Interchangeable shoe

• US 4,267,649 A
• Filed: 05/07/1979
• Issued: 05/19/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gardner M. Smith
• Original Assignee: Gardner M. Smith
• Inventors: Smith, Gardner M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kee Chi, James
• Application Number:
  US06/036,482
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 36/101, 36/100, 36/11.5, 36/25 R
• US Class Current: 36/101
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/24 Collapsible or convertible

Abstract

An article of footwear of an interchangeable nature permitting alteration by the wearer of the shoe appearance and configuration. There is provided an outsole of unitary construction having toe, central, and heel portions, there being a heel unit carried upon the heel portion of wedge-defining character. A top sole sits upon the heel, having a forward portion attached to the central portion of the outsole. The latter, heel unit and top sole, are secured by a selectively removable cooperative fabric securement and/or T-arrangement. The insole overlies the toe of the outsole, being detachably secured thereto, and preferably interengages portions of the top sole to provide a hinge-defining construction in the central portion of the shoe. A sock liner overlies the insole and top sole, being selectively and easily removed for access to the other elements of the shoe for interchangeability purposes. Various uppers providing front and rear quarters are detachably secured to the shoe at toe and heel portions thereof. A heel unit is covered with a detachable cover which is reversible for providing different exterior colors.

Claims

1. An article of footwear of selectively reconfigurable wedgie character, said article of footwear comprising an outsole of unitary construction having a toe portion, a central portion, and a heel portion, an upper half-outsole overlying said heel portion and having a forward wedge-defining portion terminating at the central portion of said outsole, said upper half-outsole being secured to said outsole, a heel also of wedge-defining character seated upon said upper half-outsole in removable relationship, a topsole overlying said heel, the forward wedge-defining portion of said upper half-outsole, and the toe portion of said outsole, first hinge-defining means flexibly interengaging said topsole and the forward portion of said upper half-outsole above the central portion of said outsole, a sock liner overlying said topsole, second hinge-defining means flexibly interengaging a toe portion of said sock liner and the toe portion of said outsole, said sock liner extending rearwardly from said second hinge-defining means toward said heel, a securement strap extending upwardly from the heel portion of said outsole at the rear of said heel and forwardly above a heel portion of said topsole, and means for detachably securing said securement strap to said sock liner with said strap and sock liner in tension thereby to maintain said sock liner and said heel portion of said top sole in relative position, and upper defining means detachably secured to said article of footwear at toe and heel portions thereof.

2. An article of footwear as defined in claim 1, said outsole being of substantially constant thickness, said upper half-outsole having throughout its major extent a substantially constant thickness but tapering to a reduced thickness portion to provide said wedge-defining portion.

3. An article of footwear as defined in claim 1, said topsole being provided with a plurality of rearwardly extending tabs each surrounded by a voided area, said topsole being of an elastomeric nature having a resilient tendency to lie flat, each such tab being thus effectively hinged at its base for permitting the respective tab to be pulled upwardly against said resilient tendency for permitting said upper defining means to be secured by fitting portions thereof beneath the respective tab.

4. An article of footwear as defined in claim 1, the toe portion of said topsole being liftably detachable from said toe portion of said outsole by movement upward relative to said outsole about said first hinge-defining means.

5. An article of footwear as defined in claim 4, and further comprising a front upper, means for providing detachable interengagement of said fron upper with the toe portion of said topsole, said topsole and upper providing selective removal and replacement as a single unit upon said outsole, said front upper comprising at least one securement portion of strap-like character oriented for extending transversely of said article of footwear interposed between the toe portion of said outsole and the toe portion of said topsole, said unit being capable of extrinsic separation of said insole and upper, whereby replacement or reconfiguring of said front upper is made convenient and easy for the user.

6. An article of footwear as defined in claim 5, said upper being defined by at least one layer of material adapted to extend across the forepart of the foot of the user, said layer having opposite faces each suited for constituting the outer surface of said upper, said upper being adapted for being turned inside out whereby it is of a reversible nature.

7. An article of footwear as defined in claim 5, said means detachably securing said insole to the toe portion of said outsole comprising an interengageable plurality of layers of cooperative fabric carried by the respective toe portions of said outsole and topsole.

8. An article of footwear as defined in claim 7, said upper being constituted by material adapted to extend across the forepart of the foot of the user, said material having marginal portions passing under said insole at the sides thereof.

9. An article of footwear as defined in claim 8, said marginal portions os said upper material being joined together beneath the toe portion of said topsole and constituting said securement portion of strap-like character, said upper carrying layers of cooperative fabric for interengagement with said layers of cooperative fabric carried by said outsole and insole, respectively.

10. An article of footwear as defined in claim 1, said sock liner being constituted by a single sheet of integral construction for extending rearwardly over at least a portion of said topsole for covering the same to provide a single continuous surface upon which to place the foot of the wearer, the undersurface of said sock liner and the upper surface of said topsole each carrying layers of cooperative fabric constituting said means detachably securing said sock liner to said topsole.

11. An article of footwear as defined in claim 1, said heel being detachably secured to said outsole, said heel including a key, said outsole being provided with at least one aperture of shape corresponding to said key for receiving said key in close-fitting relationship for precise securement of said heel relative to said outsole and topsole.

12. An article of footwear as defined in claim 1, the rear surface of said heel being provided with a vertically extending recess for receiving said first portion of said strap.

13. An article of footwear as defined in claim 1, said topsole being provided with an aperture proximate its rearward end, said securement strap passing through said aperture, said means detachably securing said strap second portion comprising a plurality of interengageable layers of cooperative fabric carried by said second portion and topsole, respectively.

14. An article of footwear as defined in claim 1, said upper defining means comprising a rear quarter, said rear quarter having strap portions extending downwardly therefrom and thence under the heel portion of said topsole, and means for detachably securing said strap portions.