Convertible Shoe Assembly

Abstract

A convertible shoe assembly for converting a shoe between a flat soled shoe or a high heeled shoe includes a shoe that is wearable on a user's foot. The shoe has a sole that is comprised of a flexible material thereby facilitating the sole to be oriented in a planar position to define a sole of a flat soled shoe or an angled position to define a sole of a high heeled shoe. A hinge is integrated into the sole of the shoe such that the sole bends along the hinge when the sole is moved between the planar position and the angled position. A heel is pivotally attached to the sole and the heel is positionable in a stored position or a deployed position having the heel extending downwardly from the sole.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

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STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM

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STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

The disclosure relates to shoe device and more particularly pertains to a new shoe device for converting a shoe between a flat soled shoe or a high heeled shoe. The device includes a shoe with a flexible sole and a heel that is pivotally attached to the sole. The heel is positionable in a stored position having the heel being recessed into the sole for wearing the shoe in the convention of a flat soled shoe. The heel is positionable in a deployed position having the heel extending downwardly from the sole for wearing the shoe in the convention of a high heeled shoe. The device includes a support pivotally attached to the heel for supporting the heel in the deployed position.

(2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98

The prior art relates to shoe devices including a shoe with a telescopically adjustable heel. The prior art discloses a variety of modular shoes that is each convertible between a flat and a pump. The prior art discloses a high heeled shoe that includes a heel with an adjustable height. The prior art discloses a shoe with a compressible heel. The prior art discloses a shoe that has a pivotable heel which includes a bayonet latch.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a shoe that is wearable on a user's foot. The shoe has a sole that is comprised of a flexible material thereby facilitating the sole to be oriented in a planar position to define a sole of a flat soled shoe or an angled position to define a sole of a high heeled shoe. A hinge is integrated into the sole of the shoe such that the sole bends along the hinge when the sole is moved between the planar position and the angled position. A heel is pivotally attached to the sole and the heel is positionable in a stored position or a deployed position having the heel extending downwardly from the sole.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a left side phantom view of a convertible shoe assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure showing a heel in a deployed position.

FIG. 2 is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a back view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a top phantom view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a left side view of an embodiment of the disclosure showing a heel in a deployed position.

FIG. 7 is a left side phantom view of an embodiment of the disclosure showing a heel in a deployed position and a support being angled from a heel.

FIG. 8 is a left side phantom view of an embodiment of the disclosure showing a heel in a deployed position and a support being recessed into the heel.

FIG. 9 is a left side phantom view of an embodiment of the disclosure showing a heel in a stored position.

FIG. 10 is a left side phantom view of an embodiment of the disclosure showing a heel in a stored position and a sole in a planar position.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 11 thereof, a new shoe device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 10, the convertible shoe assembly 11 generally comprises a shoe 12 that is wearable on a user's foot 14. The shoe 12 has a sole 16 that is comprised of a flexible material thereby facilitating the sole 16 to be oriented in a planar position to define a sole of a flat soled shoe or an angled position to define a sole of a high heeled shoe. The sole 16 has a toe 18, a heel 20 and a bottom surface 22 extending between the toe 18 and the heel 20. The sole 16 has a heel well 24 extending inwardly on the bottom surface 22 and the heel well 24 is elongated to extend from the heel 20 toward the toe 18. The heel well 24 is centrally located on the bottom surface 22 and the heel well 24 has a lower bounding surface 26 and a lateral bounding surface 28.

A pivot 30 is coupled to the lower bounding surface 26 of the heel well 24 and the pivot 30 is located adjacent to the heel 20. The shoe 12 has a vamp 34 and a counter 36 that are styled in the convention of a closed toe pump. A hinge 38 is integrated into the sole 16 of the shoe 12 such that the sole 16 bends along the hinge 38 when the sole 16 is moved between the planar position and the angled position. The hinge 38 extends laterally across the sole 16 and the hinge 38 is positioned between the toe 18 of the sole 16 and the heel well 24 in the bottom surface 22 of the sole 16.

A door 25 is slidably integrated into the sole 16 and the door 25 is aligned with the heel well 24. The door 25 closes the heel well 24 when the door 25 is in a closed position and the door 25 exposes the heel well 24 when the door 25 is in an open position. The door 25 has a first lateral edge 27, a second lateral edge 29 and a lower surface 31 extending between the first lateral edge 27 and the second lateral edge 29. Each of the first lateral edge 27 and the second lateral edge 29 slidably engages the lateral bounding surface 28 of the heel well 24. Furthermore, the door 25 has a slot 33 that is integrated into the lower surface 31 to facilitate the door 25 to be gripped for urging the door 25 between the open position and the closed position.

A heel 40 is pivotally attached to the sole 16 and the heel 40 is positionable in a stored position when the sole 16 is in the planar position has the heel 40 is recessed within the sole 16. Conversely, the heel 40 is positionable in a deployed position when the sole 16 in the angled position has the heel 40 extending downwardly from the sole 16. The heel 40 has a first end 42 and a second end 44 and the heel 40 has a pivot point 46 located adjacent to the first end 42. The pivot point 46 pivotally engages the pivot 30 in the heel well 24 in the bottom surface 22 of the sole 16 for pivotally attaching the heel 40 to the sole 16. Additionally, the heel 40 is flared adjacent to the first end 42 such that the heel 40 defines a tapered heel. The heel 40 is biased into a locking position when the heel 40 is pivoted into the deployed position such that the pivot point 46 engages the pivot 30 thereby inhibiting the heel 40 from being displaced from the deployed position. The heel is urgeable downwardly to disengage the pivot 30 from the pivot point 46 thereby facilitating the heel 40 to be pivoted between the stored position and the deployed position. In an alternative embodiment 48 as is most clearly shown in FIG. 11, the heel 40 comprises a plurality of sections 50 that slidably engage each other such that the heel 40 has a telescopically adjustable length.

