Patent Publication Number: US-10321733-B2

Title: Convertible shoe

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/943,865, filed on Jul. 17, 2013, and allowed on Mar. 5, 2018. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to footwear with removable and replaceable inserts and soles to convert a low heel shoe to a higher heel shoe, or convert a casual shoe to a sport shoe. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     There are a number of existing inventions related to shoes having added inserts to alter the shoe from a low heeled shoe or flat to a higher heeled shoe, and there are a number of existing inventions relating to shoes with removable and replaceable soles. U.S. Pat. No. 7,752,695, issued Jul. 13, 2010 to Kaufman et al., is drawn to a shoe having an insertable and removable wedge that can be inserted into an openable space in the heel of the shoe between the insole and the sole. The invention is drawn to a temporary insert for use during the finishing process, but it teaches the use of a removable insert to alter the height of the heel of the shoe. 
     U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2003/0200675 to Gross, published on Oct. 30, 2003, teaches a sandal or “flip-flop” style shoe with multiple inserts, or core modules, to adjust the height of the shoe. The core modules are all essentially flat and of uniform thickness so the overall height of the shoe is altered but not the height of the heel in relation to the toe. The core modules are positioned by a series of corresponding holes and insertable pins, and held together by mating hook and loop material. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,902,259, issued Sep. 2, 1975 to Cracco, discloses a sandal with interchangeable side plates and sole. The side plates and sole can be removed and replaced through a series of interlocking slots and are positioned with corresponding projections and holes. The side plates and sole can be altered to alter the look of the sandal, and in one embodiment a flat sole can be replaced with a sole with a wedge heel to convert the shoe from a low heel to a higher heel. Cracco does not disclose the use of an intermediate insertable component to alter a low heel into a high heel, and involves multiple components with a complicated locking mechanism. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,317,822 issued Jun. 7, 1994 to Johnson, is drawn to an athletic shoe with interchangeable wear sole, or sole tread. The purpose is to allow the user to alter the tread to best match the tread to the surface of the athletic play area. The sole is positioned by a series of knobs and knob chambers that correspond to align the components, and the sole is held in place by VELCRO® hook and loop material and a series of lock brackets with locking pins placed around the perimeter of the sole. U.S. Pat. No. 7,549,237 issued on Jun. 23, 2009 to Gallegos, discloses a shoe with a removable and interchangeable cushion and orthotic plate. The cushion and orthotic plate are positioned and held in place by corresponding studs and apertures, or in the alternative by hook and loop material such as VELCRO®. Gallegos does not alter the height of the heel or the tread on the sole. 
     U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2009/0193684 to Diamond, published on Aug. 6, 2009, teaches a convertible shoe with removable and replaceable foot bed upper and sole portion with various height and style sole and heel portion. The components are aligned by a series of corresponding prongs and recesses, and held in place by corresponding hook and loop material such as VELCRO®, along with a series of snap like fasteners on the periphery of the outsole. Diamond discloses heels of differing heights and styles, but does use an insert placed between the insole and sole to alter the height of the shoe or the heel. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Shoes with high heels are fashionable, but often uncomfortable. High heels are particularly uncomfortable if worn for long periods of time. Because of this, it is very common for a woman to carry an extra pair of shoes to change into when she is wearing high heels for an extended period of time. Women will frequently wear a pair of flats, or often tennis shoes, to work in the morning, and then switch into dressier shoes with high heels at the office. Often, if wearing high heels in the evening, a woman will also carry a pair of more comfortable shoes, such as ballet flats or flip-flops, in her purse for later wear. It is also not uncommon to see women in bare feet after wearing high heels for an extended length of time. There is a need, therefore, for a shoe that is both fashionable and easily convertible from a high to a low heel, and for a shoe that is easily convertible to a sport shoe. 
     The invention is a convertible shoe that consists of an insole with a foot bed and upper, and insert, and a sole. There is a standard attachment that connects the insole to the insert and the insert to the sole. The insole can be attached directly to the sole to create a flat or a shoe with a low heel, and the insert can be added between the insole and the sole to create a shoe with a higher heel. In one variation there can be two or more inserts to create a shoe with multiple and variable heights. In another variation there can be different tread configurations on the bottom of the sole to create different types of shoes with the same upper, for example a dress shoe and a golf shoe, by means of an interchangeable sole bottom. 
