The present invention is a system of footwear that is easily customizable and provides the wearer with a wide variety of removeable and interchangeable upper portions in various colors, patterns, shapes and styles, allowing the wearer to create numerous different shoe looks from the same, single pair of soles. The shoe design specifically comprises a base portion having numerous metal snaps with male connectors (ball heads) spaced at intervals along the sides. The corresponding female connectors are located on the undersides of the interchangeable uppers; the other side of the uppers, which can be seen while wearing the shoe, contains rounded metal caps.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A typical women's sandal design includes a base with straps extending over the toe, and sometimes a heel strap, both permanently anchored to the base of the shoe. Usually the ends of the upper straps are secured inside of the base, or between the base and the sole material, with nails, stitching, glue, or some combination of these elements. The straps are generally not removeable or interchangeable, and if one of the straps becomes frayed, worn, or breaks, the pair of shoes is no longer wearable and must be discarded. The present invention aims to fix this problem, as well as provide the wearer with a multitude of color and style options that can be changed out in a matter of seconds.

Some footwear styles currently exist with interchangeable upper portions, most notable flip-flop style sandals with Velcro-style closures. However, no such design yet exists for women's sandals involving a snap-closure system. Furthermore, the snap closures used in the designs outlined in this document lock securely once snapped into place, eliminating the risk of the removeable uppers coming off accidentally while wearing the shoe.

A number of patents have been filed for ideas quite similar to this one, but none of them are identical, nor as practical. These patents can be found under the USPTO classification A43B: “Characteristic features of footwear; parts of footwear”. Firstly, there is U.S. Pat. No. 8,230,621B2: “Shoes with removable and reconfigurable uppers”. This patent is distinct from the one described herein, because this shoe design uses “nail-shaped posts”, around which the uppers are attached via slits in the material, rather than snaps; these nail-shaped posts are mounted into the top (sole) of the upper, rather than onto the sides; and the illustrations and images corresponding to this patent, as well as the manufactured shoes made by the owners of this patent, are only flip-flop/thong-style sandals.

Next, there is US20030192205A1: “Shoes with interchangeable shoe covers”. This patent was abandoned in 2006 and is distinct from this one because the removeable uppers are only superficial, and there is a permanent upper underneath; also, these removeable uppers are attached with straps and not snaps. Then there is US20030192205A1: “Sandal system”, which is distinct from this patent because the upper is permanently mounted, with Velcro-style adhesive used to attach different colors/styles to this permanent upper. U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,564A, “Changeable shoe cover”, expired in 2015 and is distinct from this patent because it uses a hook-and-loop fastening system, and all illustrations show a loafer-style shoe design with an upper that is attached at all points around the periphery of the sole.

Australian patent AU2015303831A1: “Adaptable shoe”, describes a shoe design in which the entire sole can be removed from the base, and the shoe also has detachable heels to convert it from a flat to a boot, et cetera. U.S. Pat. No. 8,201,347B2: “Shoe construction with attachable components”, is more complicated than this patent. The uppers are simply pieces of fabric with holes in them; also, it appears that the interchangeable uppers have to be manually screwed in using small screws and a screwdriver.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,322,054B2: “Shoe with interchangeable strap system” is for thong-style and slide-style shoe designs; it is currently being used under a brand called Bandals. This invention consists of a continuous loop (probably with Velcro-style closure) that is threaded through a horizontal slit in the base/sole of the shoe, to interchange the color of the flip-flop or slide.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,698,834B1: “Shoe with interchangeable vamp and base”, says that the vamp and shoe base are “interlocking” but makes no mention of how this works; says magnets ‘may’ be used. U.S. Pat. No. 7,162,814B2: “Shoe with interchangeable snap heel” involves feeding a continuous strap through the base of the shoe. This patent is currently in use by Positive Lifestyle Bandals LLC (these shoes appear to have a foam sole and the uppers appear to have Velcro inside them).

