Shoe having convertible heel

• US 9,332,806 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2015
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cliver Guardado
• Original Assignee: Cliver Guardado
• Inventors: Guardado, Cliver
• Primary Examiner(s): Mohandesi, Jila M
• Application Number:
  US14/638,334
• Publication Number:
  US 20150264994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 433 Days
• Field of Search: 361/00, D29/86, D29/46, D29/18, D29/25, D29/65, D29/66
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 21/22 Heels or heel attachments specially designed to prevent splashing
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 21/42 Heels with replaceable or adjustable parts , e.g. top lift
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 21/433 rotatably mounted
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 21/52 Interchangeable heel parts without special attachments
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/246 characterised by the sole

Abstract

A shoe is provided that includes a sole having a stow cavity, a first heel assembly and a second heel assembly that can transfer from a stowed position in the stow cavity to a deployed position. In the deployed position, the second heel is below a heel portion of the sole such that the contact surface of the second heel assembly is positioned to contact the ground when worn, such that the shoe has a greater contact surface area with the second heel assembly in the deployed position.

Claims

1. A shoe, comprising:

a sole having an outsole, a seat, and a shank portion therebetween, the shank portion defines a stow cavity in the shank portion thereof;

a fixed first heel assembly having an upper end attached to the seat of the sole and having a contact surface at a base thereof positioned to contact the ground, such that the first heel assembly remains in a fixed orientation relation to the heel portion; and

a second movable heel assembly having a contact surface at a base thereof, the second heel assembly having an upper portion that is pivotally coupled to a rotating mount to transfer between a stowed location in the stow cavity and a deployed location, with respect to the seat of the sole, proximate to the first heel assembly such that the contact surface area of the second heel assembly is positioned to contact the ground when worn, such that the shoe has a greater contact surface area with the second heel assembly in the deployed position.

2. The shoe as defined in claim 1, wherein the rotating mount is disposed about a longitudinal axis of the first heel assembly at the seat of the sole, the upper portion of the second heel assembly is attached to the rotating mount such that the heel assembly can rotate about the longitudinal axis of the first heel assembly and can pivot into the stowed position.

3. The shoe as defined in claim 2, wherein the rotating mount includes a plurality of bearings to facilitate rotation about the longitudinal axis.

4. The shoe as defined in claim 1, wherein, in the deployed position, the second heel assembly is positioned forward of the first heel assembly in the deployed position.

5. The shoe as defined in claim 1, wherein, in the deployed position, the second heel assembly is positioned aft of the first heel assembly in the deployed position.

6. The shoe as defined in claim 1, wherein the second movable heel assembly, in the deployed position, provides a heel height that equals a heel height provided by the first heel assembly, when the second heel assembly is in the stowed position, wherein both the first heel assembly and the second heel assembly contact the ground and contribute to the contact surface area of the shoe, when worn, with the second heel assembly in the deployed position.

7. The shoe as defined in claim 1, wherein the first heel assembly has a stiletto profile and the second heel assembly has a spool heel profile.

8. A shoe, comprising:

a sole having a toe portion, a heel portion, and a shank portion therebetween, the sole defines a stow cavity in the shank portion thereof;

a fixed first heel assembly having an upper end attached to the heel portion of the sole and having a contact surface at a base thereof positioned to contact the ground when worn, such that the first heel assembly remains in a fixed orientation relative to the heel portion; and

a second heel assembly having contact surface at a base, the second heel assembly having an upper portion that is pivotally coupled to the heel portion of the sole to transfer between a stowed position in the stow cavity and a deployed position, below the heel portion of the sole, proximate to the first heel assembly such that the contact surface area of the second heel assembly is positioned to contact the ground when worn, such that the shoe has a greater contact surface area with the second heel assembly in the deployed position;

wherein the first heel assembly includes;

a first heel body having an upper end that defines an axial bore and a bottom end that defines the contact surface thereof, the first heel body defines a longitudinal axis;

a spacer positioned atop the first heel body inhibited for axial rotation;

a rotating mount positioned above the first heel body and below the sole to rotate about the longitudinal axis, and

a fastener that extends through the rotating mount and spacer that attaches the first heel body to the heel portion of the sole.

9. The shoe as defined in claim 8, wherein the upper portion of the second heel assembly is attached to the rotating mount such that the heel assembly can rotate about the longitudinal axis of the first heel assembly and can pivot into the stowed position.

10. The shoe as defined in claim 8, further comprising a first locking mechanism that releasably secures the second heel assembly in the deployed position.

11. The shoe as defined in claim 8, further comprising a second locking mechanism that releasably secures the second heel assembly in the stowed position.

12. The shoe as defined in claim 8, wherein the second heel assembly defines an axial recess that conforms about the first heel assembly, when in the deployed position.

13. The shoe as defined in claim 8, wherein the first heel assembly has a stiletto profile and the second heel assembly has a spool heel profile.

14. The shoe as defined in claim 8, wherein the second heel assembly includes:

a second heel body having an upper end that attaches to the rotating mount and a bottom end that defines the contact surface thereof, and

a first locking mechanism that releasably secures the second heel assembly in the deployed position.

15. A shoe, comprising:

a sole having an outsole, a seat, and a shank portion therebetween, the shank portion defines a stow cavity in the shank portion thereof;

a fixed first heel assembly having an upper end attached to the seat of the sole and having a contact surface at a base thereof positioned to contact the ground, such that the first heel assembly remains in a fixed orientation relative to the heel portion; and

a second movable heel assembly having a contact surface at a base thereof, the second heel assembly having an upper portion that is pivotally coupled to a rotating mount to transfer between a stowed location in the stow cavity and a deployed location, with respect to the seat of the sole, proximate to the first heel assembly such that the contact surface area of the second heel assembly is positioned to contact the ground when worn, such that the shoe has a greater contact surface area with the second heel assembly in the deployed position;

wherein the second heel assembly, in the deployed position, provides a heel height that equals a heel height provided by the first heel assembly, when the second heel assembly is in the stowed position, wherein both the first heel assembly and the second heel assembly contact the ground and contribute to the contact surface area of the shoe, when worn, with the second heel assembly in the deployed position.

16. The shoe as defined in claim 15, wherein the rotating mount is disposed about a longitudinal axis of the first heel assembly at the seat of the sole, the upper portion of the second heel assembly is attached to the rotating mount such that the heel assembly can rotate about the longitudinal axis of the first heel assembly and can pivot into the stowed position.

17. The shoe as defined in claim 16, wherein the rotating mount includes a plurality of bearings to facilitate rotation about the longitudinal axis.

18. The shoe as defined in claim 15, wherein the first heel assembly has a stiletto profile and the second heel assembly has a spool heel profile.

19. The shoe as defined in claim 15, wherein, in the deployed position, the second heel assembly is positioned forward of the first heel assembly in the deployed position.

20. The shoe as defined in claim 15, wherein, in the deployed position, the second heel assembly is positioned aft of the first heel assembly in the deployed position.