Shoe with attachable upper

Abstract

Footwear has been provided that has the option of being worn alone with its permanent upper or a reversible attachable upper can be added securely for two additional and completely different looks. The footwear has a permanent upper that has a suitable appearance to be worn alone. Additionally, the footwear will have a means of attachment placed below the upper on each side on the sole of the footwear. The means of attachment will have a satisfactory appearance and blend into the design of the footwear. The attachable upper securely sits on the permanent upper and is reinforced by the means of attachment. The advantage of this design is that it enables the user to not only wear the footwear by itself but also to create two new looks with one reversible attachable upper that does not compromise the stability of the permanent upper. This will not only save the user money but will also save on space when storing or traveling while at the same time proving the maximum diversity in style options.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Prior Art

In the past inventors created several types of systems to change the appearance of footwear. U.S. Pat. No. 3,011,281 to King discloses a shoe-decorating device for a thong-like sandal, i.e.: flip-flop. U.S. Pat. No. 1,555,418 to Kennedy discloses a shoe-decorating device. These provide only a slight change to the appearance of the shoe with the upper retaining its original design, color, material, and shape. U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,564 to Kettner and U.S. Pat. No. 6,769,204 to Phillips provides a base shoe with an unfinished look to the means of connection. The base shoe designs have an exposed means of connection leaving an unfinished appearance unless the interchangeable upper is attached. The interchangeable uppers have a means of connection on the lower plane and cannot be reversed which only provides the user with one alternate appearance. The user must purchase the base shoe with an interchangeable upper and can only create one look with the two items. U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,296 to Smith discloses an interchangeable sandal that needs to be disassembled to change the appearance.

While these inventions are useful, they do not describe the option of wearing the shoe with the permanent upper alone or adding an attachable reversible upper that provides two separate looks and allows the user to change the entire appearance of the upper.

Accordingly, the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs.

2. Objects and Advantages

The objects and advantages of my shoe are that the user has the option of wearing the shoe with only the permanent upper and that the user can quickly and easily change the entire appearance of the upper with a reversible attachable upper. My attachable upper has a different design on both the upper and lower plane and can be reversed to create a new look. This feature provides two different looks with each replaceable upper.

The attachable upper is connected to the shoe by the means of attachment, which is not anchored on the permanent upper but on the outsole. Therefore, attaching and detaching another upper does not compromise the stability of the permanent upper.

With the purchase of one base shoe the user can achieve the look of as many different shoes as desired by purchasing additional attachable reversible uppers. For every one upper the user purchases, they can create two new looks. Purchasing attachable uppers to achieve different looks is far less expensive than buying multiple pairs of shoes. Additionally, an assortment of attachable uppers, rather than numerous separate pairs of shoes, is a space saving advantage for travel as well as for closet storage. Further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and drawings.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

In accordance with the invention, my shoe allows the user the option of either wearing the shoe in its original state or quickly, easily, safely, and economically changing the entire appearance of the shoe without compromising the stability of the upper.

This allows the user to save money and space by purchasing one base shoe with multiple reversible attachable uppers rather than buying as many pairs of shoes or achieving only a slight change with an accessory. These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, drawings and claims.

DRAWINGS—REFERENCE NUMERALS

FIG. 1 is a perspective right-side view of a shoe constructed in accordance with the invention showing the shoe without the attachable reversible upper.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the upper plane of the attachable reversible upper.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the lower plane of the attachable reversible upper.

FIG. 4 is a perspective right-side view of a shoe constructed in accordance with the invention showing the shoe with the attachable reversible upper.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Preferred Embodiment

FIG. 1 is a perspective view taken from the user's right side of the shoe. The permanent upper 6 will be attached between the insole 8 and the outsole 10 of the shoe, which will not be in plain sight to user and not detachable.

The first means of attachment 12a and 12d will be placed on the side of the outsole 10 after the shank distal to the heel below the start of the permanent upper 6. The second means of attachment 12b and 12e will be placed on the side of the outsole 10 under the mid section of the permanent upper 6. The third means of attachment 12c and 12f will be placed on the side of the outsole 10 under the end of the permanent upper 6. This design will be used on both the right and left sides of the shoe.

The attachable reversible upper 14 will have a design on the upper plane 16 and a different design on the lower plane 18.

At each end of these uppers 14, 16 proximal to the means of attachment on the outsole 10 multiple connectors 20g-l will be provided. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention is not limited with respect to size, style, materials, shape, or form.

The illustrated example given is simply the preferred embodiment.

Those skilled in the art will understand many modifications may be made to the present invention and that all such modifications are within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A shoe with a ready to wear upper and attachable uppers comprising:

a. a shoe with a permanent upper that can be worn as is

b. a means of attachment on said shoe for an attachable upper that does not come in contact with said upper

c. said attachable upper with the option of being double sided that connects with said means of attachment