U.S. patent application number 12/568446 was filed with the patent office on 2010-04-08 for interchangeable footwear component.
This patent application is currently assigned to PODI, L.L.C.. Invention is credited to David R. Curry.
Application Number | 20100083538 12/568446 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35241380 |
Filed Date | 2010-04-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100083538 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Curry; David R. |
April 8, 2010 |
Interchangeable Footwear Component
Abstract
Embodiments provide for an easily interchangeable footwear
component, such as an upper portion of an article of footwear. In
one embodiment, an article of footwear can comprise a fixed upper
portion of an article of footwear, a sole fixedly connected to the
fixed upper portion, and an interchangeable upper portion. Both the
sole and the interchangeable upper portion can include one or more
releasable fasteners, which allow the interchangeable upper portion
to be releasably fastened to the article of footwear.
Inventors: |
Curry; David R.; (Chicago,
IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MCDONNELL BOEHNEN HULBERT & BERGHOFF LLP
300 S. WACKER DRIVE, 32ND FLOOR
CHICAGO
IL
60606
US
|
Assignee: |
PODI, L.L.C.
Chicago
IL
|
Family ID: |
35241380 |
Appl. No.: |
12/568446 |
Filed: |
September 28, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10568021 |
Feb 10, 2006 |
7614165 |
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PCT/US05/14005 |
Apr 22, 2005 |
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12568446 |
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60565067 |
Apr 23, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
36/101 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 3/244 20130101;
A43B 7/125 20130101; A43B 3/24 20130101; A43B 1/0081 20130101; A43B
3/242 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
36/101 |
International
Class: |
A43B 3/24 20060101
A43B003/24 |
Claims
1. An interchangeable upper portion of an article of footwear
comprising: one or more releasable fasteners for releasably
fastening the interchangeable upper portion to an article of
footwear; and one or more alignment means for aligning the
interchangeable upper portion on an article of footwear prior to
releasably fastening the interchangeable upper portion to an
article of footwear.
2. (canceled)
3. (canceled)
4. (canceled)
5. (canceled)
6. The interchangeable upper portion of claim 1, wherein the one or
more alignment means are aligning the interchangeable upper portion
on an article of footwear.
7. The interchangeable upper portion of claim 1, wherein the
interchangeable upper portion is releasably fastened to an article
of footwear.
8. The interchangeable upper portion of claim 7, wherein the
article of footwear comprises: a fixed upper portion; a sole
fixedly connected to the fixed upper portion; and one or more
releasable fasteners for engaging the one or more releasable
fasteners on the interchangeable upper portion and for releasably
fastening the interchangeable upper portion to the article of
footwear.
9. The interchangeable upper portion of claim 8, wherein the fixed
upper portion further comprises one or more alignment means for
receiving the one or more alignment means of the interchangeable
upper portion of an article of footwear.
10. The interchangeable upper portion of claim 9, wherein the one
or more alignment means of the interchangeable upper portion are
engaging the one or more alignment means from the interchangeable
upper portion.
11. The interchangeable upper portion of claim 8, wherein the
interchangeable upper portion substantially covers the fixed upper
portion.
12. An article of footwear comprising: an upper portion; a sole
fixedly connected to the upper portion; and one or more releasable
fasteners for releasably fastening an interchangeable upper portion
to the article of footwear.
13. The article of footwear of claim 12, further comprising one or
more alignment means for receiving corresponding alignment means
from an interchangeable upper portion of an article of footwear and
aligning the interchangeable upper portion with the article of
footwear prior to releasably fastening the interchangeable upper
portion to the article of footwear.
14. The interchangeable upper portion of claim 13, wherein the one
or more alignment means include hood and loop fasteners.
15. The article of footwear of claim 12, further comprising an
interchangeable upper portion of an article of footwear, the
interchangeable upper portion comprising: one or more releasable
fasteners for releasably fastening the interchangeable upper
portion to the article of footwear.
16. The article of footwear of claim 15, wherein the
interchangeable upper portion further comprises one or more
alignment means for aligning the interchangeable upper on the
article of footwear prior to releasably fastening the
interchangeable upper to an article of footwear.
17. (canceled)
18. (canceled)
19. The article of footwear of claim 15, wherein the one or more
alignment means of the interchangeable upper portion are engaging
the one or more alignment means from the interchangeable upper
portion.
