| WO/2008/139014 | CONVERTIBLE SPORTS SHOE |
| WO/2003/034855 | CONVERTIBLE WALKING SHOE ADAPTABLE TO SPORT PRACTICE |
| WO/2006/037143 | COLLAPSIBLE HIGH-HEELED SHOE |
Claims
1. An apparatus providing shoes with swappable toe pieces, comprising: a pair of shoes with each shoe of said pair of shoes having a sole with an upper attached thereto and having toe pieces; an additional pair of toe pieces for said pair of shoes; adjacent fasteners for said pair of shoes securing said toe pieces to said pair of shoes; a sole fastener for each said shoe of said pair of shoes for receiving a base- positioned toe piece fastener therein; and, at least one upper fastener for said pair of shoes for receiving a toe piece edge- positioned fastener thereto.
2. The apparatus providing shoes with swappable toe pieces according to Claim
1 , wherein each shoe of said pair of shoes has a sole and said upper has a closed vamp, so that the base-positioned toe piece fastener engages the vamp of said shoe.
3. The apparatus providing shoes with swappable toe pieces according to Claim
1 , wherein each shoe of said pair of shoes has a sole and said upper has an open vamp, so that the base-positioned toe piece fastener forms the vamp of each said shoe.
4. The apparatus providing shoes with swappable toe pieces according to Claim 1, wherein said sole fastener is a cavity extending partially into said sole of each said shoe.
5. The apparatus providing shoes with swappable toe pieces according to Claim 4, wherein the cavity of said sole is a bore with a lip for latching to a base-positioned toe piece fastener.
6. The apparatus providing shoes with swappable toe pieces according to Claim
5, wherein said base-positioned toe piece fastener is a post with a transverse nub extending therefrom.
7. The apparatus providing shoes with swappable toe pieces according to Claim
6, wherein said transverse nub resides under said lip when said toe piece is matingly engaged to said sole fastener.
8. The apparatus providing shoes with swappable toe pieces according to Claim 1 , wherein said toe piece has a plurality of base-positioned fasteners with a plurality of correspondingly positioned sole bore fasteners.
9. The apparatus providing shoes with swappable toe pieces according to Claim 1, further comprising a shoe fastener formed as a channel for receiving a lip of the toe piece.
10. The apparatus providing shoes with swappable toe pieces according to Claim 9, wherein the shoe fastener is a mating member of a hook-and-loop material positioned on respective shoe and toe piece portions.
11. The apparatus providing shoes with swappable toe pieces according to Claim 9, wherein the shoe fastener is mating magnetic members positioned on respective shoe and toe piece portions.
12. The apparatus providing shoes with swappable toe pieces according to Claim 1, further comprising a receptacle for storing said plurality of toe pieces.
13. The apparatus providing shoes with swappable toe pieces according to Claim 1 , further comprising a bonding element for holding a superjacent said toe piece to said shoe.
14. The apparatus providing shoes with swappable toe pieces according to Claim 1 , wherein said toe pieces are removable.
15. The apparatus providing shoes with swappable toe pieces according to Claim 1 , wherein said toe pieces are non-removable.
16. A method for providing shoes with swappable toe pieces, comprising the steps of: providing a pair of shoes with each shoe of said pair of shoes having a sole with an upper attached thereto and having a removable toe piece; removing the toe pieces from each said shoe; providing an additional pair of toe pieces for said pair of shoes; providing adjacent fasteners within said pair of shoes comprising a sole fastener and an upper fastener; providing corresponding mating fasteners within said additional toe pieces; and, attaching said additional toe pieces to respective corresponding shoe fasteners. |
SHOE WITH A SWAPPABLE TQE PIECE
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, generally, to shoes and, more particularly, to shoes enabled with a removable swappable toe-piece which also provides for a plurality of toe- covers for matingly engaging an existing shoe toe cover that may change the contour of the existing toe cover in addition to coloration changes.