     The preferred embodiment of the convertible shoe will be a wedge style shoe. The wedge will have three separate components: an upper components consisting of an insoles; a middle component consisting of an insert; and a bottom component consisting of a sole. This wedge will go from a high heel, with an approximate height of four inches when all three components are fastened together, to a lower heel of approximately one to two inches when the middle insert is removed, and the insole is attached directly to the sole. The upper insole will always be the top of the shoe and the bottom sole will always be the bottom of the shoe. This version of the shoe will be available for women with a variety of style uppers. 
     The convertible shoe of the present invention will also have a sport shoe version, that has only the upper insole and the bottom sole. This version will feature convertible bottom soles with different treads, and will convert from a tennis shoe or dress shoe to a golf shoe by replacing the bottom sole. There would be at least two different versions of this sport shoes: One will be a men&#39;s wingtip or dress shoe that can convert to a golf shoe, and the other version would be a women&#39;s or men&#39;s tennis shoe that would convert to a golf shoe, by changing the sole and tread. This version of the shoe will be available in men, women, and children&#39;s versions and styles. 
     One of the technical difficulties of creating a removable attachment for components of a shoe is that it has to be strong enough to withstand the dynamic forces on the shoe and keep the components securely attached, while at the same time also be easily and conveniently detachable. The present invention accomplishes this by means of the attachment mechanism which consists of the paired protruding perimeter ridge and recessed perimeter channel and the attachment material. The perimeter ridge is on the underside of the upper component and the recessed channel is on the top side of the lower component. There is attachment material on both components. The attachment material holds the two components together, while the paired perimeter ridge and perimeter channel allow the attachment to withstand the forces on the shoe and keep the components securely attached. The paired perimeter ridge and channel also protect the attachment material from dirt and other foreign material when the components are attached, which will prevent the fouling of the attachment material and reduction of the attachment properties of the attachment material. The combination of the paired ridge and channel and the attachment material has proven so secure that in some cases is has been difficult to separate the components. This led to the creation of the additional element of the concave cross section on the sole and insert, and the flared cross section on the insole, which create both an attractive look on the back of the shoe, and a convenient hand grip to hold the components for attachment and disassembly. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of the convertible shoe with the insole attached to the insert and the insert attached to the sole. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded side view of the convertible shoe showing the insole in position to be attached to the insert and the insert in position to be attached to the sole. 
         FIG. 3  is a top perspective view of the first embodiment of the top attachment showing the channel and the top attachment field. 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom perspective view of the first embodiment of the bottom attachment, showing the protruding ridge and the bottom attachment field. 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective from the underside of the convertible shoe showing the first embodiment of the bottom attachment of the insole and insert, and the tread of the sole. 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded perspective from above the convertible shoe showing the footbed of the insole and the first embodiment of the top attachment of the insert and sole. 
         FIG. 7  is a partial cross section showing the perimeter ridge inserted within the perimeter channel, and the attachment material. 
         FIG. 8  is a top perspective view of the second embodiment of the top attachment showing the channel, the prong recesses, and the top attachment field. 
         FIG. 9  is a bottom perspective view of the second embodiment of the bottom attachment, showing the protruding ridge, the protruding prongs, and the bottom attachment field. 
         FIG. 10  is an exploded perspective from the underside of the convertible shoe showing the second embodiment of the bottom attachment of the insole and insert, and the tread of the sole. 
         FIG. 11  is an exploded perspective from above the convertible show showing the footbed of the insole and the second embodiment of the top attachment of the insert and sole. 
         FIG. 12  is a rear view of the convertible shoe showing the concave cross section of the heel of the sole and insert, and the flared cross section of the heel of the insole. 
         FIG. 13  is a side view of the convertible shoe showing the insole attached directly to the sole for the low heel version of the shoe. 
         FIG. 14  is an exploded side view of the convertible shoe showing the insole in position to be attached directly to the sole. 
