Abstract:
Footwear is provided with a closure system that is easily replaceable by the user. The closure system includes a strap that is preferably secured to the shoe through a hook and loop fastener. The strap is interchangeable and can include a variety of colors, designs, logos. The footwear can include multiple straps.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/653,413 filed on May 31, 2012 which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Footwear, in particularly children&#39;s footwear, is available in a wide range of colors and styles. As styles and tastes are constantly changing, it is not unusual for any person to own multiple pairs of shoes. In the case of children&#39;s footwear, because children frequently outgrow shoes, buying multiple pairs of shoes of different styles for a child can become quite expensive as the shoes are often outgrown before they are worn out. Furthermore, it is often the case that children and parents are not aligned on the style of shoe to purchase. Demand for customized products is growing but traditional footwear manufacturing techniques require long lead times. Not only do such long lead times eliminate the possibility for immediate customization with footwear, but the typical manufacturing process requires customers to wait several weeks for delivery of a customized product. 
         [0003]    It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide footwear which is desige the user can alternate the appearance. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    Accordingly, footwear is provided with a closure system that is easily replaceable by the user. The closure system includes a strap that has one end of the strap preferably secured to the shoe through a hook and loop fastener and the other end secured to the shoe through a lop and anvil combination. The strap is interchangeable and can include a variety of colors, designs, logos. 
         [0005]    These and other objects and features of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description which should be read in light of the accompanying drawings in which corresponding reference numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1A  is a top plan view of a static interchangeable strap used in a closure system of the present invention. 
           [0007]      FIG. 1B  is a top plan view of a dynamic interchangeable strap used in a closure system of the present invention. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2A  is a side plan view of the strap shown in  FIG. 1A . 
           [0009]      FIG. 2B  is a side plan view of the strap shown in  FIG. 1B . 
           [0010]      FIG. 3A  is a bottom plan view of the strap shown in  FIG. 1A . 
           [0011]      FIG. 3B  is a bottom plan view of the strap shown in  FIG. 1B . 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a top plan view of a preferred D-ring used in a closure system of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a side elevational view of the D-ring shown in  FIG. 4 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a top plan view of an interchangeable strap anchor used in a closure system of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a side view of the strap anchor shown in  FIG. 6 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a shoe with the attachment mechanism for a D-ring of the type shown in  FIG. 4 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a shoe with a D-ring of the type shown in  FIG. 4  inserted into a shoe. 
           [0018]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a shoe with a strap shown in  FIG. 1A  being inserted through a D-ring of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a shoe with a strap shown in  FIG. 1A  being secured to the shoe. 
           [0020]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a shoe with a strap shown in  FIG. 1B  being secured to the shoe. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]      FIGS. 1A ,  2 A and  3 A show multiple views of a static interchangeable strap  10  where any static material (i.e., material that cannot be stretched) suitable for footwear is wrapped around the core  12  of a dumbbell shaped anchor  14  (see  FIG. 6 ). The wrapped material of the strap  10  should sit flush (i.e., aligned to the edge) with the anchor knobs  12 . The total diameter of knob  12  as well as the portion  11  of the strap  10  wrapped around the anchor  14  will be greater than the inner dimension of the D-ring  16  to provide a secure anchor for the typical force applied to a typical strap closure for footwear. In some embodiments only the knobs  12  of the D-Ring have diameters greater than height of the D-Ring. The tip  18  of the interchangeable strap  10 , is secured on the alternate side of the shoe  20  by way of typical hook-and-loop fastener  22   a,    22   b.    
         [0022]      FIGS. 1B ,  2 B and  3 B show an alternate embodiment of the strap  10 . In this embodiment the strap  10  is secured in the same manner previously described, however the strap  10  is constructed from a material with dynamic properties (i.e., elastic) to allow the shoe to be more easily slipped on. In this embodiment, the footprint of the typical loop portion  22   a  of the hook-and-loop fastener  22   a,    22   b  is reduced (when compared to the strap shown in  FIGS. 1A ,  2 A and  3 A) on the backside of the strap  10  to allow for full range of dynamic expansion. 
         [0023]    The straps  10  are interchangeable to allow straps  10  with differing properties, such as, differing material, color, print and function (static vs. dynamic) to be swapped for one another. 
         [0024]      FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5  show the preferred D-ring  16 . D-ring  16  may be made from multiple materials and may be of varying shapes and sizes, but the preferred material is metal in the form of a rounded rectangle. The D-ring  16  may also be affixed to the shoe  20  in multiple ways. The preferred method of securing the D-ring  16  to the shoe  20  is to insert the ends  26  through punched holes  28  (see  FIG. 8 ) in the upper portion of shoe  20  and to secure the ends  26  to the backside of the upper material with additional tear-resistant material  30  for optimal durability. 
         [0025]    An embodiment of the strap anchor  14  is shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . The anchor  14  may be made from multiple materials such as metal or plastic and the anchor can be of varying shapes and sizes. The preferred material is thermoplastic polyurethane in the form of a dumbbell, wherein the diameter of the knob  12  is greater than the inner diameter  32  of the D-ring  16 . 
         [0026]      FIG. 9  shows a D-ring  16  affixed to the upper portion of the shoe  20  without any interchangeable strap  10  attached. 
         [0027]      FIG. 10  shows the initial engagement of an interchangeable strap  10 , with a preferred D-ring  16 . The tip  18  of the interchangeable strap  10 , is inserted through the bottom facing side of the D-ring  16  and pulled through the D-ring  16  opening and out the upward facing side until further engagement is prevented by the inability of the larger dimensioned anchor  14  to pass through the smaller inner dimension of the D-ring  16  opening. 
         [0028]      FIGS. 11 and 12  shows a fully engaged interchangeable strap  10 . The tip  18  of the interchangeable strap  10  is secured on the alternate side of the shoe  20  by way of typical hook-and-loop fastener. 
         [0029]    The removal of the interchangeable strap  10  follows the reverse sequence. In this case, the hook-and-loop fastener  22   a,    22   b  is disengaged from the shoe  20  in typical fashion. Then the anchor  12  is pulled out of the D-ring  16  opening until interchangeable strap  10  is free from the D-ring  16  and fully removed from the shoe  10 . 
         [0030]    While the foregoing invention has been described with reference to its preferred embodiments various alterations and modifications will occur to those skilled in the art. All such alterations and modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.