20. The article of footwear of claim 14, wherein the
interchangeable upper portion is releasably fastened to the article
of footwear.
21. The article of footwear of claim 12, further comprising an
interchangeable upper portion releasably fastened to the article of
footwear.
22. The article of footwear of claim 21, wherein the
interchangeable upper portion substantially covers the fixed upper
portion.
23. An article of footwear comprising: a fixed upper portion of an
article of footwear; a sole fixedly connected to the fixed upper
portion; and one or more releasable fasteners releasably fastening
an interchangeable upper portion of an article of footwear to the
article of footwear.
24. The article of footwear of claim 23, wherein the fixed upper
portion comprises one or more alignment means, and wherein the
interchangeable upper portion further comprises one or more
alignment means for receiving the one or more alignment means of
the fixed upper portion.
25. The article of footwear of claim 24, wherein the one or more
alignment means of the fixed upper portion are engaging the one or
more alignment means from the interchangeable upper portion.
26. The article of footwear of claim 23, wherein the
interchangeable upper portion substantially covers the fixed upper
portion.
27. (canceled)
Description
CROSS REFERENCE
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent
Application Ser. No. 60/55,067 filed on Apr. 23, 2004.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to footwear and footwear
accessories, and, more particularly, to interchangeable footwear
components, such as interchangeable uppers, for example.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Fashion, and the desire to be fashionable, is becoming more
and more important in today's society. Fashion is also becoming
more and more fast-paced--it seems to change all the time, and is
even cyclical. Yesterday's fashion often becomes tomorrow's new
thing. Although keeping up with the latest trends can be fun,
fashion can also be expensive, especially when it changes quickly.
One day's styles or colors could be passe the following week, and
the clothes or footwear bought with one day's "in" colors may never
be worn again once those styles or colors are "out," despite the
clothes or footwear being perfectly functional, wearable, or, in
short, almost like new.
[0004] Are ever-changing fashions any wonder, however, considering
that people's tastes, and needs, also change just as frequently?
For instance, one day someone's favorite color might be blue, but
another day that same person's favorite color might be red. One day
someone might need brown shoes to match a brown belt, while another
day that same person might need black shoes to match a black belt.
Or a particular color seen at a store under certain lighting may
not appear the same at home. Likewise, the available colors of
goods purchased over the Internet, or through a catalog, etc., may
not accurately reproduce on a computer screen or on a catalog
page.
[0005] Even as fashions and tastes change, the quality of footwear,
clothes, and other garment-related goods and accessories increases.
The technology exists for clothes to last longer--shirts are being
made out of expensive, high-tech fabrics, in part, to improve
wearability. Likewise, the quality of footwear is increasing. For
example, soles can be constructed out of materials vastly superior
to those used in the past, and as a result can last longer and be
more durable.
[0006] It therefore becomes clear that in many instances, and for
many different reasons, purchasers of footwear, clothes, and other
garment related goods and accessories may want change. For example,
a purchaser of footwear might want to change the color of the
footwear, for instance, to match his or her clothes, accessories,
etc.; to keep up with fashion; or just because the wearer prefers
one color over another. Likewise, a purchaser of footwear might
want to change worn out components of the footwear, such as the
uppers, for example. Importantly, a purchaser of footwear might
just change components of the footwear to have fun.
[0007] Thus, a need exists for a product that allows footwear
components to be easily changed.
SUMMARY
[0008] According to one embodiment an interchangeable upper portion
of an article of footwear can comprise one or more releasable
fasteners for releasably fastening the interchangeable upper
portion to an article of footwear; and one or more alignment means
for aligning the interchangeable upper portion on an article of
footwear prior to releasably fastening the interchangeable upper
portion to an article of footwear.
[0009] According to another embodiment an article of footwear can
comprise an upper portion; a sole fixedly connected to the upper
portion; and one or more releasable fasteners for releasably
fastening an interchangeable upper portion to the article of
footwear.
[0010] According to another embodiment, an article of footwear can
comprise a fixed upper portion of an article of footwear; a sole
fixedly connected to the fixed upper portion; and one or more
releasable fasteners releasably fastening an interchangeable upper
portion of an article of footwear to the article of footwear.
