Abstract:
A shoe having a shoe sole with replaceable outsole portions. The shoe sole includes a main sole having a lower support wall with first and second cavities. An insole is disposed within the main sole. First and second lower outsoles are received in the first and second cavities, respectively, and have outer configurations corresponding to the configurations of the cavities thereby forming a snug fit therebetween. Fasteners are inserted through apertures disposed in the outsoles, the main sole, and the insole, releasably securing the outsoles to the main sole. Upon removing the fasteners, the outsoles can be removed and replaced with different outsoles for different conditions and applications or when worn out. The outsoles are formed of two layers, with the upper layer being more rigid than the lower layer to provide a firm surface against which the fastening screw heads can press.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Conventional shoes have a heel and sole fixedly attached, by gluing or other attachment process, to an outsole of the shoe body. However, when the sole or heel is damaged or worn out, the sole or heel must be completely separated from the shoe outsole before a new sole or heel can be selected and attached to the shoe. Typically, a skilled shoe repairman is needed to effectuate the repairs, which is costly and usually takes some time. In addition, where it is desirable for a new sole or heel to be placed on a shoe in order to accommodate differing environments, such as for indoor conditions or for outdoor conditions, such as rain or snow, consumers often discard the entire shoe rather than going through the time and expense of replacing the sole or the heel. 
     Prior art shoes do not provide replaceable soles and heels or soles that are easily removed and replaced. In addition, conventional shoes cannot accommodate different soles or heels according to changing conditions and applications. Furthermore, the outsoles of the prior art conventional shoes do not securely hold the replaceable sole or heel, allowing the sole or heel to move with respect to the shoe upper. 
     Examples of prior art shoes with replaceable heels are the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: U.S. Pat. No. 430,234 to Melaney; U.S. Pat. No. 1,205,421 to Applegate; U.S. Pat. No. 1,399,542 to Chenery; U.S. Pat. No. 1,773,242 to Siekacz; U.S. Pat. No. 1,786,374 to Walton; U.S. Pat. No. 1,936,637 to Manfra; U.S. Pat. No. 1,950,041 to Torchia et al; U.S. Pat. No. 2,234,542 to Anderson; U.S. Pat. No. 3,130,504 to Deitch; U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,336 to Herro; U.S. Pat. No. 4,317,294 to Goodyear; U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,209 to Bensley; U.S. Pat. No. 4,606,139 to Silver; U.S. Pat. No. 4,610,100 to Rhodes; U.S. Pat. No. 4,783,853 to Zuber; U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,344 to Ching; U.S. Pat. No. 5,070,631 to Fenton; U.S. Pat. No. 5,317,822 to Johnson; U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,104 to Tally; U.S. Pat. No. 5,519,950 to Wang; U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,280 to Halliday; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,644,857 to Ouellette et. al; as well as WO 86/04489 to Saffron et. al. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a shoe with a shoe sole that includes outsole portions that can be easily replaced by the wearer of the shoe. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a shoe with a shoe sole that can accommodate a variety of outsole portions. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a shoe with a shoe sole that includes outsole portions that prevent wear to the shoe sole itself. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a shoe with shoe sole that securely retains and restricts the movement of the replaceable outsoles. 
     The foregoing objects are basically attained by a shoe sole comprising a main sole portion having a bottom wall with upper and lower surfaces, opposing first and second ends, and a first fastener hole, the first fastener hole being located proximate the first end, and a lower support wall extending downwardly from the lower surface along a perimeter of the bottom wall forming a first cavity, the first cavity having an inner surface and being located at the first end; an insole portion disposed on the upper surface of the bottom wall having a first fastener receiving bore corresponding to the first fastener hole of the main sole portion; a first lower sole portion having a bottom surface and received in the first cavity such that the bottom surface of the first lower sole portion is substantially below the lower support wall, the first lower sole portion having a first fastener aperture corresponding to the first fastener hole of the main sole portion and to the first fastener receiving bore of the insole portion; and a first fastener extending through the first fastener aperture, the first fastener hole, and the first fastener receiving bore, releasably securing the first lower sole portion to the main sole portion. 
