ES2629018T3 - Convertible shoe - Google Patents

Abstract

A convertible shoe (100) comprising: an upper portion (10) having an inner sole (11) and an instep (60), and a lower lateral fixing means; a central insert portion (30) having an upper lateral fixing means (40) and a lower lateral fixing means (20); and a lower portion (50) having an upper lateral fixing means (40) and a support surface (52); wherein said lower lateral fixing means of said upper portion and said central insert are identical and said upper lateral fixing means of said central insert and the lower portion are identical, and wherein said upper lateral fixing means is sized, spaces and configures to correspond and removably fix to said lower lateral fixing means such that said upper portion can be fixed directly to said lower portion to create a low heeled shoe or said upper portion can be fixed to said central insert and said central insert can be fixed to said lower part to create a high-heeled shoe, and said lower lateral fixing means includes a protruding perimeter flange (21) and a lower fixing material (26) and said upper lateral fixing means includes a recessed perimeter channel (41) and a top fixing material (46) and wherein said fixing material The upper ion is coupled with said lower fixing material to securely secure said lower side to said upper side and wherein said perimeter flange is sized and configured to be inserted into said perimetric channel to create a secure but removable fixation.

Description

DESCRIPTION

Convertible shoe 5 TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The invention relates to footwear with removable and replaceable soles and inserts for converting a low-heeled shoe into a higher-heeled shoe, or converting a casual shoe into a sports shoe.

10 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] There are a number of existing inventions in relation to shoes that have inserts added to alter the shoe from a low-heeled or flat shoe to a higher-heeled shoe, and there are a number of existing inventions related to shoes with removable and replaceable soles. United States Patent

15 No. 7,752,695, granted on July 13, 2010 to Kaufman et al., Produces a shoe that has an insertable and removable crib that can be inserted into a space that can be opened in the heel of the shoe between the insole and the sole. The invention makes a temporary insert for use during the finishing procedure, but teaches the use of an extralble insert to alter the heel height of the shoe.

20 [0003] United States Patent Application Publication No. US2003 / 0200675 by Gross, published on

October 30, 2003, teaches a sandal or shoe style "flip flops" with multiple inserts, or main modules, to adjust the height of the shoe. The main modules are all uniform thicknesses so that the overall height of the shoe is altered but not the heel height in relation to the toes. The main modules are positioned by a series of corresponding holes and insertable rings, and joined by a material of hook and loop coupling.

[0004] US Patent No. 3,902,259, issued on September 2, 1975 to Cracco describes

a sandal with interchangeable side plates and sole. The side plates and sole can be removed and replaced by a series of interlocking grooves and positioned with the corresponding projections and holes 30. The side plates and the sole can be altered to alter the appearance of the sandal, and in one embodiment, a flat sole can be replaced with a sole with a cradle heel to convert the low heel shoe to a higher heel. Cracco does not describe the use of an intermediate insertable component to alter a low heel to a high heel, and involves multiple components with a complicated locking mechanism.

35 [0005] US Patent No. 5,317,822 issued on June 7, 1994 to Johnson draws up

sports shoe with interchangeable wearable sole, or a support surface of the sole. The purpose is to allow the user to alter the support surface to better match the support surface with the surface of the sports area. The sole is positioned by a series of buttons and button cameras that correspond to align the components, and the sole is held in place by a material of hooks and velcro loops and a series of 40 locking brackets with the clasps of lock placed around the perimeter of the sole. US Patent No. 7,549,237 issued on June 23, 2009 to Gallegos, describes a shoe with a removable and interchangeable pad and an orthotic plate. The pad and the orthotic plate are positioned and held in place by corresponding eyelets and openings, or alternatively by a hook and loop material, such as velcro. Gallegos does not alter the height of the heel or the support surface of the sole.

Four. Five

[0006] US Patent Application Publication No. US2009 / 0193684 from Diamond, published on August 6, 2009 teaches a convertible shoe with the splicing of the removable and replaceable inner sole and the sole portion with various heights and sole style and portion of the heel. The components are aligned by a series of corresponding tips and recesses, and are held in place by a corresponding material of

50 hooks and loops, such as velcro, together with a series of snaps similar to fasteners on the periphery of the outer sole. Diamond describes heels of different heights and styles, but does not use an insert placed between the insole and the sole to alter the height of the shoe or heel.