[0011] According to another embodiment, a method of releasably
fastening an interchangeable upper portion of an article of
footwear to a fixed upper portion of an article of footwear can
comprise engaging one or more alignment means on the
interchangeable upper portion with one or more alignment means on
the article of footwear; and releasably fastening the
interchangeable upper portion to the fixed upper portion.
[0012] A variety of alternatives will become apparent to those
skilled in the art upon review of the following detailed
description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] Exemplary embodiments are described herein with reference to
the drawings, in which:
[0014] FIG. 1 depicts a side view of an article of footwear in
accordance with an exemplary embodiment;
[0015] FIG. 2 depicts a top view of an interchangeable upper in
accordance with an exemplary embodiment, shown in a flattened
state;
[0016] FIG. 3 depicts a bottom view of the interchangeable upper in
accordance with an exemplary embodiment, shown in a flattened
state;
[0017] FIG. 4 depicts a side view of the article of footwear with
the interchangeable upper attached, in accordance with an exemplary
embodiment;
[0018] FIG. 5A depicts a rear view of the article of footwear in
accordance with an exemplary embodiment;
[0019] FIG. 5B depicts a rear view of the article of footwear with
the interchangeable upper attached, in accordance with an exemplary
embodiment;
[0020] FIG. 6 depicts a side view of an article of footwear in
accordance with an exemplary embodiment;
[0021] FIG. 7 depicts a top view of an interchangeable upper in
accordance with an exemplary embodiment, shown in a flattened
state;
[0022] FIG. 8 depicts a side view of an article of footwear in
accordance with an exemplary embodiment;
[0023] FIG. 9 depicts a bottom view of an interchangeable upper in
accordance with an exemplary embodiment; and
[0024] FIG. 10 depicts a side view of an article of footwear with
the interchangeable upper attached, in accordance with an exemplary
embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
1. Exemplary Embodiments
[0025] This application is directed to interchangeable uppers for
use with footwear. Advantageously, a user can easily interchange
uppers from an article of footwear, such as a shoe (for example, a
running shoe, cross-training shoe, hiking shoe, clog, bowling shoe,
walking shoe, golf shoe, soccer shoe, or dress shoe), boot skate,
sandal, etc. This interchangeable upper can enable a user to
replace, cover, uncover, and/or recover the upper or a portion of
the upper on a single article of footwear, so that it can take on
various looks, styles, materials, and/or functions, or so that worn
out uppers can be replaced.
[0026] Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a side view of an
article of footwear 100 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the article of footwear 100 may include a
sole 102 and a fixed upper 104 fixedly connected to the sole 102.
In one embodiment the fixed upper 104 is a bootie type of inner
sock and is configured to receive and support an interchangeable
upper 200 (shown in FIG. 2), thereby forming the article of
footwear 100 shown in FIG. 4. Moreover, the fixed upper 104 may be
fixedly connected to the sole 102 through any of a number of
arrangements; for example, the fixed upper 104 can be directly
attached to the sole 102 on the outside or the on the inside
surface of the sole 102, the fixed upper 104 can be indirectly
attached to the sole 102 via another component of the article of
footwear 100, etc.
[0027] The fixed upper 104 can comprise components of the article
of footwear 100 that are not included on the interchangeable upper.
Thus in one embodiment, the fixed upper 104 may include eyelets 108
for use in combination with shoelaces for securing the article of
footwear 100 to a user's foot. Other and/or additional methods or
devices for securing the article of footwear 100 to the user's foot
are also possible. Additionally, the fixed upper 104 may include a
tongue 110 for protecting the user's foot from the area where the
eyelets 108 and shoelaces, for instance, secure the article of
footwear 100 to the user's foot. The sole 102 shown in FIG. 1 can
extend from the bottom of the article of footwear 100 toward the
top of the article of footwear 100 in the heel area; however, other
sole 102 configurations are also possible.
[0028] The article of footwear 100 can also include a first and
second footwear releasable fasteners 112 and 116 (shown in FIG. 5A)
for securing an interchangeable upper 200 (shown in FIG. 2) to each
side of the article of footwear 100. In one embodiment, the first
and second footwear releasable fasteners 112 and 116 are zippers.
Alternatively, fewer (such as only one releasable fastener),
additional, and/or other types of releasable fasteners, such as
snaps or hook and loop fasteners, such as Velcro.TM. fasteners, can
be used. As shown in FIG. 1, the first and second footwear
releasable fasteners 112 and 116 can each start at the toe of the
article of footwear 100 and extend along the length of each
respective side toward the heel of the article of footwear 100.
