FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains generally to footwear. More specifically, the present invention pertains to a shoe with interchangeable and reversible parts.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Shoes have evolved over the years from simple moccasins to more elaborate and sophisticated sneakers and athletic shoes. Despite these marvelous advancements in the footwear industry, there is nevertheless a challenge which exists with all footwear. Specifically, a shoe, once created, is unchangeable and therefore, presents a limitation to the wardrobe because the colors, styles and materials of the shoes as manufactured are fixed. In light of the above, it would be advantageous to provide footwear that can be changed according to the wearer's desired style and wardrobe requirements, such as color and shape.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is a shoe with reversible and moveable tops. There is a zipper all around the base of the shoe in order for the top half of the shoe to be changed. In a preferred embodiment, the zipper is a double-sided zipper which allows for convenient reversibility of the top. Tops are made of various materials and different styles. There can be full-covered footwear, sandal-type or any type of strapped shoe for women or men.
The footwear of the present invention provides for a wardrobe solution in that the tops of the shoes may be modified as desired in order to change the appearance and structure of the footwear. In a preferred embodiment, the upper portion, or top, of the footwear can be removed and interchanged with another top to provide a different appearance.
Additional embodiments of the present invention include tops with no laces, one or more elastic bands spanning the top to hold the shoe on a wearer's foot, reversible pull zippers, multi-colored zippers, and designs having a high or low top, a high or low heel, and a high or low sole. Other embodiments allow multiple tops to be stacked upon one another to create a custom boot.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The nature, object, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout, and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a side view of one embodiment of the shoe of the present invention showing a sole equipped with a pair of zippers to receive corresponding zippers on the top;
FIG. 2 is a view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 13, with one zipper of the top undone showing the detachable nature of top and shoe;
FIG. 3 is a plan view of a top of the present invention showing the zippers on the sides of the top and with a portion of the top shown turned over to demonstrate the dual-sided tops which provide for a different aesthetic appearance of the shoe of the present invention by unzipping the top, turning it over, and re-attaching it to the sole of the shoe of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a side view of one embodiment of the present invention showing a full-cover upper having a perimeter zipper extending around the entire shoe sole to provide for the removal of the upper from the sole, and reversal and reattachment of the same upper, or replacement with another upper;
FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 16, with dashed lines showing the direction of attachment and the zipper separated into two portions;
FIG. 6 is perspective view of the upper of the embodiment of FIGS. 16 and 17, showing the inside surface of the upper having a different appearance than the outside surface of the upper;
FIG. 7 is another embodiment of the present invention showing a sneaker-type sole having a fully removable and reversible upper attached to the sole with a perimeter zipper;
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention showing a customizable boot having a sole, an upper, and a leg extension;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention showing a customizable boot having a sole, an upper, a middle extension, and a leg extension;
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention showing a customizable boot having a sole, an upper, an middle extension, and a leg extension where the middle extension and the leg extension further comprise laces and vertical zippers;
FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the present invention showing the combination of elements from the preferred embodiment of the present invention of FIG. 10;
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a reversible zipper slider as used in preferred embodiments of the present invention; and
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a reversible zipper slider.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring initially to FIG. 1, an alternative embodiment of the shoe of the present invention showing a shoe sole having a heel is shown and generally designated 300. Shoe 300 has a sole 302 having a heel portion 304 and a toe portion 306, and may be formed with a raised heel 308. A detachable and interchangeable top 310 is attached to sole 302. More specifically, a fixed zipper portion 312 is firmly attached to the sole 302, and is designed to receive a zipper 314 for attaching a removable zipper portion 316 of top 310. FIG. 13 depicts the shoe 300 of the present invention with a top 310 firmly attached to the sole 302, and ready for use.
By moving zipper 314 in direction 317, the top 310 may be removed from the sole 302. For instance, referring now to FIG. 2, top 310 is shown partially detached from sole 302 as zipper 314 was moved in direction 317 such that removable zipper portion 316 is detached, or “unzipped” from fixed zipper portion 312. Conversely, top 310 may be reattached to sole 302 by placing removable zipper portion 316 adjacent fixed zipper portion 314, and urging zipper 314 in direction 318.