[0007] Additional information pertaining to the prior art can be found in US 55 2003/136028 which describes a flexible shoe adjustable in height that includes a portion of shoe instep that

It has an open instep end, a closed bottom end and a body portion between them. The open instep end is sized to receive a foot inside. The closed lower end has a toe portion and a posterior portion. The rear portion has a first heel portion that extends downward from there. The body portion is comprised of an elastomeric material

adjustable. A second portion of the heel is inserted to extractablely engage the first portion of the heel of the instep portion of the shoe. A third portion of the heel is adapted to be extrably coupled with the second portion of the heel. The first, second and third portions of the heel possess essentially identical heights to provide significant control over the inclination of the shoe.

5

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Technical problem

10 [0008] Shoes with high heels are fashionable, but are often uncomfortable. The high heels are

particularly uncomfortable if carried for long periods of time. Because of this, it is very common for a woman to have a pair of shoes to change when she is wearing high heels for a prolonged period of time. Women will frequently wear a pair of flat shoes, or often sports shoes, to work in the morning, and then switch to dress shoes with high heels in the office. Often, if high heels are worn at night, a woman will also have a pair of more comfortable shoes, such as flat shoes or flip flops, in the bag for later use. Also, it is not uncommon to see barefoot women after wearing high heels for a prolonged period of time. There is a need, therefore, for a shoe that is both elegant and easily convertible from a high to low heel, and a shoe that is easily convertible to a sports shoe.

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Solution to the problem

[0009] The present invention provides a convertible shoe according to independent claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the invention are reflected in the dependent claims.

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[0010] The claimed invention can be better understood in view of the embodiments described and illustrated in the present description, viz. in the present specification and drawings. In general, the present description reflects preferred embodiments of the invention. The attentive reader will note, however, that some aspects of the embodiments of the description extend beyond the scope of the claims. In the sense that

30 The described embodiments actually extend beyond the scope of the claims, the described embodiments should be considered complementary background information and do not constitute definitions of the invention per se.

[0011] The present description refers to a convertible shoe consisting of an inner sole and a joint, an insert, and a sole. There is a standard fixation that connects the template to the insert and the insert to the

sole. The insole can be fixed directly to the sole to create a flat shoe or a shoe with a low heel, and the insert can be added between the insole and the sole to create a shoe with a higher heel. In a variation, there may be two or more inserts to create a shoe with multiple and variable heights. In another variation, there may be different configurations of the support surface at the bottom of the sole to create different types of shoes with the same instep, for example a dress shoe and a golf shoe, by means of a bottom of the interchangeable sole.

[0012] The preferred embodiment of the convertible shoe will be a cradle type shoe. The cradle will have three separate components: an instep component consisting of a template; a core component that

45 consists of an insert; and a lower component consisting of a sole. This cradle will pass from a high heel, with an approximate height of four inches, when the three components are attached to each other, to a lower heel of approximately one to two inches when the central insert is removed, and the template is fixed directly to the sole. The instep insole will always be the top of the shoe and the bottom sole will always be the bottom of the shoe. This version of the shoe will be available for women with a variety of instep type.

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[0013] The convertible shoe of the present invention will also have a sports shoe version, which has only the instep insole and the lower sole. This version will have convertible bottom soles with different support surfaces, and will convert from tennis shoes or a dress shoe to a golf shoe replacing the bottom sole. There will be at least two different versions of this sports shoe: one will be a

55 men's knitted shoe or dress shoe that can be converted into a golf shoe, and the other version would be tennis shoes for women or men that would become a golf shoe, changing the sole and surface of support for. This version of the shoe will be available in versions and styles for men, women and children.

Advantageous effects of the invention

[0014] One of the technical difficulties of creating an extralble fixation for components of a shoe is that it has to be strong enough to withstand the dynamic forces in the shoe and maintain the

5 components firmly fixed, while at the same time also conveniently and easily removed. The present invention achieves this by means of the fixing mechanism consisting of a perimeter flange that protrudes paired and a recessed perimeter channel and the fixing material. The perimeter flange is on the lower face of the upper component and the recessed channel is on the upper face of the lower component. There is fixing material in both components. The fixing material joins the two 10 components, while the paired perimeter flange and the perimeter channel allow the fixation to support the forces in the shoe and keep the components firmly fixed. The combination of the matched flange, the channel and the fixing material has proved so safe that in some cases it has been difficult to separate the components. This leads to the creation of the additional element of the concave cross section of the sole and the insert, and the flared cross section in the insole, which creates an attractive appearance in the back 15 of the shoe, and a practical handle to hold the components for assembly and disassembly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015]

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Figure 1 is a side view of the convertible shoe with the insole attached to the insert and the insert attached to the sole. Figure 2 is an exploded side view of the convertible shoe showing the insole in a position to be fixed to the insert and the insert in a position to be fixed to the sole.