Additionally, the first and second footwear releasable fasteners
112 and 116 may extend from the bottom surface of the article of
footwear 100 in an upward direction as they near the heel. In one
embodiment, this configuration might allow for easier manufacturing
and assembly, and might better secure an interchangeable upper 200
to the article of footwear 100.
[0029] The first and second footwear releasable fasteners 112 and
116 shown in FIGS. 1 and 5A are attached to the sole 102 of the
article of footwear 100 near the interface between the fixed upper
104 and the sole 102. However, the first and second footwear
releasable fasteners 112 and 116 can also be attached to the fixed
upper 104, both the sole 102 and the fixed upper 104, and/or a
combination thereof at various points along the length of the
article of footwear 100. Additionally, each of the first and second
footwear releasable fasteners 112 and 116 may be attached to the
article of footwear 100 at different points and in different
configurations.
[0030] As shown in FIG. 1, a footwear alignment means 114 might be
located near the toe of the article of footwear 100, and can be
used to align and/or help secure the interchangeable upper 200
(shown in FIG. 2) to the article of footwear 100. For example, the
footwear alignment means 114 might align the interchangeable upper
200 with the article of footwear 100 to facilitate the first and
second footwear releasable fasteners 112 and 116 engaging the
interchangeable upper 200.
[0031] In one embodiment, the footwear alignment means 114 might
comprise a hook or projection on the article of footwear 100 that
can engage the interchangeable upper 200 (shown in FIG. 2), for
example, at an opening or aperture on the interchangeable upper
200. Alternatively, additional and/or other types of footwear
alignment means 114, such as a snap or hook and loop fasteners,
such as Velcro.TM. fasteners, for example, could be used. The
footwear alignment means 114 could be attached to the article of
footwear 100 at the fixed upper 104, the sole 102, or a combination
of the fixed upper 104 and the sole 102. The footwear alignment
means 114 could be used only in areas where the interchangeable
upper is not fastened to the article of footwear 100, as well as in
areas that are fastened to the article of footwear 100 via the
first and second footwear releasable fasteners 112 and 116, for
instance.
[0032] FIG. 2 is a top view of an interchangeable upper 200, with
the heel portion of the upper shown on the left and the toe portion
of the upper shown on the right. In one embodiment, the
interchangeable upper 200 can cover at least a portion of the
article of footwear 100. In other embodiments, the interchangeable
upper 200 can comprise at least a portion of an upper of an article
of footwear. That is, the interchangeable upper 200 can comprise
the upper or a portion of the upper itself, and not just a cover
for the upper. Other examples are possible as well.
[0033] The interchangeable upper 200 of FIG. 2 is shown in a
flattened state. The interchangeable upper 200 may be arranged to
cover at least a portion of the fixed upper 104 and/or sole 102,
and can comprise a first and second upper releasable fasteners 204
and 206 for releasably fastening the interchangeable upper 200 to
the article of footwear 100. In one embodiment, the first and
second upper releasable fasteners 204 and 206 can be zippers, and
can zip onto and off of the corresponding first and second footwear
releasable fasteners 112 and 116, to secure the interchangeable
upper 200 to and remove the interchangeable upper 200 from the
article of footwear 100.
[0034] The interchangeable upper 200 can be sized and shaped to
cover specific portions of the article of footwear 100. A
particular interchangeable upper 200 could, for instance, be sized
and shaped to cover the entire front and sides of an article of
footwear 100 of a particular size, or range of sizes. Additionally,
the interchangeable upper 200 could be fabricated from many
different types of materials, including cloth, neoprene, nylon,
leather, or rubber. Other types of materials are also possible. In
an alternative embodiment the interchangeable upper 200 may also be
reversible to allow the user to use both sides of a single
interchangeable upper 200.
[0035] The interchangeable upper 200 may also include an opening
208 to provide a user with access to the shoelaces, or other
footwear securing devices, without having to detach the
interchangeable upper 200 from the article of footwear 100. The
opening may be closeable using an additional fastener 210, such as
a zipper, as shown in FIG. 2. Other types of fasteners, such as
snaps or hook and loop fasteners, such as Velcro.TM. fasteners, are
possible as well. The opening 210 is shown in a closed position in
FIG. 2.