Description of the Prior Art
Other reconfigurables designed for shoes are known to the prior art and are disclosed by the following references known to the inventors: Eckhard, Jr., U.S. Patent No. 900,499, issued October 6, 1908; Nyhagen, U.S. Patent No. 2,079,331, issued May 4, 1937; Platkin, U.S. Patent No. 2,292,770, issued August 11, 1942; Samuels, U.S. Patent No. 4,333,248, issued June 8, 1982; Lin, U.S. Patent No. 5,896,684, issued April 27, 1999; Simmons, U.S. Patent No. 5,996,258, issued December 7, 1999; Lin, U.S. Patent No. 6,430,846, issued August 13, 2002; Delgatty, U.S. Patent No. 6,874,256, issued April 5, 2005; Evans, U.S. Patent No. 6,981,340, issued January 3, 2006; Tonkel, U.S. Patent No. 7,028,420, issued April 18, 2006; Towns, European Patent Application No. 1,749,454, published February 7, 2007; and P.C.T. International Application Publication No. WO 2008/007403, published January 17, 2008.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a plurality of toe-covers that can be selectively applied to a shoe to change its appearance.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a plurality of toe-covers that can be selectively applied to a shoe to change its contour.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide toe-covers having a plurality of latching elements depending from each toe-cover having a corresponding shoe sole latching member.
Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide shoe toe-covers for existing shoes whereby the appearance of the shoe can be changed by covering an existing toe cover with a desired toe-cover.
The foregoing and related objects are accomplished by the present invention, which provides an apparatus and method for enabling shoes with a removable swappable toe-piece, which also provides for a plurality of toe-covers that matingly engage an existing shoe toe cover that may change the contour of the existing toe cover in addition to coloration changes.
More particularly, the apparatus providing shoes with swappable toe pieces, which includes a pair of shoes having a sole with an upper attached thereto, preferably, having removable toe pieces and an additional pair of toe pieces for the shoes. The pair of shoes has adjacent fasteners securing the removable toe pieces to the shoes with the shoes having at least one sole fastener for receiving a base-positioned toe piece fastener and with the shoes having at least one upper fastener for receiving a toe piece edge- positioned fastener thereto.
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing shoes enabled with a removable swappable toe-piece, which also provides for a plurality of toe-covers for matingly engaging an existing shoe toe cover that may change the contour of the existing toe cover in addition to coloration changes.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent when considered in view of the following detailed description of the invention, which provides certain preferred embodiments and examples of the present invention.
It should, however, be noted that the accompanying drawing figures and detailed description thereof is intended to discuss and explain only certain embodiments of the claimed invention and is not intended as a means for defining the limits and scope of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
In the drawing, wherein similar reference numerals denote similar features throughout the several views:
FIG. 1 is an overview of the shoe with a swappable toe piece of the present invention, as may be used;
FIG. 2 is an exploded overview of the shoe with a swappable toe piece of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a further, exploded overview the shoe with a swappable toe piece of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a prospective, assembled view of the shoe with a swappable toe piece of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a prospective, exploded view of the shoe with a swappable toe piece of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a plan view of the shoe with a swappable toe piece of the present invention;
FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the shoe with a swappable toe piece of the present invention;
FIG. 8 is an exploded sectional view of the shoe with a swappable toe piece of the present invention;
FIG. 9 is an assembled sectional view of the shoe with a swappable toe piece of
-A-
present invention;
FIG. 10 is an exploded sectional view of the shoe with a swappable toe piece of the present invention; and,
FIG. 1 1 is an exploded view of an alternative, preferred embodiment of the shoe with a swappable toe piece of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES AND PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Turning now, in detail, to the drawing figures, FIG. 1 presents an overview of the shoe with a swappable toe piece of the present invention 10, in use, which includes having a swappable toe piece 32 attachable to sole 16 and upper 26, 28, with sole 16 having a bottom side 18 and top side 20. Within the body of sole 16 is aperture 22 forming a bore having a lip 24 therein for retaining toe piece fastener 40. Toe piece 32 has adjacent fasteners 34 for securing the toe piece to sole 16 and upper 26, 28. Extending from the base of the toe piece is fastener 40, comprising post 42 and nub 44 for lockingly engaging the toe piece 32 to sole 16. The toe piece also provides for an adjacent fastener 34, comprising toe piece 32 having toe piece lip 36 incorporating rail 38 that matingly engages with upper channel 30 for securing toe piece 32 to both the sole 16 and upper 26, 28, thereby providing user 12 with means for varying the type of shoe worn on feet 14.
FIG. 2 is an exploded overview of the shoe with a swappable toe piece of the present invention 10 having a plurality of toe pieces 32 varying in color, comprising lip 36 and rail 38 with adjacent fasteners 40 mateable to their respective corresponding sole apertures 22, 24 and upper channel 30.
FIG. 3 is a further exploded overview of the present invention 10 having a plurality of toe pieces 32 varying in surface area, comprising lip 36 and rail 38 with adjacent fasteners 40 mateable to their respective corresponding sole apertures 22, 24 and upper channel 30.
