Patent ID: 7331123

Claim:
A shoe comprising: (a) a sole having a thin cavity defined by a sidewall which extends around the periphery of said sole, said sidewall having a predetermined thickness and a bottom surface; (b) said sidewall including a plurality of flaps which extend into said cavity, said flaps having bottoms which are contiguous with the bottom surface of said sidewall and a thickness which is less than the thickness of said cavity; (c) a sole plate sized to substantially fill said cavity, said sole plate having an outer surface which is generally flush with said bottom surface of said sidewall when said sole plate is in said cavity; and (d) said sole plate having a plurality of depressions located in said outer surface, said depressions being configured to receive said flaps when said sole plate is placed in said cavity; wherein said flaps are made from a material which is sufficiently elastically deformable to permit said sole plate to be inserted past said flaps when said sole plate is placed in said cavity and yet hold said sole plate in place in said cavity; and wherein said flaps are harder than the remainder of said sidewall.