[0036] FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the interchangeable upper 200 of
FIG. 2, with the heel portion of the upper shown on the left and
the toe portion of the upper shown on the right. As shown in FIG.
3, the interchangeable upper 200 can also include an upper
alignment means 212, which might be an aperture or indentation for
aligning and/or securing the interchangeable upper 200 to the
article of footwear 100. The upper alignment means 212 may be
configured to engage the footwear alignment means 114 of the
article of footwear 100 to align and/or help secure the
interchangeable upper 200 with the article of footwear 100. Other
alignment devices and methods are possible as well.
[0037] FIG. 4 is a side view of the article of footwear 100,
showing the interchangeable upper 200 attached to the article of
footwear 100. As shown in FIG. 4, the interchangeable upper 200 is
sized and shaped in such a way as to cover at least a portion of
the article of footwear 100. Additionally, the first footwear
releasable fastener 112 is shown fastened to the first upper
releasable fastener 204, thereby securing the interchangeable upper
200 to the article of footwear 100. As depicted in the
configuration of FIG. 4, the footwear alignment means 114 (not
shown) can also engage the upper alignment means 212 (not shown),
to align and/or further secure the interchangeable upper 200 to the
article of footwear 100.
[0038] FIG. 5A is a rear view of the article of footwear 100 of
FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 5A, the first and second footwear
releasable fasteners 112 and 116 can curve toward an upward
direction as they near the back of the article of footwear 100.
FIG. 5B is a rear view of the article of footwear 100 of FIG. 4,
showing the interchangeable upper 200 attached to the article of
footwear 100.
[0039] FIG. 6 is a side view of another embodiment of the article
of footwear 100. Like the article of footwear 100 shown in FIG. 1,
the article of footwear 100 illustrated in FIG. 6 may include a
sole 102 and a fixed upper 104 fixedly attached to the sole 102.
The embodiment shown in FIG. 6, however, does not include eyelets
in the fixed upper 104 for shoelaces.
[0040] In one embodiment, the article of footwear 100 can be
slipped onto and off a user's foot without manipulating a fastening
device. In other embodiments, a fixed upper 104 without eyelets
might have a zipper along a side of the fixed upper 104 or a
drawstring around the opening of the fixed upper 104 to secure the
article of footwear 100 to a foot, or to facilitate the insertion
or removal of a foot into or from the article of footwear. Other
examples are possible as well. In one embodiment, the fixed upper
104 might be fabricated from an elastic material to aid in securing
the footwear 100 to a user's foot by elastically engaging the foot.
Alternatively, an elastic material might be attached to the fixed
upper 104 near the opening in the upper for the user's foot to aid
in securing the footwear 100 to the user's foot. Other and/or
additional methods or devices for securing the article of footwear
100 to the user's foot, or for facilitating the insertion or
removal of a foot into or from the article of footwear 100, are
also possible.
[0041] FIG. 7 is a top view of an alternate embodiment of the
interchangeable upper 200. As depicted in FIG. 7, the
interchangeable upper 200 might not include an opening to provide a
user with access to the shoelaces, or other footwear securing
devices. The interchangeable upper depicted in FIG. 7 can engage
the article of footwear 100 depicted in FIG. 6 using methods and
devices described herein, for example, including by use of the
alignment means 114 (not shown).
[0042] FIGS. 8, 9, and 10 depict another particular example of the
aforementioned embodiments. FIG. 8 depicts an article of footwear
100 including a sole 102 fixedly connected to a fixed upper 104. As
discussed above, the fixed upper 104 can be a bootie type of inner
sock, rigid enough to hold the sole 102 and fixed upper 104 on a
wearer's foot. The fixed upper can also have some elasticity and
can allow a user to slip his or her foot into the article of
footwear through the fixed upper 104, which can make it easier to
for a user to attach or unattach an interchangeable upper 200
(shown in FIG. 9) from the article of footwear 100. The fixed upper
can also include a breathable material 250, such as mesh. The mesh
or other breathable material can allow air flow to a user's foot,
allowing the foot to avoid overheating due to multiple layers of
uppers (such as the fixed upper 104 and an interchangeable upper
(shown in FIG. 9); for example).
