Split-toed shoe

Abstract

A Split-toed Shoe is disclosed. The shoe has a special upper that includes a split toe. In order to provide additional durability and stability, the sole of the shoe does not have a corresponding split in the toe. Furthermore, in order to add aesthetic appeal and versatility, the shoe may include a toe strap configured to accept exchangeable buckles thereon.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to footwear and, more specifically, to a Split-toed Shoe.

2. Description of Related Art

Men's, and particularly women's footwear fashions are notorious for their wide variety of styles and comparatively short lifespan. While men's business fashions tend to change less dramatically, the problem with them is that the shoes are so expensive that the buyer tends to keep them for an exceeding long period of time. Once purchased, however, their really has never been a high quality method for making a change to a particular pair of shoes. The pair, once purchased, will many times outlast its desirability from a fashion standpoint. Furthermore, while women's shoe fashions have included models that allow the user to accessorize the shoe with decorative items, men's fashions have not. What is needed to solve these problems is new shoe design that includes the quality workmanship that men demand for their footwear, while also providing the wearer with the opportunity to add and/or change decorative accessories on the shoes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In light of the aforementioned problems associated with the prior devices, it is an object of the present invention to provide a Split-toed Shoe. The shoe should have a special upper that includes a split toe. In order to provide additional durability and stability, the sole of the shoe should not have a corresponding split in the toe. Furthermore, in order to add aesthetic appeal and versatility, the shoe should include a toe strap configured to accept exchangeable buckles thereon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The objects and features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a pair of the split-toed shoes of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of one of the shoes of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the other of the shoes of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of one of the shoes of FIGS. 1-3; and

FIGS. 5A and 5B are top and bottom perspective views of one preferred embodiment of the buckle suitable for use with the shoes of FIGS. 1-4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art, since the generic principles of the present invention have been defined herein specifically to provide a Split-toed Shoe.

The present invention can best be understood by initial consideration of FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a pair of the split-toed shoes 10 of the present invention. It is noted that the invention to be described herein is intended to be provided in connection with all sorts of styles of shoes, for men, women and children. What is depicted herein is simply one version used for the purposes of discussing the aspects and attributes of the present invention.

Each shoe 10 is defined by an upper 12 and a sole 14 extending upwardly therefrom. The upper 12 shown here is in many ways very similar to a conventional men's conservatively styled shoe. What is unique is that the toe end of the shoe 10 has a channel 18 formed in it to separate the great toe from the wearer's other toes. The channel 18 extends from the top of the outer surface 16 of the upper 12 down to the sole 14 to form a gap 20 between the two sidewalls 22A, 22B defining the channel 18. As will be specifically depicted below, the sole 14 is unbroken in the vicinity of the channel 18, meaning that the sole 14 forms closes off the bottom of the channel. This solid sole design provides better stability to the wearer, longer life for the shoe itself, and further eliminates a location for gathering dirt and other unwanted materials.

Another unique attribute of the shoe 10 is the decorative strap 24 extending from the channel 18 to the inner side of the great toe portion of the upper 12. The strap 24 provides a decorative feature for the shoe that is unique and distinctive. Furthermore, the wearer can add decorative buckles 26, such as the one depicted here, to further improve the aesthetic appeal of the shoe. Because the buckle 26 is removable, the owner can change out the buckles 26 to give the shoe 10 a different look. If we now turn to FIG. 2, we can further examine the details of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of one of the shoes 10 of FIG. 1. Here, the distal end of the decorative strap 24 has been detached in order to make its structure and function more apparent.

The strap 24 is attachable at its distal end to a lower tab 30 extending upwardly from the sole 14 on the inner side of the upper 12. In this version, the lower tab 30 has a fastener-half 32A made of hook-and-loop fastener material disposed on its outer surface. A cooperating fastener-half 32B of hook-and-loop fastener material is disposed on the inner surface of the distal end of the strap 24. The cooperation of these fastener-halves 32A, 32B makes the strap 24 easily detachable from the lower tab 30, yet also easily secured thereto.

The buckle 26 is configured to slip over the distal end of the strap 24 in a way such that when the strap 24 is attached to the tab 30, the decorative upper surface of the buckle is displayed. To remove the buckle 24, such as to exchange it with a different one from a group of buckles, the user need simply detach the distal end of the strap 24, and then slip off the buckle 26. The reader should also note that the non-detachable end of the strap emanates from within or adjacent to the channel 18, such that when the strap 24 is attached to the tab, it will have an appearance similar to a toe strap. We will now turn to FIG. 3 to examine the effect of the channel 18 on the inner chamber 28 of the shoe 10.

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the other of the shoes 10 of FIG. 1. As can be seen, toe end of the inner chamber 28 is bisected by the channel structure. What can be seen here are the sidewalls 22A, 22B and the end wall 22C that define the channel (see FIG. 1). Studies reveal that separating the great toe from the other toes will provide relief to many sufferers of foot discomfort. Furthermore, the wearer gains added balance and stability by separating these toe groups from one another. It is expected that wearers of this unique shoe will need specialized socks that have a form fitting channel formed within them to match the channel (see FIG. 1) in these unique shoes. Due to the additional absorbent socks surfaces now in contact with the toes, reduced foot odor and improved dryness and comfort of the feet can be expected. FIG. 4 clearly depicts from the bottom of the shoe 10 that the sole 14 does not have any cuts, breaks or slots formed through it to correspond to the channel (see FIG. 1). As a result, the toes remain immobilized in relation to one another, and therefore safer from damage. Also, foreign matter will not intrude between the toes as the wearer walks around outdoors. Still further, the shoe upper can be expected to undergo less flexing and wear because the sole is providing a stable platform for the foot and upper.