     The foregoing objects are also attained by a shoe sole comprising a main sole portion having a bottom wall with upper and lower surfaces, opposing first and second ends, and a first fastener hole, the first fastener hole being located proximate the first end, and a lower support wall extending downwardly from the lower surface along a perimeter of the bottom wall forming a first cavity at the first end; an insole portion disposed on the upper surface of the bottom wall having a first fastener receiving bore corresponding to the first fastener hole of the main sole portion; a first lower sole portion having a bottom surface received in the first cavity, the first lower sole portion includes top and bottom layers with the top layer being substantially more rigid than the bottom layer, a first fastener aperture corresponding to the first fastener hole of the main sole portion and to the first fastener receiving bore of the upper sole portion; and a first fastener extending through the first fastener aperture, the first fastener hole, and the first fastener receiving bore, respectively, releasably securing the first lower sole portion to the main sole portion. 
     By designing the shoe sole in this fashion, the wearer of the shoe can easily replace the first and second lower sole portions with other outsole portions as desired. Also, the shoe sole can accommodate different types of outsoles for different applications. In addition the lower sole portions help to prevent wear on the rest of the shoe sole. 
     Other objects, advantages and salient features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Referring now to the drawings which form a part of this original disclosure: 
     FIG. 1 is a bottom perspective view of the present invention of a shoe and shoe sole according to an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the replaceable outsole portions assembled with the shoe sole; 
     FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the shoe sole illustrated in FIG. 1, showing the replaceable outsole portions assembled with the show sole; 
     FIG. 3, is a bottom, exploded, perspective view of the shoe and shoe sole illustrated in FIG. 1, showing the outsole portions being inserted into cavities of the shoe sole; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional end view of the shoe and shoe sole taken along line  4 — 4  of FIG. 1, showing the outsole portion mounted by a fastener within a cavity of the shoe sole; 
     FIG. 5 is an exploded cross-sectional side view of the shoe sole taken along line  5 — 5  of FIG. 2, showing the insole, the main sole, and the outsoles comprising the shoe sole; and 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged bottom view of the insole shown in FIG. 5, illustrating the central rib of the insole. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-6, a shoe or footwear  10  according to the present invention comprises a shoe upper  12  attached to a shoe sole assembly  14 . Shoe sole assembly  14  includes a main sole portion  16 , an insole portion  18  disposed on top of main sole portion  16 , and first and second lower sole or outsoles portions  20  and  22  attached to the bottom of main sole portion  16 . The shoe upper  12  can be of any conventional footwear form, such as a shoe, sandal, boot or sneaker, and can be made of any conventional material such as leather, canvas, plastic, or rubber. 
     In particular, main sole portion  16  includes a substantially planar bottom wall  24  with an upper support wall  26  extending upwardly therefrom and a lower support wall  28  extending downwardly therefrom, as best seen in FIG.  5 . 
     Bottom wall  24  has upper and lower surfaces  30  and  32 , a first end or toe bumper  34  and an opposing second end or heel bumper  36 . Bottom wall  24  forms an outer perimeter  38  substantially conforming to the outline of a human foot, with first end  34  corresponding to the front of the foot and second end  36  corresponding to the back or heel of the foot. A first fastener hole  40  is disposed in bottom wall  24  proximate first end  34  and a second fastener hole  42  is disposed proximate second end  36 , with each hole receiving a fastener when attaching first and second lower sole portions  20  and  22  to main sole portion  16 . In addition, a third fastener hole  44  is located near but space from first fastener hole  40  away from first end  34 , such that first and third fastener holes  40  and  44  are aligned. Similarly, a fourth fastener hole  46  is aligned with and spaced from second fastener hole  42 , as best seen in FIG.  3 . Preferably, bottom wall  24  is formed of a material, such as rubber, that has sufficient rigidity to support a human foot but that also allows main sole portion  16  to bend providing comfort to the wearer. However, bottom wall  24  can be formed of a plastic material. 
