Model in open footwear, one self-contained (5-5)
I believe the answer is:
stand-alone
'self-contained' is the definition.
(eg a self-contained or stand-alone artwork)
'model in open footwear one' is the wordplay.
'model' becomes 'T' (Ford Model T car).
'in' indicates putting letters inside.
'open footwear' becomes 'sandal' (sandal is a kind of footwear. I am not sure about the 'open' bit.).
't' inserted into 'sandal' is 'standal'.
'standal'+'one'='STAND-ALONE'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Another definition for stand-alone that I've seen is " operate independently".)