FIG. 4 shows is a prospective, assembled view of the present invention 10, that includes a shoe having a swappable toe piece 32 attachable to sole 16 and upper 26, 28 with the sole 16 having a bottom side 18 and top side 20. Within the body of the sole 16 is aperture 22 forming a bore having a lip 24 therein for retaining toe piece fastener 40. Toe piece 32 has adjacent fasteners 34 for securing the toe piece to sole 16 and upper 26, 28. Extending from the base of the toe piece is fastener 40, comprising post 42 and nub 44 for lockingly engaging the toe piece 32 to sole 16. The toe piece also provides for an adjacent fastener 34 comprising toe piece 32 having toe piece lip 36 incorporating rail 38 that matingly engages with upper channel 30 securing toe piece 32 to both the sole 16 and upper 26, 28 thereby providing user 12 with means for varying the type of shoe worn on feet 14.
FIG. 5 shows is a detached toe piece of the present invention, which includes toe piece 32 attaches to sole 16 and upper 26, 28 with the body of the sole 16 having aperture 22 forming a bore having a lip 24 therein for retaining toe piece fastener 40. Toe piece 32 has adjacent fasteners 34 for securing the toe piece to sole 16 and upper 26, 28. Extending from the base of the toe piece is fastener 40, comprising post 42 and nub 44 for lockingly engaging the toe piece 32 to sole 16. The toe piece also provides for an adjacent fastener 34, comprising toe piece 32 having toe piece lip 36 incorporating rail 38, that matingly engages with upper channel 30 securing toe piece 32 to both sole 16 and upper 26, 28, thereby providing user 12 with means for varying the type of shoe worn on feet 14.
FIG. 6 presents a top view of the present invention with shoe 10 having toe piece 32 removed. Shoe 10 is shown having sole 16 with top side 20 having aperture 22 and lip 24 for retaining toe piece fasteners therein. Also shown is shoe 10 having upper 26, 28 incorporating upper channel 30 for retaining the toe piece adjacent fastener.
FIG. 7 presents an exploded view of the present invention having toe piece 32 with Hp 36 incorporating rail 38 mateable with upper 26, 28 and channel 30. Also shown is sole 16 having bottom 18 and top 20 with aperture 22 and lip 24 for securing the
adjacent toe piece fastener thereto.
FIG. 8 provides an exploded sectional view of the present invention, wherein toe piece 32 has base-positioned fastener 40 forming one of the toe piece fasteners 34, in which fastener 40 comprises post 42 and transverse nub 44 that matingly engages toe piece 32 with sole 16, and having bottom 18 and top 20. Top 20 includes aperture 22 and lip 24 for securing the toe piece to the shoe.
FIG. 9 shows an attached sectional view of the present invention, which presents toe piece 32 having base-positioned fastener 40 forming one of the toe piece fasteners 34, wherein fastener 40 comprises post 42 and transverse nub 44 that matingly engages toe piece 32 with sole 16 having bottom 18 and top 20 with top 20.
FIG. 10 shows an exploded sectional view of the present invention, in use, which includes a swappable toe piece 32 attachable to sole 16 and upper 26, 28 with the sole 16 having a bottom side 18 and top side 20. Within the body of the sole 16 is aperture 22 forming a bore having a lip 24 therein for retaining toe piece fastener 40. Toe piece 32 has adjacent fasteners 34 for securing the toe piece to sole 16 and upper 26, 28. Extending from the base of the toe piece is fastener 40, comprising post 42 and nub 44 for lock- ingly engaging the toe piece 32 to sole 16. The toe piece also provides for an adjacent fastener 34, comprising toe piece 32 having toe piece lip 36 incorporating rail 38, that matingly engages with upper channel 30 securing toe piece 32 to both sole 16 and upper 26, 28, thereby providing user 12 with means for varying the type of shoe worn on feet 14.
Finally, FIG. 11 presents an alternative, preferred embodiment of the present invention having a non-removable toe piece formed an integral with sole 16 and upper 26, 28. It is envisioned that toe piece 32 may have a single fastening element whereby toe piece 32 covers the existing shoe toe piece.
While only several embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many modifications may be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.
List of Reference Numerals
shoe with swappable toe piece of the present invention user foot sole bottom of sole top of sole bore of sole
Hp of bore upper interior upper exterior upper channel toe piece toe piece adjacent fasteners toe piece lip toe piece rail toe piece base-positioned fastener toe-piece post toe piece post nub toe piece receptacle