In use, the door 25 is urged into the open position and the heel 40 is pivoted into the deployed position and the sole 16 is bent along the hinge 38 into the angled position. Additionally, the pivot point 46 engages the pivot 30 to retain the heel 40 in the deployed position. In this way the shoe 12 can be worn in the convention of a high heeled shoe for a formal occasion. The heel 40 is pulled downwardly to disengage the pivot point 46 from the pivot 30 thereby facilitating the heel 40 to be positioned in the stored position and the sole 16 is positioned in the planar position. Additionally, the door 25 is urged into the closed position once the heel 40 is positioned in the stored position. In this way the shoe 12 can be worn in the convention of a flat soled shoe for casual occasions.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.

Claims

1. A convertible shoe assembly which is convertible between a high heel shoe and a flat soled shoe, said assembly comprising:

a shoe being wearable on a user's foot, said shoe having a sole being comprised of a flexible material thereby facilitating said sole to be oriented in a planar position to define a sole of a flat soled shoe or an angled position to define a sole of a high heeled shoe;

a hinge being integrated into said sole of said shoe such that said sole bends along said hinge when said sole is moved between said planar position and said angled position; and

a heel being pivotally attached to said sole, said heel being positionable in a stored position when said sole is in said planar position having said heel being recessed within said sole, said heel being positionable in a deployed position when said sole in said angled position having said heel extending downwardly from said sole.

2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein:

said sole has a toe, a heel and a bottom surface extending between said toe and said heel;

said sole has a heel well extending inwardly on said bottom surface, said heel well being elongated to extend from said heel toward said toe, said heel well being centrally located on said bottom surface;

said heel well has a lower bounding surface and a lateral bounding surface;

said assembly includes a pivot being coupled to said lower bounding surface of said heel well, said pivot being located adjacent to said heel;

said hinge extends laterally across said sole, said hinge being positioned between said toe of said sole and said heel well in said bottom surface of said sole; and

said shoe has a vamp and a counter.

3. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein said heel has a first end, a second end and a front surface extending between said first end and said second end, said heel having a pivot point located adjacent to said first end which pivotally engages said pivot in said heel well in said bottom surface of said sole for pivotally attaching said heel to said sole.

4. The assembly according to claim 3, wherein:

said heel is biased into a locking position when said heel is pivoted into said deployed position such that said pivot point engages said pivot thereby inhibiting said heel from being displaced from said deployed position; and

said heel is urgeable downwardly to disengage said pivot point from said pivot thereby facilitating said heel to be pivoted between said stored position and said deployed position.

5. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein said door has a first lateral edge, a second lateral edge and a lower surface extending between said first lateral edge and said second lateral edge, each of said first lateral edge and said second lateral edge slidably engaging said lateral bounding surface of said heel well, said door having a slot being integrated into said lower surface to facilitate said door to be urged between said open position and said closed position.

6. A convertible shoe assembly which is convertible between a high heel shoe and a flat soled shoe, said assembly comprising:

a shoe being wearable on a user's foot, said shoe having a sole being comprised of a flexible material thereby facilitating said sole to be oriented in a planar position to define a sole of a flat soled shoe or an angled position to define a sole of a high heeled shoe, said sole having a toe, a heel and a bottom surface extending between said toe and said heel, said sole having a heel well extending inwardly on said bottom surface, said heel well being elongated to extend from said heel toward said toe, said heel well being centrally located on said bottom surface, said heel well having a lower bounding surface and a lateral bounding surface, said shoe having a vamp and a counter;

a pivot being coupled to said lower bounding surface of said heel well, said pivot being located adjacent to said heel;

a door being slidably integrated into said sole, said door being aligned with said heel well, said door closing said heel well when said door is in a closed position, said door exposing said heel well when said door is in an open position, said door having a first lateral edge, a second lateral edge and a lower surface extending between said first lateral edge and said second lateral edge, each of said first lateral edge and said second lateral edge slidably engaging said lateral bounding surface of said heel well, said door having a slot being integrated into said lower surface to facilitate said door to be urged between said open position and said closed position;

a hinge being integrated into said sole of said shoe such that said sole bends along said hinge when said sole is moved between said planar position and said angled position, said hinge extending laterally across said sole, said hinge being positioned between said toe of said sole and said heel well in said bottom surface of said sole; and

a heel being pivotally attached to said sole, said heel being positionable in a stored position when said sole is in said planar position having said heel being recessed within said sole, said heel being positionable in a deployed position when said sole in said angled position having said heel extending downwardly from said sole, said heel having a first end, a second end and a front surface extending between said first end and said second end, said heel having a pivot point located adjacent to said first end which pivotally engages said pivot in said heel well in said bottom surface of said sole for pivotally attaching said heel to said sole, said heel being biased into a locking position when said heel is pivoted into said deployed position such that said pivot point engages said pivot thereby inhibiting said heel from being displaced from said deployed position, said heel being urgeable downwardly to disengage said pivot point from said pivot thereby facilitating said heel to be pivoted between said stored position and said deployed position.

7. The assembly according to claim 6, wherein said heel comprises a plurality of sections that slidably engage each other such that said hecl has a telescopically adjustable length.