         FIG. 15  is a bottom view of the tread on the bottom of the sole of the convertible shoe. 
         FIG. 16  is a bottom view of a golf shoe version of the tread. 
         FIG. 17  is a side view of a different embodiment of the upper of the convertible shoe. 
         FIG. 18  is a side view of a different embodiment of the upper of the convertible shoe. 
         FIG. 19  is a detail of the bow and clip on the heel of the insole and sole of the convertible shoe. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein. It is to be understood, however, that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention and that the invention may be embodied in various and alternative forms. Therefore, specified structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limitations, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention. 
     The convertible shoe  100  will go from a low heel to a high heel by simply adding an insert  30  between the top insole  10  and the bottom sole  50 . In the preferred embodiment, the convertible shoe  100  will consist of three different components; a top portion consisting of an insole  10  with a foot bed  11  and a styled upper  60 ; a middle portion consisting of an insert  30 ; and the bottom portion consisting of the sole  50 . The components are attached by a uniform attachment means, described in detail below, that allows the insole  10  to attach directly to the sole  50  for a low heel, or include the insert  30  for a shoe with a higher heel. In an alternate version there can be multiple inserts each with uniform thickness, of approximately one inch thickness at the rear in the preferred embodiment, which allows the creation of a shoe with a heel from 1 inch to 4 inch thickness in one inch increments. In a second embodiment the insole  10  can attach directly to the sole  50 , but there will be a number of interchangeable soles  50  with differing tread components  52  on the bottom, so that by changing the sole  50  the type of shoe can be changed. This will allow, for example, the ability to change from a dress shoe to a golf shoe. Details of these embodiments will be described in conjunction with the attached figures. 
     As seen in  FIG. 1  &amp;  FIG. 2  the convertible shoe  100  consists of an insole  10 , an insert  30 , and a sole  50 . The insole  10  has a footbed  11 , which is on the top of the insole  10  and where the wearer&#39;s foot will rest. There is an insole toe end  13  and an insole heel end  14 , which correspond to the wearer&#39;s heel and toe, and to standard footwear terminology. And there is an insole perimeter  15  which runs around the perimeter of the insole  10 , and corresponds to what is commonly called the outsole. The insole  10  also has a bottom surface  12  which includes the bottom surface  20  attachment components, which will be described below. The insert  30  has a top surface  31 , a bottom surface  32 , an insert toe end  33 , an insert heel end  34 , and an insert perimeter  35 , which is the outside surface of the insert  30 . The insert bottom surface  32  includes the bottom surface  20  attachment components, described below. The insert top surface  31  includes the top surface  40  attachment components described below. The sole  50  has a top surface  51 , an underside, often called and referred to herein the tread  52 , a sole toe end  53 , a sole heel end  54 , and a sole perimeter  55  or outer surface or outsole. The sole top surface  51  includes the top surface  40  attachment components as described below. The convertible shoe  100  is designed so that the insole bottom surface  12  and the insert bottom surface  32  are uniform and identical, and the insert top surface  31  and sole top surface  51  are uniform and identical, with both bottom surfaces having the same uniform bottom surface  20  attachment components, and both top surfaces having the same uniform top surface  40  attachment components. And, as described below, the bottom surface  20  attachment components correspond to and mate with the top surface  40  attachment components so that the insole  10  can be attached directly to the sole  50  to create a low heeled shoe, or attached to the insert  30  and the insert  30  attached to the sole  50  to create a high heel shoe. 
