Patent ID: 6915596

Claim:
An article of footwear comprising: an upper having an ankle opening, a pair of side portions extending downward from said ankle opening, and a connection element located opposite said ankle opening and extending between said side portions, said connection element forming substantially all of a bottom portion of said upper and defining an aperture extending through said connection element, and said connection element being formed of a material that has greater stiffness than a material that forms said side portions; and a sole structure that is securable to said upper and separable from said upper, said sole structure having a foot-supporting element and a projection extending from said foot-supporting element, said sole structure being insertable through said ankle opening such that said foot-supporting element is positioned adjacent an upper surface of said connection element and said projection extends through said aperture to provide a ground-contacting surface, and at least a portion of said foot-suporting element and said projection are formed of a polymer foam material.