It is to be appreciated from FIGS. 1 and 2, that top 310 may be completely detached from sole 302. In fact, shoe 300 of the present invention may be equipped with several, interchangeable tops 310, which can be easily and simply detached, or “unzipped” from sole 302, and changed in a matter of seconds to provide a shoe having a different fashion and aesthetic appearance.
Referring to FIG. 3, a top 310 of the present invention is shown having a left and right removable zipper portion 316. In a preferred embodiment, a first panel 320 of top 310 may be of a first material, and a second panel 322 (shown turned over in dashed lines) may be formed of a second material. First material and second material may be similar materials, such as with different colors, or different materials altogether, such as cloth and leather. The top 310 of the present invention is both interchangeable (changing one top 310 for another top 310), as well as reversible so that a single top 310 may provide two different styles, colors, textures, or imprints.
Upper edge 324 and lower edge 326 can be contoured to provide a distinct visual appearance, and may have shapes consistent with the other embodiments of the present invention disclosed herein. Also, panels 320 and/or 322 may be produced with a design, such as heart-shaped embroidery 328 (shown in dashed lines).
While several different embodiments of the shoe of the present invention have been shown herein, it is to be appreciated that these embodiments are not exclusive. Rather, the present embodiments are exemplary of the preferred embodiments, and that other embodiments of the present invention may be constructed by mixing and combining various aspects of the presently preferred embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
Referring now to FIG. 4, an alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown and generally designated 400. Shoe 400 includes a sole 402 having a heel 404 and equipped with a full-cover upper 406 having a perimeter zipper 408 extending around the entire shoe sole 402 to provide for the removal of the upper 408 from the sole 402. Upper 408 may be removed from sole 402 by advancing zipper 410 in direction 412 around the entire sole 402. Once removed, the upper 406 may be reversed and reattached to sole 402. Alternatively, instead of using the same upper 406, a separate upper (not shown) may be attached to sole 402 to provide an alternative visual effect, or a different style of upper.
With reference to FIG. 5, the shoe 400 of FIG. 4 is shown in an exploded view, with dashed lines 416 showing the direction of attachment of the upper 406 from sole 402, and the zipper 408 separated into two portions 408A and 408B.
In a preferred embodiment, upper 406 may be made from any materials known in the art, including but not limited to denim, canvas, leather, and terry cloth. From FIG. 6, a perspective view of the upper 406 of the alternative embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5, shows the inside surface 420 of the upper 406 having a different appearance, color, texture, and/or material than the outside surface 418 of the upper 406. This provides for the detachment of the upper 406 from sole 402 and reversal of the upper 406 such that outside surface 418 becomes inside surface 420 thereby exposing inside surface 418. Once reversed, the upper 406 may be re-attached to sole 402 with zipper 408 by placing zipper portion 408A adjacent zipper portion 408B and advancing zipper 410 around the sole 402.
Laces 414 may be positioned on the upper 406 such that the shoe 400 may be tied upon the wearer's foot simply by reversing the position of the bow. This provides for a fully reversible upper. Alternatively, instead of laces, a strap of elastic material known in the art may be used to maintain the upper 406 securely on the wearer's foot.
Referring now to FIG. 7, another alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown and generally designated 450. Shoe 450 is a sneaker-type shoe having a sole 451 with a slight sneaker-type heel 452 integrally molded into the sole 451. Shoe 450 includes a fully removable and reversible upper 454 attached to the sole 451 with a perimeter zipper 456 with a grip 458. Detaching the upper 454 from sole 451 is achieved by advancing grip 458 in direction 460 around sole 451. As with shoe 400, upper 454 may be fully reversed, or replaced, to provide a shoe 450 having a varying appearance and look. A clog-style shoe for the present invention may be created using a wooden sole.