     Upper support wall  26  extends from the outer perimeter  38  of bottom wall  24  in an upwardly direction substantially surrounding bottom wall  24 . Upper support wall  26  has inner and outer surfaces  48  and  50 , wherein inner surface  48  and upper surface  30  of bottom wall  24  form a receiving area  49  that is shaped and sized to receive a temporary last or foot form that is in the shape of a human foot. A temporary last or foot form, as known in the art, is used in making the shoe  10 , as will be described in greater detail below. An interior shelf  52  with a substantially planar top surface  53  extends inwardly from inner surface  48  of upper support wall  26  near rear end  36  of bottom wall  24  for supporting a portion of insole portion  18 , as best seen in FIG.  5 . The height of upper support wall  26  varies forming a curved design providing support for the foot of the wear. In addition, the curved design of upper support wall  26 , along with the ornamentation of outer surface  50 , provides an aesthetically pleasing shoe design. It is preferable that the upper support wall be formed of any material, such as plastic or rubber, that would provide support for the wearer of the shoe. 
     Lower support wall  28  extends from outer perimeter  38  of bottom wall  24  in a downwardly direction and has front and rear end walls  54  and  56  that correspond to first and second ends  34  and  36  of bottom wall  24 , respectively, and two opposing sidewalls  58  that extend between front and rear end walls  54  and  56 . Each sidewall  58  includes a cut-out section  60  forming a pair of first peripheral flanges  62  between cut-out sections  60  and front end wall  54 , and a pair of second peripheral flanges  64  between cut-out sections  60  and rear end wall  56 . 
     First peripheral flanges  62  define a first cavity  66  between flanges  62 , bottom wall  24 , and front end wall  54 , such that first cavity  66  has a substantially elongated U-shaped inner surface  68 , as best seen in FIG.  3 . Similarly, second peripheral flanges  64  define a second cavity  70  between flanges  64 , bottom wall  24 , and rear end wall  56 , such that second cavity has a substantially U-shaped inner surface  72 . First and second cavities  66  and  70  are adapted to hold first and second lower sole portions  20  and  22 , respectively, with first cavity  66  being substantially larger than second cavity  70 . Although it is preferable that first and second cavities  66  and  70  be shaped as described above, first and second cavities  66  and  70  can be of any polygonal or circular shape, as long as first and second cavities  66  and  70  can accommodate first and second lower support portions  20  and  22 . 
     As seen in FIG. 1, upon inserting first and second lower sole portions  20  and  22  into first and second cavities  66  and  70  (shown in FIG.  3 ), a slot  74  is defined between cut-out sections  60  and the ends of first and second lower sole portions  20  and  22 , allowing main sole portion  16  to bend with respect to slot  74 . However, first and second cavities  66  and  70  can be combined to form one unitary cavity, thus eliminating slot  74 . 
     Preferably lower support wall  28  is formed of any material that can support bottom wall  24  and a wearer&#39;s foot, such as a plastic or rubber material. It is also preferable that upper support wall  26 , lower support wall  28 , and bottom wall  24  are all made of the same material such that main sole portion  16  is a unitary one-piece member. However, each wall can be formed separably and integrally attached by any known attachment means. 
     Referring to FIGS. 4-6, insole portion  18  is received in receiving area  49  of main sole portion  16  and is formed of a plastic material that is molded to conform to the shape of bottom wall  24 . Insole portion  18  has top and bottom surfaces  80  and  82  with bottom surface  82  being fixedly attached to upper surface  30  of bottom wall  24  by any known attachment, such as adhesive. Insole portion  18  further includes front and rear ends  84  and  86  that correspond to first and second ends  34  and  36  of bottom wall  24 , respectively. Rear end  86  particularly includes an inset surface  88  which forms a lip  90  having a substantially planar bottom surface  92 , as best seen in FIG.  5 . Upon inserting insole portion  18  into receiving area  49 , inset surface  88  abuts shelf  52  of upper support wall  26 , and bottom surface  92  of lip  90  rests on top surface  53  of shelf  52 . 