U.S. Pat. No. 7,650,704B2: “Footwear system with interchangeable portions”, is likely the most similar to the patent described in this document, but it is distinct because it makes no mention of snaps, and also describes “interchangeable connector elements for connecting the upper portion to the base portion”; the patent described herein does have interchangeable connector elements. Also, unlike U.S. Pat. No. 7,650,704B2, the patent outlined in herein has no toe-separating (thong) element.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,219,445B2: “Locking mechanism for securing detachable shoe uppers” uses little metal bars to lock the upper straps into place, rather than snaps. Patent US20130091733A1: “Modular shoe system”, was abandoned in 2013 and is dissimilar in a number of ways. U.S. Pat. No. 7,222,441B2: “Sandal with interchangeable upper” uses hook attachments to join vamps to the base; it also mentions a toe-strap portion [this patent is set to expire in 2021]. U.S. Pat. No. 4,267,649A: “Interchangeable shoe” is expired and also includes an interchangeable heel component which is not a part of the patent described herein. U.S. Pat. No. 9,259,048B2: “Article of footwear with straps” involves threading the flip-flop-style upper straps through slits in the base; this patent also includes mention of a removable thong portion in the abstract. U.S. Pat. No. 7,222,442B2: “Convertible shoe and sandal” involves converting a flip-flop into a full closed-toe shoe.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,895,697B2: “Shoe structure provided with interchangeable vamps” details an invention in which “engagement pieces of the strap are removably retained in the strap slots of the retaining piece”; detailed description talks about “square shaped buckling devices” which are distinct from snaps. U.S. Pat. No. 8,307,570B2: “Attachment system for shoe uppers” uses elastic loops to attach vamps to the shoe soles. U.S. Pat. No. 4,439,935A: “Convertible high-style footwear” expired in 2002; this patent describes hook-and-loop style attachments of vamps to shoe soles. U.S. Pat. No. 7,810,257B2: “Article of footwear with removeable upper”, is owned by Nike; in this patent, the drawings show a closed-toe, athletic-style shoe; the vamp attachments here are little pegs that go into holes in the sole.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,543,157B2: “Sport sandal” expires Mar. 12, 2021; this patent involves straps fed through holes in the shoe sole that are secured with a Velcro-style attachment. U.S. Pat. No. 8,789,249B2: “Hidden-type convertible shoe” is described as “A shoe comprising a shoe upper including a male member and a shoe sole including a female receptor for locking with the male member”, which is different from the invention described herein, which has male members on the sole and female members on the uppers; also, US8789249B2 makes no mention of snap closures. U.S. Pat. No. 6,874,256B2: “Shoe with removeable vamp”, is owned by Vans; this patent details a slip-on style shoe which uses zippers to attach vamps to the shoe sole.

In conclusion, there are no patents currently in existence that are identical to the one described within this document.

REFERENCES CITED

FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTSAU303831A12015Sethi

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention described in this document is a shoe system consisting of a base, which could be made from a variety of materials such as wood or hard plastic. Metal screw studs are placed at designated increments along the sides of the shoe base; each of these screw studs will have a ball head [male part] projecting out from its center. The matching metal upper [female] parts are located on the interchangeable shoe uppers (which could also be made from a variety of textile materials, such as leather or canvas) at increments corresponding to the spacing of the male parts along the shoe bases. The essential idea behind this invention is that the wearer can change out the uppers to be different colors (or patterns), various textiles (leather, canvas, etc) and different shapes and styles (criss-crossing straps, etc), all using the same pair of soles.

The following invention would be relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, easy to use, comfortable to wear, cost-effective and stylish. It allows the wearer to customize shoes to coordinate with an outfit and create multiple different looks out of the same pair of shoe soles. This increased versatility has the potential to save the consumer money and is environmentally friendly, as damage to one of the shoes' uppers does not necessitate throwing the entire pair of shoes out, as it would with a typical pair of shoes. The fundamental purpose of this novel footwear system is to allow the wearer numerous style, color, and design options in one pair of shoes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following invention is a shoe system with removeable, interchangeable, securely locking uppers that attach to the shoe sole/base with metal snap closures. The invention described heretofore permits the wearer to customize her footwear with a variety of upper portions in a variety of colors, patterns, styles quickly and easily.

FIG. 1is a side view of the footwear system, consisting of a shoe base4, onto which a vamp21is removably attached by several snaps1, each snap consisting of an outer washer2and a cap3. The rear part of the shoe consists of an ankle strap5, which is not a part of the invention heretofore described, but added for clarity of illustration, and a buckle6to secure it. Above the attached vamp21is shown another possible vamp option8, also with several snaps7on each side to attach it to the shoe base4.

FIG. 2is a side elevation view of same shoe construction (seeFIG. 1). The removeable upper12is attached to shoe base11by a series of snaps10. The backstrap13and buckle14are also shown.

FIGS. 3 and 4are a front view of a very similar pair of shoes (seeFIGS. 1 and 2), with and without a removeable upper, respectively. The snaps15are shown arching around the front of the shoe base16. Here, the shoes have a slingback-style heel strap17. The exposed snap bases18can be seen on the front of the shoe base19inFIG. 4, along with a strap20, the particular construction of which is not critical to the invention described herein.

FIG. 5is a lateral view of a snap base22mounted onto a section of the shoe base26. The base of the snap23is positioned on the side of the shoe base26, with the ball mount24and its small neck25in the center.

FIG. 6is a back view of a shoe construction similar to the other figures, showing a heeled shoe28with the removeable vamp29attached to the base27with a series of snaps32, each consisting of the same outer washer30and cap31.

FIGS. 7 and 8are a top view of a pair of shoes with a construction similar to those in the other figures, with and without the uppers removed, respectively. The ball mounts33can be seen slightly protruding from around sides of the shoe base34. An exemplary ankle strap35and buckle36are also shown. The snaps37inFIG. 8attach the vamp38to the base of the shoe39; ankle strap40and buckle41are also shown.