Referring now to FIG. 8, an alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown and generally designated 500. Shoe 500 consists of a sole 502 having a first zipper portion 504a permanently attached to perimeter of the sole 502, and an upper having the second zipper portion 504b attached to lower perimeter of the upper and a first zipper portion 508a attached to the upper perimeter of the upper. Shoe 500 further comprises a leg extension 510 having a second zipper portion 508b attached to the leg extension's 510 lower perimeter. In use, sole 502 mates with upper 506 by zipping together zipper portions 504a and 504b using zipper slider 505. Zipper 504 is a reversible zipper such that zipper portions 504a and 504b may first be mated at either end using zipper slider 505 then joined by sliding zipper slider 505 along the length of zipper 504. Upper 506 is reversible such that a wearer may separate upper 506 from sole 502, reverse upper 506 such that the upper's interior 507 (not shown, see FIG. 23) becomes a new exterior for upper 506 and the original exterior of upper 506 becomes the new interior 507. The reversible nature of zipper 504 and zipper slider 505 allows upper 506 to mate with sole 502 regardless of the surface of upper 506 used for the exterior. It is to be appreciated by one skilled in the art that sole 502 may be of varying thicknesses as well as upper 506 may extend up the wearer's leg to different points on the wearer's leg. For example, upper 506 may be designed to fully cover the wearer's ankle where different design may have upper 506 extend up to just below the wearer's ankle.
Also shown in FIG. 8 is leg extension 510 attached to upper 506 using zipper 508, which consists of zipper portion 508a located on the top perimeter of upper 506 and zipper portion 508b located on the bottom perimeter of leg shaft 510. Similar to zipper 504, zipper 508 is reversible thereby allowing leg shaft 510 to be turned inside out, such that interior 511 becomes a new exterior for leg shaft 510, and still capable of being attached to upper 506 by using zipper 508.
It is to be appreciated by someone skilled in the art that the various portions of shoe 500 may have differing physical dimensions without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. For example, sole 502 may be of a high platform design, as shown in FIG. 20, or a low platform design. Further, leg shaft 510 may be of various heights to allow a wearer to customize boot 500 for the wearer's specific height or leg length. Further, sole 502, upper 506, and leg shaft 510 may be constructed from any suitable material known in the industry, such as leather, faux leather, canvas, and flexible plastics, may be any color and texture, and may have a design image or pattern applied to one or more of the shoe's 500 surfaces.
Referring now to FIG. 9, a perspective view of another alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown and generally designated 520. shoe 520 comprises sole 502, upper 506, and leg shaft 510. Boot 520 further comprises leg shaft extension 512. A wearer may use leg shaft extension 512 to add extra height to shoe 520. For example, without leg shaft extension 512, shoe 520 may come to the middle of a wearer's calf. With leg shaft extension 512, shoe 520 comes to the wearer's knee, thereby creating a different look and feel for shoe 520.
To assemble shoe 520, leg shaft extension 512 is connected to upper 506 by mating zipper portion 508a with zipper portion 514a, located along the bottom perimeter of leg shaft extension 512, using slider 509. As discussed above, zipper portions 508a and 514a, along with slider 509, are reversible thereby allowing for leg shaft extension 512 to be turned inside out thereby making original interior 515 the new exterior of leg shaft extension 512. Leg shaft 510 connects to the top of leg shaft extension 512 using zipper portion 508b mated with zipper portion 514b, located along the top perimeter of leg extension 512, using slider 516. The zipper combination of zipper portions 508b and 514 and slider 516 is reversible to allow leg shaft 512 to be turned inside out.
Moving on now to FIG. 10, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown and generally designated 530. Shoe 530 consists of sole 502 and upper 506 connected using zipper 504 and a slider (not shown). Connected to upper 506 is leg shaft extension 532. Leg shaft extension 532 comprises zipper portion 534a attached along the bottom perimeter of leg shaft extension 532 and zipper portion 534b attached along the top perimeter of leg shaft extension 532. Leg shaft extension 532 further comprises a lace portion 537, which comprises first lace tab 537a and second lace tab 537b, both of which run from the bottom perimeter of leg shaft extension 532 proximate zipper portion 534a to the top perimeter of leg shaft extension 532 proximate zipper portion 534b. Lace 538 laces together lace tabs 537a and 537b. Also running from top to bottom of leg shaft extension 532, and between lace tabs 537a and 537b, is tongue 548. Lastly, leg shaft extension 532 also comprises a zipper 536, which also runs from the top to the bottom of leg shaft extension 532, and zipper slider 539.