Finally, we will turn to FIGS. 5A and 5B to examine the features of the decorative buckle 26. FIGS. 5A and 5B are top and bottom perspective views, respectively, of one preferred embodiment of the buckle 26 suitable for use with the shoes of FIGS. 14. The buckles can be made from a variety of materials and in a variety of designs, from the low-cost manufactured approach to a high-dollar, custom-designed jewelry made from precious metals and jewels.

The buckle 26 has an upper portion 36 and a side portion 38 extending therefrom. The top surface 40 of the buckle 26 is generally flat in order to provide a suitable surface for engraving or attaching indicia 42 thereto or thereon. The indicia could be jewels, inscriptions, precious metals, and the like.

The body of the buckle 26 forms a strap channel 44 within it, extending from a side mouth 46A (on the side of the shoe) to a top mouth 46B (on the top of the shoe). In the depicted version, the strap channel 44 is formed by the metal of the buckle 26 being curved inwardly to form a pair of opposing fins 48A and 48B. In other versions, these fins 48A, 48B may actually interconnect to form a solid bottom surface of the buckle 26.

The strap channel 44 is sized so that the buckle 26 can be slid onto, or off of the decorative strap (see FIG. 2), when the strap is detached from the lower tab (see FIG. 2). As discussed above, it is expected that the owner will have numerous decorative buckles so that they can be mixed and matched with wardrobe or the wearer's moods.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred embodiment can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.

Claims

1. A shoe, comprising:

a sole defining a member absent gaps or splits formed therein;

an upper extending upwardly from said sole to form an inner chamber therebetween, said upper defining a toe end and a heel end, said toe end having a channel formed therein extending from said toe end in the direction of said heel end.

2. The shoe of claim 1, wherein said channel in said upper is formed by a pair of opposing side walls and an end wall, said side and end walls terminating at their lower end at said sole.

3. The shoe of claim 2, wherein said side walls are in relative spaced relation to form opposing walls of said gap channel.

4. The shoe of claim 3, wherein said channel bisects said toe end of said upper into a great toe portion and a side toe portion.

5. The shoe of claim 4, further comprising a decorative strap extending from said channel over a said great toe portion and terminating at said sole.

6. The shoe of claim 5, wherein said decorative strap defines a channel-attached end and a distal end, said distal end being attachable to a lower tab extending from said sole adjacent to said great toe portion.

7. The shoe of claim 6, wherein said lower tab outer surface and said bottom surface of said distal end of said decorative strap each define cooperative attachment means for cooperatively attaching said distal end to said lower tab.

8. The shoe of claim 7, further comprising a buckle configured to be attachable to said decorative strap.

9. The shoe of claim 8, wherein said buckle is defined by an upper portion and a side portion extending therefrom, said buckle defining a strap channel formed therein extending through said upper and side portions, said strap channel configured to accept said decorative strap therein.

10. The shoe of claim 9, wherein said strap channel has a side mouth at its side portion end and a top mouth at its top portion end, said mouths configured to accept said decorative strap therein.

11. The shoe of claim 10, wherein said buckle strap channel is defined by a pair of opposing, inwardly-turned fins on a bottom side of said buckle, and a top surface suitable for display of indicia thereon.

12. A shoe, comprising:

a sole defining a contiguous unbisected piece of material;

an upper extending upwardly from said sole to form an inner chamber therebetween, said upper defining a toe end and a heel end, said toe end having a channel gap formed therein extending from said toe end in the direction of said heel end, said channel gap having a closed bottom surface defined by said sole.

13. The shoe of claim 12, wherein said channel gap bisects said toe end of said upper into a great toe portion and a side toe portion.

14. The shoe of claim 13, wherein said side walls are in relative spaced relation to form opposing walls of said channel gap.

15. The shoe of claim 14, further comprising a decorative strap extending from a gap-attached end at said channel over a said great toe portion and terminating at said sole.

16. The shoe of claim 15, wherein said decorative strap further defines a distal end opposite said gap-attached end, said distal end being attachable to a lower tab extending from said sole adjacent to said great toe portion.

17. The shoe of claim 16, wherein said lower tab outer surface and said bottom surface of said distal end of said decorative strap each define cooperative attachment means for cooperatively attaching said distal end to said lower tab.

18. The shoe of claim 17, further comprising a buckle configured to be attachable to said decorative strap, said buckle defining a strap channel formed therein extending through said upper and side portions, said strap channel configured to accept said decorative strap therein.

19. The shoe of claim 18, wherein said attachment means comprises hook-and-loop fastener material disposed on said outer surface and said bottom surface.

20. The shoe of claim 18, wherein said attachment means comprises a pair of cooperating snap-halves.