FIG. 9is an example of a customizable set of uppers/vamps that could be included with the shoe base construction at the time of sale; additional individual vamps could also be purchased separately. A simple vamp42and its snaps43are shown in the bottom left of the drawing; a vamp consisting of a crossed pair of straps44with snaps on each strap45is shown in the center; a vamp consisting of a crossed pair of straps46with a stylish pattern47and the requisite snaps48is illustrated in the top left of the drawing; another vamp49with a decorative bow50and snaps51is shown in the top right of the drawing; and a braided vamp52with its snaps53is shown in the bottom right.

FIG. 10is a cross-sectional view of the shoe base63(seeFIG. 1) showing the screw64that mounts the snap base62into the shoe63. The ball mount60sits atop a neck61on the snap base62. Above the snap base is a lateral view of the upper part of the snap56, consisting of the cap54, several rivets55for structural strength, and the upper washer57with teeth58to hook into the vamp fabric. The inner, spring-loaded snap chamber59into which the ball mount60inserts is also shown; the lower washer is not shown in this figure for the sake of clarity.

FIG. 11is adapted from the illustration in German patent DE 20 2015 104 203 U1, a utility patent filed by Schaeffertec in 2015, which [translated to English] is entitled “Upper part of a two-part connecting element”. The following is a translation of the description from the aforementioned patent (with the numbers in the figure altered for continuity within this document):

“The upper part of a two-part connecting element chosen as an exemplary embodiment has a base body61, which is surrounded by a cap62at its upper end. On the end of the base body61facing away from the cap62there is a serrated lock washer63, to which a threaded part64is attached. A clamping disk65can be screwed onto the threaded part64.

At the end opposite the cap62, the base body61has a jagged shape. As a result, teeth70,71are formed, and these teeth71are crimped inward. The teeth71hold the washer63in place. The teeth70,71also serve for clawing [fabric or leather] which is to be attached to the upper part. Above the teeth70,71, the base body61is adjoined to the cap62by a tapered element72which opens into a cylindrical section73. At the end facing away from the teeth70,71, the cylindrical section73has an inwardly directed groove74.
The cap62is provided in its center with a hole through which a rivet75passes. The rivet75has a rivet head76which is adjoined by a circumferential groove77. On the outside, the cap62is provided with a C-shaped border78. A horizontally aligned section79of a sleeve80engages in the border78. The sleeve80surrounds the cylindrical section73of the base body61in some areas.

The serrated lock washer63has an annular design. It is held in the base body61by the teeth71. On the inside, the serrated lock washer63holds the threaded part64. For this purpose, the threaded part64has a flanged end81which rests on the serrated lock washer63. On the outside, the threaded part64has an external thread82. The inside of the threaded part64is conical, as a result of which a taper83is produced in the direction of the end facing the base. The clamping disk64is screwed onto the external thread82. The clamping disk64has a shell-shaped design. In its center is an opening which has an internal thread84that is used to screw onto the external thread82of the threaded part64. A substantially horizontally oriented edge85is provided on its outer circumference, with which the clamping disk65rests against the [fabric or leather] in the assembled state. The clamping disk65is also provided with two bores86, which are arranged diametrically opposite one another. The bores86are used for attaching a tool for screwing the clamping disk65onto the threaded part64.

A dome66, which extends through the cylindrical section73of the base body61, is arranged in the base body61. The dome66is in contact with the cap62at one end. The contact is brought about by a fold87which, in the assembled state, is positioned in the groove83of the rivet81. A hollow cylinder88adjoins the fold87. At its end facing away from the fold87, the dome66has a circumferential and outwardly directed edge.

The dome66is surrounded by a tension spring67. The tension spring67is supported on the one hand in the channel74of the base body61and on the other hand on the edge of the dome66. In the base body61, a spring element68is also arranged. At its end facing the cap62, the spring element68has a ring89which, in the assembled state, is positioned in the groove77of the rivet75. From the ring89of the spring element68, three legs extend, which together form a hollow cylindrical section90. At its end facing away from the cap62, the spring element68has a spring socket91which is formed by the ends of the legs and which, in the locked state of the two-part connecting element, receive the mushroom head of the lower part.

A damping element69is arranged in the cylindrical section90of the spring element68. The damping element69has the shape of a cylinder. In the exemplary embodiment, the damping element69consists of plastic. It is held clamped in the hollow cylindrical section90of the spring element68and its end facing away from the bottom rests on the rivet75of the cap62. To operate the upper part, the user pulls the cap62upwards. By fastening the dome66and the spring element68in the groove77of the rivet75, this pulling action leads to the lifting of the dome66and the spring element68against the force of the tension spring67. When pulled up, the spring socket91expands due to its spring action along the taper83of the threaded part64. This leads to an increase in the diameter of the spring socket91, so that the mushroom head of the lower part of the two-part connecting element can be received or released. The damping element69prevents buckling, by being in contact with the legs of the spring element68within the hollow cylindrical section90. This prevents the legs from buckling inwards. Outward buckling is also prevented by the hollow cylinder88of the dome66, which is arranged immediately adjacent to the legs.

The invention creates an upper part for a two-part connecting element which prevents damage to the spring element68even when the spring element is subjected to high axial loads or when the upper part is placed on the lower part at an angle. Consequently, damage to the spring element by buckling is avoided even under extreme operating conditions.”