Footwear with a separable foot-receiving portion and sole structure

• US 6,931,766 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2003
• Issued: 08/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Greene, Pamela Susan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kavanaugh, Ted
• Application Number:
  US10/704,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20050097781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 361/01, 36/15, 361/00
• US Class Current: 36/101
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/36 Easily-exchangeable soles protecting-soles A43C13/12
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/122 characterised by the attachment of the straps
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/24 Collapsible or convertible
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/244 characterised by the attachment between upper and sole

Abstract

The invention is an article of footwear having a foot-receiving portion and a sole portion that are separable. The foot-receiving portion includes a covering portion that is attached to a periphery of a supporting portion to form a volume for receiving a foot. The foot-receiving portion also includes at least one attachment element that engages a corresponding attachment element located on a side of the sole portion, thereby releasably-attaching the foot-receiving portion and the sole portion.

Claims

1. An article of footwear comprising:

a foot-receiving portion configured to extend over a foot to contact an instep of the foot, and the foot-receiving portion being configured to extend under the foot to contact a sole of the foot, and the foot-receiving portion including a first attachment element; and

a sole portion that is discrete from the foot-receiving portion, the sole portion having an upper surface for contacting the foot-receiving portion, and the sole portion having a side surface located on an exterior of the footwear, the side surface including a second attachment element for releasably-engaging the first attachment element, the first attachment element and the second attachment element separably-attaching the foot-receiving portion and the sole portion,

the first attachment element forming an aperture and the second attachment element forming a protrusion, the aperture receiving the protrusion to releasably-engage the first attachment element and the second attachment element.

2. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the foot-receiving portion includes a covering element for extending over the foot and a supporting element for extending under the foot, the covering element being attached to at least a portion of a periphery of the supporting element.

3. The article of footwear recited in claim 2, wherein the covering element is attached to a medial side and a lateral side of the supporting element.

4. The article of footwear recited in claim 2, wherein the first attachment element is formed integral with the supporting element.

5. The article of footwear recited in claim 2, wherein the first attachment element extends outward from the supporting element.

6. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the sole portion includes a raised periphery that forms a recess for receiving the foot-receiving portion.

7. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the protrusion includes an indentation for receiving an edge of the first attachment element and securing the first attachment element to the second attachment element.

8. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the foot-receiving portion includes a plurality of the first attachment element, and the side surface includes a plurality of the second attachment element, the plurality of the first attachment element being distributed around a perimeter of the foot-receiving portion, and the plurality of the second attachment element being distributed around the side surface, the plurality of the first attachment element and the plurality of the second attachment element being located to engage each other.

9. An article of footwear comprising:

a foot-receiving portion that includes a covering element, a supporting element, and a first attachment element, the covering element being configured to extend over at least a portion of an instep of a foot, and the supporting element being configured to extend under the foot, the covering element being attached to at least a portion of a periphery of the supporting element to form a volume for receiving the foot, the volume being between the covering element and the supporting element; and

a sole portion that includes an upper surface for contacting the supporting element, a lower surface located opposite the upper surface for contacting a ground, and a side surface extending between the upper surface and the lower surface, the side surface being located on an exterior of the footwear, and the side surface including a second attachment element for releasably-engaging the first attachment element to separably-attach the foot-receiving portion and the sole portion, and the upper surface of the sole portion includes a raised periphery that forms a recess for receiving the foot-receiving portion.

10. The article of footwear recited in claim 9, wherein the first attachment element forms an aperture and the second attachment element forms a protrusion, the aperture receiving the protrusion to releasably-engage the first attachment element and the second attachment element.

11. The article of footwear recited in claim 10, wherein the protrusion includes an indentation for receiving a portion of the first attachment element and securing the first attachment element to the second attachment element.

12. The article of footwear recited in claim 9, wherein the covering element is attached to a medial and a lateral side of the supporting element.