     The insole  10 , as best seen in  FIG. 2  has an essentially uniform thickness between the footbed  11  and the bottom surface  12  running from the insole toe  13  to the insole heel  14 . The insole  10  of all variations of the shoe  100  has a uniform thickness. In the preferred embodiment the insole  10  is 7.0 mm thick, but can run between approximately one quarter inch thick to three quarters of an inch thick. The insert  30  has a wedge shaped between the top surface  31  and the bottom surface  32 , which is thin at the insert toe  33  and thick at the insert heel  34  to create a wedge shape that is thicker at the heal  34  than the toe  33 . The insert  30  of all variations of the shoe  100  has a wedge shaped thickness. The insert  30  of the preferred embodiment has a thickness at the insert toe  33  of approximately 7 mm thick, and has a thickness at the insert heel  54  of approximately 45 mm thick. The thickness as the insert toe end  33  will always be roughly one quarter of an inch thick, but the thickness at the insert heel end  34  can range between approximately one inch and approximately three inches. The sole  50 , depicted in the side view of  FIG. 2 , has a wedge shape between the top surface  51  and the tread  52 , which is thin at the sole toe  53  and thicker at the sole heel  54  and is curved from the toe end  53  to the heel end  54 . As seen in  FIG. 2 , the curve of the top surface follows the increased and changing thickness of the shoe component. The curve begins slightly downward from the toe end  53  to the middle then curves upwardly in the middle under the typical arch of the foot and finally curved back down and roughly flat towards the heel end  54 . Since the bottom surface  20  of the insert  30  attaches to the top surface  40  of the sole  50 , as described in detail below, the bottom surface  20  has the same curve as the top surface  40  of the insert, and since the bottom surface  20  of the insole  10  can attach to the top surface  40  of the sole  50 , the bottom surface  20  of the insole  10  has the same curve as the top surface of the sole  50 , and since the top surface  40  of the insert  30  can attach to the bottom surface  20  of the insole  10  the top surface of the insert has the same curve as the bottom surface  20  of the insole  10 . This can be seen by reference to  FIG. 1 , which shows the components in the attached configuration, and  FIG. 2 , which shows the components separated. In the preferred embodiment the thickness of the sole  50  is approximately 7 mm at the sole toe  53  and approximately 58 mm at the sole heel  54 . The thickness of the sole  50  at the sole toe  53  will always be approximately one half of an inch, but the thickness at the sole heel end  54  can range from between one half inch, for the convertible sports version as described below, to approximately three inches for the high heel version.  FIGS. 1 &amp; 2  also show that the toe end of the shoe ( 13 ,  33  and  53 ) also is curved up slightly. This is common among shoes, particularly high-heel shoes, and is referred to as the “kick up.” The kick up allows the wearer to roll forward on the ball of the foot, and is necessary to allow the wearer of the shoe  100  to walk comfortably and normally. 
     The first embodiment of the attachment means are show in  FIGS. 3, 4, 5 , &amp;  6 . The bottom surface attachment  20  is shown in  FIG. 4 . The uniform bottom surface and uniform bottom surface attachment components  20  is are shown in  FIG. 4 . The uniform bottom surface attachment components  20  are disposed on the uniform bottom surface. The bottom surface attachment  20  is the same on the insole  10  bottom surface  12  and the insert  30  bottom surface  32 . The bottom surface attachment  20  has a toe end  23  and a heel end  24 , and consists of a protruding perimeter ridge  21 , and a bottom attachment field  25  which is located within the perimeter ridge  21 . The perimeter ridge  21  has an essentially rectangular cross section and is approximately ¼ (one quarter) of an inch wide and approximately ¼ (one quarter) of an inch thick, but this size can vary slightly. In the preferred embodiment the perimeter ridge  21  is 8.0 mm at the top and tapers slightly to 8.3 mm at the bottom, where the perimeter ridge  21  attaches to the surface  20 . The height of the perimeter ridge  21  is 6.0 mm. The perimeter ridge  21  is offset a uniform distance from the outer perimeter surface  15  and  35  of the insole  10  and insert  30  which means that the outer perimeter surfaces  15  and  35  of the insole  10  and insert  30  are aligned and therefore uniform. In most embodiments the perimeter ridge  21  is offset approximately 6.0 to 8.0 mm, although the uniform offset can vary depending upon the size of the shoe. There is a sheet of attachment material  26  located in the bottom attachment field  25 . In one variation the attachment material  26  is standard hook and loop material common known as VELCRO®, and in another embodiment the attachment material  26  is “Mushroom VELCRO®” such as that sold under the brand name 3-M™ Dual Lock™ fastener. This material is known as mushroom VELCRO® because its cross section resembles a mushroom with a head protruding from a stem. When two corresponding sheets of mushroom VELCRO® are pressed together the heads snap into the space created by the stems to produce a very secure fit. The attachment material  26  is adhered to the attachment field  25  by gluing or other conventional and well known means. 