     Separable first, second, third, and fourth fastener receiving bores  94 ,  96 ,  98 , and  100  are embedded and rigidly received in insole portion  18  and are aligned with first, second, third, and fourth fastener holes  40 ,  42 ,  44 , and  46  of main sole portion  16 , respectively. The insole portion  18  must be of sufficient thickness to entirely receive bores  94 ,  96 ,  98 , and  100 , as seen in FIG.  5 . Each fastener receiving bore  94 ,  96 ,  98 , and  100  includes an abutment  102  providing a stop for fasteners inserted therein. Preferably, each fastener receiving bore  94 ,  96 ,  98 , and  100  is formed of a metal material and has an inner threaded surface  104 , but the bores can be formed of any substantially rigid material, such as plastic. 
     As seen in FIG. 5, insole portion further includes a central rib  106  extending downwardly from bottom surface  82  and tapers in thickness from rear end  84  to front end  86 . Central rib  104  provides a natural heel within shoe  10 , providing comfort to the wearer of shoe  10 , without the necessity of attaching a heel to the outside of shoe  10 . Central rib  106  extends along a substantial portion of the length of insole portion  18  and is centrally disposed thereon, as best seen in FIG.  6 . First and third fastener receiving bores  94  and  98  are embedded partially in central rib  104  and partially in insole portion  18 . In contrast, second and fourth receiving bores  96  and  100  are entirely embedded in central rib  104 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-5, first and second lower sole portions  20  and  22  are received in first and second cavities  66  and  70  of main insole portion  16 . First lower insole portion  20  includes a first top layer  110  attached to a first bottom layer  112 , and second lower sole portion  22  includes a second top layer  114  attached to a second bottom layer  116 . Each of first and second top layers  110  and  114  is substantially more rigid than each of first and second bottom layers  112  and  116 , respectively, such that top layers  110  and  114  are stronger and have a higher tear strength than bottom layers  112  and  114 . Preferably, first and second top layers  110  and  114  are formed of any substantially rigid material, such as plastic or metal. First and second bottom layers  112  and  116  can be formed of various materials such as, a cushioning material, a traction enhancing material, rubber, plastic, felt, or foam. However, first and second top layers  110  and  114  and first and second bottom layers  112  and  116  can be formed of the same material and be formed as one unitary member. 
     Each of first and second lower sole portions  20  and  22  has first and second outer configurations  118  and  120 , respectively, that conform to the shape of first and second cavities  66  and  70 , respectively, providing a snug fit upon inserting first and second lower sole portions  20  and  22  into first and second cavities  66  and  70 . Specifically, first outer configuration  118  has a U-shape, with two elongated slightly curved sides extending between two straight sides, that corresponds to the shape of inner surface  68  of first cavity  66 . Likewise, second outer configuration  120  is rectangular, with each side being substantially straight, and corresponds to the shape of inner surface  72  of second cavity  70 . As with first and second cavities  66  and  70 , first and second lower support portions  20  and  22  can be of any polygonal or circular shape, as they correspond to and can be received in first and second cavities  66  and  70 , respectively. In addition, a single lower sole portion can be employed, instead of two portions, with a single cavity in lower support wall  28 . 
     First and third fastener apertures  122  and  126  are disposed in first lower sole portion  20  and correspond with first and third fastener holes  40  and  44  of main sole portion  16 . First and third fastener apertures  122  and  126  include first and third openings  130  and  134 , respectively, formed in first top layer  110 . First and third openings  130  and  134  are substantially smaller than first and third fastener apertures  122  and  126 , leaving a portion of the bottom surface  138  of first top layer  110  exposed, as best seen in FIG.  5 . Similarly, second and fourth fastener apertures  124  and  128  are disposed in second lower sole portion  22  and correspond with second and fourth fastener holes  42  and  46  of main sole portion  16 . Second and fourth fastener apertures  124  and  128  include smaller second and fourth openings  132  and  136 , respectively, formed in second top layer  114  such that, like first top layer  110 , a portion of the bottom surface  140  of second top layer  114  is left exposed. 