13. The article of footwear recited in claim 12, wherein the first attachment element extends outward from at least one of the medial and lateral side of the supporting element.

14. The article of footwear recited in claim 13, wherein the first attachment element is formed integral with the supporting element.

15. The article of footwear recited in claim 9, wherein the foot-receiving portion includes a plurality of the first attachment element, and the side surface includes a plurality of the second attachment element, the plurality of the first attachment element being distributed around a perimeter of the foot-receiving portion, and the plurality of the second attachment element being distributed around the side surface, the plurality of the first attachment element and the plurality of the second attachment element being located to engage each other.

16. An article of footwear comprising a foot-receiving portion and a separate sole portion, the foot-receiving portion including:

a covering element configured to extend over at least a portion of an instep of a foot;

a supporting element configured to extend under the foot, the covering element being secured to at least a portion of a medial side and a lateral side of the supporting element; and

a plurality of first attachment elements secured to one of the covering element and the supporting element, the first attachment elements being distributed around the foot-receiving portion, and each of the first attachment elements forming an aperture, and

said sole portion including;

an upper surface for contacting the supporting element;

a lower surface located opposite the upper surface for contacting a ground;

a side surface extending between the upper surface and the lower surface, the side surface being located on an exterior of the footwear; and

a plurality of second attachment elements located on the side surface, each of the second attachment elements forming a protrusion, and each of the apertures being configured to receive one of the protrusions to releasably-engage the first attachment element and the second attachment element,

wherein the foot-receiving portion and the sole portion are attached together by engaging the first attachment elements and the second attachment elements, and the foot-receiving portion and the sole portion are separated by releasing the first attachment elements and the second attachment elements.

17. The article of footwear recited in claim 16, wherein the first attachment element is formed integral with the supporting element.

18. The article of footwear recited in claim 16, wherein the upper surface of the sole portion includes a raised periphery that forms a recess for receiving the foot-receiving portion.

19. The article of footwear recited in claim 16, wherein the protrusion includes an indentation for receiving a portion of the first attachment element and securing the first attachment element to the second attachment element.

20. The article of footwear recited in claim 16, wherein the first attachment elements and the second attachment elements are distributed in medial, lateral, front, and back portions of the footwear.

21. An article of footwear for receiving a foot of a wearer, the footwear comprising:

an upper configured to extend under the foot and over at least a portion of an instep of a foot, the upper including a first part of an attachment system; and

a sole structure that includes a second part of the attachment system for joining the upper to the sole structure, the second part of the attachment system being positioned on an exterior side surface of the sole structure;

wherein the footwear includes a plurality of the first part and a plurality of the second part, the plurality of the first part and the plurality of the second part being distributed in medial, lateral, front, and back portions of the footwear, and the first part forms an aperture and the second part forms a protrusion, the aperture receiving the protrusion to releasably-engage the first part and the second part.

22. The article of footwear recited in claim 21, wherein the first part of the attachment system extends outward from the second element and is formed integral with the second element.

23. The article of footwear recited in claim 21, wherein an upper surface of the sole structure forms a depression for receiving the second element.

24. An article of footwear for receiving a foot of a wearer, the footwear comprising:

an upper configured to extend under the foot and over at least a portion of an instep of a foot, the upper including a first element that extends over the foot and a second element that extends under the foot, the first element being secured to at least a portion of a medial side and a lateral side of the second element, and the upper including a first part of an attachment system; and

a sole structure that includes a second part of the attachment system for joining the upper to the sole structure, the second part of the attachment system being positioned on an exterior side surface of the sole structure;

wherein the footwear includes a plurality of the first part and a plurality of the second part, the plurality of the first part and the plurality of the second part being distributed in medial, lateral, front, and back portions of the footwear.

25. The article of footwear recited in claim 24, wherein the first part of the attachment system extends outward from the second element and is formed integral with the second element.

26. The article of footwear recited in claim 24, wherein an upper surface of the sole structure forms a depression for receiving the second element.