     The uniform top surface and uniform top surface attachment components  40  is are shown in  FIG. 3 , and is the same in the top surface of the insert  30  and the sole  50 . The uniform top surface attachment components  40  are disposed on the uniform top surface. The top surface attachment  40  has a toe end  43  and a heel end  44 , and consists of a perimeter channel  41 , and a top attachment field  45  which is located on the top surface within the perimeter channel  41 . The perimeter channel  41  of the top surface  40  corresponds to the perimeter ridge  21  of the bottom surface  20  so that the perimeter ridge  21  protrudes downward and fits into and mates with the perimeter channel  41 . The perimeter channel  41  has a roughly rectangular cross section and is approximately ¼ (one quarter) of an inch wide and approximately ¼ (one quarter) of an inch thick. In the most preferred embodiment the channel  41  is 8.2 mm wide at the bottom and 8.5 mm wide at the top, and is 6.0 mm deep. The perimeter channel  41  is offset a uniform distance from the outer perimeter surface  35  and  55  of the insert  30  and bottom sole  50  which means that the outer perimeter surfaces  35  and  55  of the insert  30  and bottom sole  50  are aligned and therefore uniform. In most embodiments the perimeter channel  41  is offset approximately 6.0 to 8.0 mm, although the uniform offset can vary depending upon the size of the shoe. In the preferred embodiment the paired perimeter ridge  21  and perimeter channel  21  run the entire perimeter of the shoe component. In alternate embodiments the paired perimeter ridge  21  and perimeter channel  41  does not run the entire perimeter, but run substantially the entire perimeter, with occasional gaps in the channel  41  and ridge  21 . There is a sheet of attachment material  46  attached to the top attachment field  45 , by gluing or other well known attachment means. In one variation the attachment material  46  is standard hook and loop material common known as VELCRO®, and in another embodiment the attachment material  46  is Mushroom VELCRO®. Obviously the top attachment material  46  will correspond to the bottom attachment material  26 , so both will either be standard hook and loop material or both will be mushroom VELCRO®. 
     The perimeter ridge  21  of the bottom surface  20  is configured to align with and fit into the perimeter channel  41  of the top surface  40 , as shown in the cut away cross sectional view of  FIG. 7 . Modern molding techniques allow for very precise molds so that the perimeter ridge  21  can be almost precisely sized and configured to fit within the perimeter channel  41 . When molded properly the two components can snap together to create a relatively secure attachment. When the perimeter ridge  21  is inserted into the perimeter channel  41 , the top attachment material  46  will engage the bottom attachment material  26  to secure the two components together. When the components are attached the paired perimeter ridge  21  and perimeter channel  41  will protect the attachment material  26  and  46  from dirt and other extraneous material that is encountered during wear. When dirt and other material gets into the hook and loop material is can reduce the ability of the securely hold. Such fouling of the attachment material  26  and  46  can reduce the ability of the material to hold the components together. The paired perimeter ridge  21  and perimeter channel  41  protects the attachment material  26  and  46  and ensures that it retains its attachment strength throughout the life of the convertible shoe  100 . 
     In the preferred embodiment the perimeter ridge  21  and perimeter channel  41  run the entire length around the perimeter of the shoe component. In an alternate embodiment there can be a number of gaps in the perimeter ridge  21  and a number of corresponding blocks in the perimeter channel  41 . The gaps are small spaces in the ridge  21 , and the blocks are small filled sections in the channel  41 . In some configurations, based on the size and style of the shoe, it is difficult to produce a fully workable shoe component with a fully contiguous ridge  21  and channel  41 . Therefore, in order for these shoe models to function properly, the ridge  21  and channel  41  must have gaps or blocks to ensure that the material does not break. 