Lastly, shoe 530 further comprises leg shaft 540. Leg shaft 540 comprises zipper portion 542 located along the bottom perimeter of leg shaft 540. Leg shaft 540 also comprises lace portion 546, which consists of a first lace tab 546a and a second lace tab 546b. Lace 544 laces together lace tabs 546a and 546b. Located adjacent lace tabs 546a and 546b is tongue 548. Leg shaft 540 also has a zipper 550 and zipper slider 549, which run from the top to the bottom of leg shaft 540.
In use, a wearer assembles shoe 530 using sole 502, upper 506, leg shaft 540, and leg shaft extension 532. It is to be appreciated by someone skilled in the art that a sole of one color and material, an upper of a different color and material, a leg shaft extension of a third color and material, and a leg shaft of a fourth color and material may be combined to form a distinctive shoe 530. Zippers 536 and 550 are disengaged by moving sliders 539 and 549 from the top to the bottom of leg shaft extension 532 and leg shaft 540 respectively, thereby allowing a wearer to more easily put on and take off shoe 530. Once the wearer puts on shoe 530, sliders 539 and 549 are moved from the bottom to the top of leg shaft extension 532 and leg shaft 540 respectively, thereby engaging zippers 536 and 550. The wearer then pulls on laces 538 and 544 until the wearer achieves the desired fit. After laces 538 and 544 are adjusted to achieve the desired fit, the wearer only needs to use zippers 536 and 550 to more quickly and easily put on and take off shoe 530. Since zippers 536 and 550 are reversible, leg shaft 540 and leg shaft extension 532 may be turned inside out while still allowing the use of zippers 536 and 540.
Leg shaft extension 532 is removed from and replaced on upper 506 by mating zipper portion 508a with zipper portion 534a, located along the bottom perimeter of leg shaft extension 532, using slider 509. As discussed above, zipper portions 508a and 534a, along with slider 509, are reversible thereby allowing for leg shaft extension 532 to be turned inside out thereby making original interior the new exterior of leg shaft extension 532. Leg shaft 540 connects to the top of leg shaft extension 532 using zipper portion 534b mated with zipper portion 542, located along the top perimeter of leg extension 532, using slider 535. The zipper combination of zipper portions 534b and 542 and slider 535 is reversible to allow leg shaft 532 to be turned inside out.
Moving now to FIG. 11, an exploded view of the embodiment of the present invention described in FIG. 10 is shown. The exploded view demonstrates the modular nature of the present invention. FIG. 11 shows a sole 502 attached to upper 506. Also shown is the interior surface 507 of upper 506. Also shown is leg shaft extension 512. Lastly, FIG. 23 shows leg shaft 540 complete with lace 544, lace tabs 546a and 546b, as well as zipper 550 with slider 549. In use, a wearer may choose to use leg shaft extension 512 or leg shaft extension 532, or may choose to not use any leg shaft extension. If a leg shaft extension is not used, then the wearer attaches the leg shaft directly to the upper. Alternatively, the wearer may choose to use leg shaft extension 532 and leg shaft 510, thereby creating another distinctive look from the previous example. The wearer may also choose to not use any leg shaft or leg shaft extension, and only wear the sole 502 attached to the upper 506. The wearer also has the option to turn one or both of the leg shaft and the leg shaft extension inside out to expose an alternative feature, such as color, material, or texture. FIG. 11 shows the modular nature of this alternative embodiment of the present invention where a wearer may mix and match various components to create a distinctive look. It is to be appreciated by someone skilled in the art that leg shaft 540 and leg shaft extension 532 may have zippers 536 and 550 and not lace tabs 546a and 546b or may have lace tabs 546a and 546b and not zippers 536 and 550. These several designs allow a wearer to mix and match the various components of the present invention to create distinctive looks.