     ASSEMBLY 
     To assemble shoe  10 , insole portion  18  is temporarily inserted into a last or foot form (not shown). Shoe upper  12  can then be stretched over the foot form and attached to bottom surface  82  of insole portion  18  shaping show upper  12  into a desired form. The show upper  12  and insole portion  18  can then be inserted into receiving area  49  of main sole portion  16  and placed and attached to bottom wall  24  such that first, second, third, and fourth fastener receiving bores  94 ,  96 ,  98 ,  100  line up with first, second, third, and fourth fastener holes  40 ,  42 ,  44 , and  46  of main sole portion  16 . The last can then be removed. A tapered filler insert  162  is inserted between bottom wall  24  and insole portion  18  to fill up the space between bottom wall  24  and insole portion  18  created by central rib  106 , as best seen in FIG.  5 . Filler insert  162  is tapered to match the taper of central rib  106 . 
     First and second lower sole portions  20  and  22  are then inserted into first and second cavities  66  and  70  such that first, second, third, and fourth fastener receiving apertures  122 ,  124 ,  126 , and  128  also line up with first, second, third, and fourth fastener holes  40 ,  42 ,  44 , and  46  of main sole portion  16 . 
     As seen in FIGS. 1-5, first, second, third, and fourth fasteners  150 ,  152 ,  154 , and  156 , each having a head portion  158  and a threaded portion  160 , are employed to fasten first and second lower sole portions  20  and  22  to main sole portion  16  and insole portion  18 . Specifically, first and third fasteners  150  and  154  are first inserted through first and third fastener apertures  122  and  126 , then through first and third openings  130  and  134 , then through first and third fastener holes  40  and  44 , and then finally inserted into first and third fastener receiving bores  94  and  98 , respectively. Likewise, second and fourth fasteners  152  and  156  are first inserted through second and fourth fastener apertures  124  and  128 , then through second and fourth openings  132  and  136 , then through second and fourth fastener holes  42  and  46 , and then finally inserted into second and fourth fastener receiving bores  96  and  100 , respectively. 
     Upon tightening each fastener, head portions  158  of first and third fasteners  150  and  154  abut the exposed portion of bottom surface  138  of first top layer  110  of first lower sole portion  20 , and threaded portions  160  engage threaded surfaces  104  of first and third fastener receiving bores  94  and  98 , releasably securing first lower sole portion  20  to main sole portion  16  and insole portion  18 . Similarly, head portions  158  of second and fourth fasteners  152  and  156  abut the exposed portion of bottom surface  140  of second top layer  114  of second lower sole portion  22 , and threaded portions  160  engage threaded surfaces  104  of second and fourth fastener receiving bores  96  and  100 , releasably securing second lower sole portion  22  to main sole portion  16  and insole portion  18 . Once secured to main sole portion  16 , cavities  66  and  70  snugly hold first and second lower sole portions  20  and  22 . Lower support wall prevents dirt from entering between first and second lower sole portions  20  and  22  and first and second cavities  66  and  70 , respectively. 
     In addition, first and second lower sole portions  20  and  22  include bottom surfaces  142  and  144 , respectively, such that when inserted within first and second cavities  66  and  70 , respectively, bottom surfaces  142  and  144  extend below the bottom surface  76  of lower support wall  28 , preventing wear on lower support wall  28 . 
     Although it is preferable to have two fasteners to mount each of the first and second lower sole portions  20  and  22 , only one fastener for each portion is necessary. In particular, third and fourth fasteners  154  and  156  can be eliminated along with third and fourth fastener apertures  126  and  128 , third and fourth fastener holes  44  and  46 , and third and fourth fastener receiving bores  98  and  100 . In addition, first and second lower support portions  20  and  22  can include tongue elements (not shown) which engage corresponding slots (not shown) in lower support wall  28  to further secure first and second lower sole portions  20  and  22  within first and second cavities  66  and  70 . 
     OPERATION 
     In operation, the wearer of shoe  10 , can easily replace first and second lower sole portions  20  and  22  with different lower sole portions for different applications. For example, the wearer may want to employ different soles for indoor versus outdoor activities, or for varying weather conditions or for traction on differing types of terrain. The wearer simply loosens and removes first, second, third, and fourth fasteners  150 ,  152 ,  156 , and  158 , removes first and second sole portions  20  and  22 , and replaces them with other desired sole portions that suit a particular application. First, second, third, and fourth fasteners  150 ,  152 ,  156 , and  158  can then be re-inserted in the same manner as described above. 
     While a particular embodiment has been chosen to illustrate the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.