     There are a variety of pressures and forces on a shoe when the person wearing the shoe is walking. If the shoe is considered on the X-Y-Z axis, where the shoe runs from front to back on the X axis, top to bottom on the Y axis, and side to side on the Z axis, the forces occur in all three dimensions. The forces are also both static and dynamic, and constantly changing as the wearer walks in the shoe. There are obviously vertical, or up and down, forces created by the wearer stepping onto the shoe and exerting downward pressure, as well as upward pressure when the wearer steps forward and pulls up on the upper. This is known in the shoe making and design field as “peel forces” because these forces can cause the various layers of a shoe to peel apart. There are also dynamic forces as the wearer walks in the shoe. Many people step first onto their heel, which creates forward forces that slide the various layers of a shoe (any shoe) against each other. This is different for high heel shoes, where it is common for the person to step onto the ball of the foot. All people walk differently, and many twist their foot slightly while walking to create twisting forces. There are also lateral forces and the components of the shoe slide on each other. Many people also have a slight twisting motion from the ball of the foot to the toes as they step off of their trailing foot as they step forward. This causes torque forces on and near the front portion of the shoe. These various forces are known as shear forces. The combination of the shear and peel forces, and the fact that they are dynamic forces, makes it difficult to keep separate components of a shoe attached. 
     The paired attachment material  26  and  46  prevents the components from coming apart due to up and down or “peel” forces, and the placement of the perimeter ridge  21  within the perimeter channel  41  is designed to account for all of the other shear forces. Since the paired ridge  21  and channel  41  runs just inside the perimeter of the components, it can withstand lateral and twisting forces, and thus ensure the components of the shoe can stay together. The shoe components, as seen in  FIGS. 3 &amp; 4 and 8 &amp; 9 , are non-uniform in shape, and are similar in shape to most shoes, with the shoe widest near the toe where the ball of the wearers foot rests against the footbed  11 , and narrowest towards the heel  13 . This three dimensional non-uniform configuration allows the paired ridge  21  and channel  41  to account for all of the various three dimensional and non-vertical shear forces that are present on the shoe  100 . The channel  41  and ridge  21  are a uniform distance from the outside perimeter surface  15 ,  35  or  55  of the insole  10 , insert  30  and sole  50  respectively. This distance ranges from an eight of an inch (⅛″) to half an inch (½″) depending on the size of the shoe  100  and the configuration of the ridge  21  and channel  41 . This prevents any overlap of material, but more allows the material on the outside of the channel  41  to withstand lateral and transverse shear forces on that component of the shoe  100 . This is an improvement over Gross and the other cited prior art which include multiple alignment and attachment posts which do not account for the dynamic nature of the forces on a shoe. 
     The second embodiment of the attachment means are show in  FIGS. 8, 9, 10 &amp; 11 . The bottom surface attachment  20  is shown in  FIG. 8 . The bottom surface attachment  20  is the same in the bottom surface of the insole  10  and the insert  30 . The bottom surface attachment  20  has a toe end  23  and a heel end  24 , and consists of a perimeter ridge  21 , a multiplicity of downwardly protruding prongs  22 , and a bottom attachment field  25  which is located within the perimeter ridge  21 . There is a sheet of attachment material  26  located in the bottom attachment field  25  and around the prongs  22 . In one variation the attachment material  26  is standard hook and loop material common known as VELCRO®, and in another embodiment the attachment material  26  is Mushroom VELCRO® like brand named 3-M™ Dual Lock™ fastener. The bottom surface attachment  20  of the second embodiment is identical to the first embodiment but with the addition of the downwardly protruding prongs  22 . 