[0043] FIG. 8 also depicts multiple alignment means 114 on the
exterior of the fixed upper 104. In this particular example, the
alignment means 114 are in four locations: one on each side of the
front of the article of footwear 100 (although only one is visible
in this view), near a wearer's toes, and one on each side of the
back of the article of footwear 100, near a wearer's heel. In this
embodiment, the alignment means 114 are pieces of hook and loop
fasteners, such as Velcro.TM. fasteners, wherein the four alignment
means 114 on the fixed upper 104 correspond to four alignment means
on the inside surface of the interchangeable upper 200 (shown in
FIG. 9). Other configurations and examples are of course
possible.
[0044] FIG. 8 also depicts a releasable fastener 112 around the
sole 102. In this particular example, the releasable fastener 112
is a zipper. As shown in FIG. 8, the sole 102 of the article of
footwear 100 can include one edge of the zipper, and the
interchangeable upper 200 (shown in FIG. 9) can include the other
edge of the zipper. The zipper can extend from one side of the heel
of the article of footwear 100 around the toe portion to the other
side of the heel. Other configurations and examples of releasable
fasteners are possible as well.
[0045] FIG. 9 depicts a bottom view of an interchangeable upper
200. The interchangeable upper 200 comprises multiple alignment
means 212, which can correspond to the alignment means 114 of the
fixed upper 104. The interchangeable upper 200 also comprises a
releasable fastener 204, which in this particular example is a
zipper. As shown in FIG. 9, the outside edge of the interchangeable
upper 200 can include one edge of the zipper, and the sole 102
(shown in FIG. 8) can include the other edge of the zipper. As also
depicted in FIG. 9, the interchangeable upper 200 can also include
a breathable material 252, such as mesh. The breathable material
252 of the interchangeable upper 200 can correspond with the
breathable material 250 of the fixed upper 104 and, as discussed
above, can allow airflow to the wearer's foot.
[0046] As shown in the example of FIG. 9, the interchangeable upper
200 is open at the heel portion. A user can therefore wrap the
interchangeable upper 200 around the fixed upper 104 (as opposed to
the user having to slip his or her foot into the interchangeable
upper 200 like a shoe). The four alignment means 212 on the
interchangeable upper 200 can then be aligned with the four
corresponding alignment means 114 on the fixed upper 104, and the
interchangeable upper 200 can then be firmly held in the proper
location for fastening to the article of footwear 100. To fasten
the interchangeable upper 200 to the article of footwear 100, a
user can engage the zipper on one side of the heel and zip around
the circumference of the sole 102 to the other side of the heel.
The alignment means 114 and 212 can facilitate this zipping by, for
instance, holding the interchangeable upper 200 in place, possibly
freeing up one of the user's hands to help zip the zipper, and by
removing any guesswork involved in identifying the proper placement
of the interchangeable upper 200 in relation to the fixed upper
104.
[0047] FIG. 10 depicts the interchangeable upper 200 fastened to
the article of footwear 100. Once the interchangeable upper 200 is
fastened to the article of footwear 100, a user can take the
article of footwear 100 off or put it on as with any article of
footwear. If the article of footwear 100 has shoe laces, as in the
example of FIG. 10, the user can tie and untie the shoe laces as
with any article of footwear with laces. To remove the
interchangeable upper 200 from the article of footwear 100, a user
can simply release the releasable fastener 112 and 204 (in this
example, the user can unzip the zipper), disengage the alignment
means 114 and 212, and pull the interchangeable upper 200 away from
the sole 102 and the fixed upper 104 of the article of footwear
100. The user can then attach another interchangeable upper 200 to
the article of footwear 100.
[0048] It should be understood, however, that all the arrangements
described herein are set forth for purposes of example only. As
such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other
arrangements and other elements (e.g., components of the article of
footwear, etc.) can be used instead, particular components shown in
one embodiment can be used with the components and elements shown
in other embodiments, and some elements may be omitted altogether.
Further, those skilled in the art will appreciate that although the
concepts herein are expressed in relation to an article of footwear
or components of an article of footwear, these concepts can also be
applied to other products, including articles of clothing, clothing
accessories, etc.
2. Conclusion
[0049] Several exemplary embodiments of the present invention have
been described above. Those skilled in the art will understand,
however, that changes and modifications may be made to these
embodiments without departing from the true scope and spirit of the
present invention, which is defined by the claims.
* * * * *