bottom section and a pair spaced-apart
side sections extending up from the bottom section. The pad is sized and positioned
in the upper such that when the foot and ankle are received in the footwear, the
bottom section of the pad is disposed immediately below a medial malleolus of the
foot and the side sections of the pad extend up along opposite sides of the medial
malleolus up to at least about the distal neck of the tibia. Upon movement of the
foot and ankle in the footwear, the pad is adapted to apply an intermittent pressing
force to tissue of the ankle below and on opposite sides of the medial malleolus
to reduce swelling of the ankle. A U-shaped pad for the opposite (lateral) side
of the ankle may also be provided.