     The top surface attachment  40  of the second embodiment is shown in  FIG. 9 , and is the same in the top surface of the insert  30  and the sole  50 . The top surface attachment  40  has a toe end  43  and a heel end  44 , and consists of a perimeter channel  41 , a multiplicity of alignment recesses  42 , and a top attachment field  45  which is located on the top surface within the perimeter channel  41 . The alignment recesses  42  are approximately 6.2 mm in diameter, but the actual diameter can vary slightly depending on the size and configuration of the shoe  100 . In general there is one recess  42  located near the heel end, one recess located at the waist, or narrowest part of the shoe, one recess  42  located behind the ball of the foot area, two recesses  42  located approximately where the ball of the wearers foot will exert the most pressure, and one recess  42  located near the toe. The depth of the recess  42  corresponds to the height of the prongs  22  which vary according to location. The recess  42  at the waist is deepest, about 6 mm, while the recesses near the toe are shallowest, about 4 mm. The top surface attachment  40  of the second embodiment is identical to the first embodiment but with the addition of the alignment recesses  42 . The perimeter channel  41  of the top surface  40  corresponds to the perimeter ridge  21  of the bottom surface  20  so that the perimeter ridge  21  protrudes downward and fits into the perimeter channel  41 . The prongs  22  of the second embodiment of the bottom surface  20  are sized and aligned to fit within the alignment recesses  42  of the second embodiment of the top surface  40 . There is a prong  22  near the toe, two prongs  22  located under the ball of the wearer&#39;s foot, one prong  22  located behind the ball of the foot area, one prong  22  located in the waist and one prong  22  located hear the heel. The prong  22  at the waist is the highest, of approximately 6 mm. This is to account for the need for extra sheer protection at that location. With modern molding techniques, the perimeter ridge  21  can be molded as an almost exact fit for the perimeter channel  41  such that the perimeter ridge  21  can snap into place inside the perimeter channel  41 . When molded properly the two components can snap together to create a relatively secure attachment. There is a sheet of attachment material  46  located in the top attachment field  45 . In one variation the attachment material  46  is standard hook and loop material common known as VELCRO®, and in another embodiment the attachment material  46  is Mushroom VELCRO®. Obviously the top attachment material  46  will correspond to the bottom attachment material  26 , so both will either be standard hook and loop material or both will be mushroom VELCRO®. 
     In the preferred embodiment the components, the insole  10 , the insert  30  and the sole  50 , are made of injection molded plastic in a process well known in the art. The components can be made from a variety of molded plastic materials, including, but not limited to ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) plastic, polyethylene (PE) plastics, polyurethane (PU) plastic, or any other molded plastic materials well known in the art. The upper insole  10  will have a shoe upper  60  to hold the foot against the footbed  11 . The shoe upper  60  can be any number of common styles and variations, ranging from a simple toe strap to more elaborate enclosed shoe uppers. A couple of different variations are seen in  FIGS. 17 &amp; 18 , but it is possible, and within the conception of the invention, for the upper  60  to be in any style of woman&#39;s shoes. There is also a man&#39;s version with changeable sole  50  and tread  52 , so the upper  60  can come in a wide variety of men&#39;s styles. The shoe upper  60  can be made of any common material for making shoe uppers including cloth and leather, as well as a variety of other natural or synthetic materials. The upper  60  is attached to the insole  10  by well known and conventional means, including but not limited to sewing and gluing. The visible outsides perimeters of the upper insole  10 , middle insert  30 , and bottom sole  50  can be covered with a veneer or other decorative material to create a decorative and stylish shoe. For example, one common veneer for wedge shoes is cork. The underside of the bottom sole  50 , or tread  52 , can be any type of conventional shoe bottom sole material from synthetics and plastics to leather. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 12 , a rear view of the convertible shoe  100 , the insole heel end  14  of the insole  10  has a slightly flared cross section, with the edge near the footbed  11  wider than the edge near the bottom surface  12 . The flared cross section creates a gripping surface to allow the user to grip the heel end  14  of the insole  10  in one hand. The insert heel end  34  of the insert  30  has a concave cross section to create a convenient gripping area. The sole heel end  54  also has a concave cross section to create a convenient gripping area. This allows the user to grasp the flared insole heel end  14  in one hand and the concave sole heel end  54  in the other hand and pull the components apart. 
     The attachment means described above are designed to hold the components (the insole  10 , insert  30 , and sole  50 ) securely together to deal with the dynamic forces of walking. In the current design the combination of the paired attachment material  26  &amp;  46 , and the paired perimeter ridge  21  and perimeter channel  41 , has proven to have sufficient holding strength to hold the components together during walking. Unfortunately the strength of the bond created makes it difficult to separate the components. The flared insole heel end  14  was designed to provide a handgrip at the heel end  14 , and the concave insert heel end  34  and concave sole end  54  were designed to create a handgrip to allow the wearer to hold the shoe to separate the components. The flared end and concave ends are not only functional but also ad an additional hour-glass shaded cross section style element to the convertible shoe  100 . When all three components are together the user can grasp the flared insole heel end  14  in one hand and the concave cross section of the sole heel end  54  in the other hand and pull the components apart. In this position the sole  50  might come off the insert  30  or the insert  30  might separate from the insole  10 . Once these two components are separated, the user can repeat the process with the remaining two components. 