Also shown in FIG. 11 is finishing collar 560. Finishing collar 560 is configured to attach to upper 506 and leg shaft extensions 512 and 532 by attaching zipper portion 562 to zipper portion 508a of upper 506, zipper portion 514b of leg shaft extension 512, or zipper portion 534b of leg shaft extension 532. The finishing collar 560 is further configured with an inside flap 564 that provides a protective layer between a user's skin and the interior surface of zipper portion 562. Located around the top of finishing collar 560 is pad 566. Pad 566 may be made from a covered foam material to enhance user comfort. Finishing collar 560 provides a finished aesthetic appearance as well as prevents any exposed zipper portions and edges from contacting and irritating a user's leg. The finishing collar may be made from any material similar to boot 500, boot 520, and boot 530. It is to be appreciated by someone skilled in the art that zipper portions 508b, 514a, 534a, and 542 may have a flap, similar to flap 564, to also prevent contact between the interior surface of the zipper portion and the user's skin.
An additional configuration of the leg shaft and the leg shaft extension has the horizontal zippers starting and ending at the vertical zippers. This configuration allows the leg shaft or leg shaft extension to be separated and laid flat on a surface by fully unzipping the vertical zippers. This allows for easier storage of boot pieces and enhances the ability of a wearer to more easily put on and take off the boot. It also makes it easier for a user to turn the leg shafts 510 and 540 or the leg shaft extensions 512 and 532 inside out. For example, using FIG. 22, zipper 550 on leg shaft 540 may be located where lace tabs 546 are located. When zipper 550 is fully disengaged, and due to the fact that zipper 542 begins on one side of zipper 550 and ends on the other side of zipper 550, leg shaft 540 opens to lay flat. For leg shaft extension 532, zipper 536 may be located where lace tabs 537a and 537b are located. Zipper portions 534a and 534b would both start on one side of zipper 536 and end on the other side of zipper 536. As with leg shaft 540, when zipper 536 is fully disengaged, leg shaft extension 532 opens to lay flat.
It is to be appreciated by someone skilled in the art that flap 564 may be added to the bottom of leg shafts 510 and 540 and leg shaft extensions 512 and 532 to provide a protective layer between the inside surface of a zipper and a user's skin.
Referring now to FIG. 12, a reversible zipper slider is shown and generally designated 600. Reversible slider 600 is used in conjunction with reversible zippers in the present invention in order to facilitate use of the zipper with reversible parts in both orientations. Examples of where a reversible slider 600 is used are slider 314, 410, 458, 509, 516, 535, 539, and 549, although a reversible slider 600 may be used for any slider in the present invention if desired. Reversible slider 600 has a top board 602 and a bottom board 604. A puller 608 is attached to the top board 602 via a lug 606. Unique to reversible slider 600, bottom board 604 also has a lug (not shown), which attaches a second puller 610 to the reversible slider 600. Since one puller 608 is attached to top board 602, and another puller 610 is attached to bottom board 604, the slider 600 may be engaged from either side, allowing use when the shoe part to which it is attached is reversed.
FIG. 13 shows an alternate reversible slider 620 which may be used in place of reversible slider 600 anywhere a zipper slider is used in the present invention, but especially in connection with reversible pieces. Reversible slider 620 comprises a top board 622 and a bottom board 624, but has only a single lug 626 which extends from top board 622 to bottom board 624. The lug 626 attaches a single puller 628 to the reversible slider 620. However, since the lug 626 extends around both sides of the slider 620, the puller 628 may be pulled from over top board 622 to be placed over bottom board 624 when a part is reversed. In this way, zipper slider 620 may be conveniently engaged from whichever side is most appropriate to the orientation of the reversible shoe part.
The present invention as shown herein by preferred and alternative embodiments is merely exemplary of the variety of embodiments contemplated. It is to be appreciated that the features shown herein may be combined in different combinations to provide shoe of the present invention having various appearances and dynamic stylistic features.
Soles discussed herein may be made from any material known in the art, including but not limited to, wood, rubber, leather, and synthetic materials. Styles of the shoes discussed herein may include, but are not limited to, sneakers, tennis shoes, moccasin, slippers, sandals, boots, and other shoe styles known in the art.
Patent Application
20180184753