     The main purpose of the convertible shoe  100  is to be able to change from a high heel to a lower heel for comfort.  FIGS. 13 &amp; 14  show the convertible shoe  100  in the low heel version, without the addition of the insert  30 . In this version the insole  10  is attached directly to the sole  50 .  FIG. 1  depicts the convertible shoe  100  in the high heel version, and  FIG. 13  depicts the same shoe in the low heel version. These figures show the sole  50  with a heel  54  that is slightly thicker than the toe  53 . It is possible, and within the conception of the invention, for the heel  54  and toe  53  of the sole  50  to be of nearly the same thickness to create a flat style shoe. Because of the geometry of the perimeter channel  41 , the sole must be at least one inch thick to accommodate the channel  41  and still retain sufficient strength.  FIG. 14  shows a perspective of the insole  10  in place to be attached to the sole  50  for the low version of the shoe.  FIG. 14  shows the first embodiment, without prongs  22  and recesses  42 , but it is also possible to use the second embodiment with prongs  22  and recesses  42  for the low version of the shoe  100 .  FIG. 6  shows the shoe  100  with the insert  30 , to created the high heel version of the shoe  100 , and  FIG. 14  shows the same shoe  100  without the insert  30  to create the low heel version of the shoe  100 . 
     It is possible, and within the conception of the invention to use a variety of different treads  52  on the soles  50 . In one configuration, shown in  FIG. 16 , the tread  52  will include golf spikes. In this embodiment the user will have two bottom soles  50  with one insole  10  with an upper  60 . One bottom sole  50  will have a standard shoe sole tread, such as seen in  FIG. 15 , and the other bottom sole  50  will have a golf shoe sole with spikes, as seen in  FIG. 16 . In this variation of the shoe  100  the sole  50 , as described above, will have a relatively uniform thickness, which is generally necessary for sport shoes, and is generally common for men&#39;s shoes. This will allow the user to wear the same pair of shoes for golf and for non-golf wear. Other combinations include a dressier leather of faux leather tread  52  and a sport or tennis shoe style tread  52 , which will allow the wearer to convert from a dress shoe to a casual shoe. 
       FIG. 19  shows a removable bow  70 . The bow  70  is attached to the upper  60  by means of a clip  76  attached to the bow  70 , which slides into a tab  62  that is attached to the upper  60 . In the preferred embodiment, the tab  62  is attached to the upper on two ends, leaving a slip space  63  in the middle to allow bow clip  76  to slide in to attach the bow  70  to the upper  60 . In one variation the bow clip  76  includes a spring to allow easy opening of the clip, and teeth on the clip  76  to ensure that the bow  70  cannot slip off the tab  62 . It is possible to use any decorative feature, or heel jewelry, in place of the bow  70  and use the tab  62  to attach the decorative feature. The heel jewelry can come in a wide variety of configurations from flowers to metallic letters to allow personalization of the shoe. The embodiment depicted in  FIG. 19  shows the tab  62  attached to the upper, but it is possible, and within the conception of the invention, to attach a tab  62  to the sole  50  or the insert  30 . This allows the owner of the shoe  100  to fully personalize the shoe  100  with a variety of decorative features. 
     The present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and attain both the ends and the advantages mentioned, as well as other benefits inherent therein. While the present invention has been depicted, described, and is defined by reference to particular embodiments of the invention, such reference does not imply a limitation to the invention, and no such limitation is to be inferred. The depicted and described embodiments of the invention are exemplary only, and are not exhaustive of the scope of the invention. Consequently, the present invention is intended to be limited only be the spirit and scope of the claims, giving full cognizance to equivalents in all respects.