Figure 3 is a top perspective view of the first embodiment of the upper fixing showing the channel and the upper fixing field.

Figure 4 is a bottom perspective view of the first embodiment of the lower fixing, showing the protruding flange and the lower fixing field.

Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the underside of the convertible shoe showing the first embodiment of the bottom fixation of the insole and the insert, and the support surface of the sole.

30 Figure 6 is an exploded perspective from the top of the convertible shoe showing the insole sole of the insole and the first embodiment of the upper attachment of the insert and the sole.

Figure 7 is a partial cross section showing the perimeter flange inserted in the perimeter channel, and the fixing material.

Figure 8 is a top perspective view of the second embodiment of the upper fixation showing the channel, the tip recesses, and the upper fixing field.

Figure 9 is a bottom perspective view of the second embodiment of the lower fixation, showing the protruding flange, the protruding tips, and the lower fixation field.

Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view of the underside of the convertible shoe showing the second embodiment of the bottom fixation of the insole and the insert, and the support surface of the sole.

40 Figure 11 is an exploded perspective from above of the convertible sample showing the inner sole of the template and the second embodiment of the upper attachment of the insert and the sole.

Figure 12 is a rear view of the convertible shoe showing the concave cross section of the heel of the sole and the insert, and the flared cross section of the heel of the insole.

Figure 13 is a side view of the convertible shoe showing the insole directly attached to the sole 45 for the low-heeled shoe version.

Figure 14 is an exploded side view of the convertible shoe showing the insole in a position to be fixed directly to the sole.

Figure 15 is a bottom view of the support surface at the bottom of the sole of the convertible shoe. Figure 16 is a bottom view of a version of the support surface of the golf shoe.

50 Figure 17 is a side view of a different embodiment of the instep of the convertible shoe.

Figure 18 is a side view of a different embodiment of the upper part of the convertible shoe.

Figure 19 is a detail of the bow and caliper on the heel of the insole and the sole of the convertible shoe.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

55

[0016] Detailed embodiments of the present invention are described in this invention. It is to be understood, however, that the described embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention and that the invention can be carried out in various and alternative ways. Therefore, the specified structural and functional details described in this invention are not intended to be construed as limitations, but merely

as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching a person skilled in the art to employ the present invention in various ways.

[0017] The convertible shoe 100 will pass from a low heel to a high heel by simply adding an insert 30 5 between the upper insole 10 and the bottom sole 50. In the preferred embodiment, the convertible shoe 100 will consist of

three different components; an upper portion consisting of a template 10 with an inner sole 11 and an elegant instep 60; a central portion consisting of an insert 30; and the lower potion consisting of the sole 50. The components are fixed by a uniform fixing means, described in detail below, which allows the template 10 to be fixed directly to the sole 50 for a low heel, or includes the insert 30 for a shoe with a 10 high heel. In an alternative version, there may be multiple inserts, each with a uniform thickness, approximately one inch thick at the rear in the preferred embodiment, which allows the creation of a shoe with a heel 1 inch to 4 inches thick with increments of one inch. In a second embodiment, the template 10 can be fixed directly to the sole 50, but there will be a number of interchangeable soles 50 with different support surface components 52 at the bottom, so that by changing the sole 50, 15 the type of Shoe can be changed. This will allow, for example, the ability to change from a dress shoe to a golf shoe. The details of these embodiments will be described in conjunction with the attached figures.

[0018] As seen in FIG 1 and FIG 2, the convertible shoe 100 consists of a insole 10, an insert 30, and a sole 50. The insole 10 has an inner sole 11, which is at the top of the template 10 and in the

20 rest the user's foot. There is an end of toes on the insole 13 and a heel end of the insole 14, which correspond to the heel and toes of the user, and to the terminology of the standard footwear. And there is a template perimeter 15 that extends around the perimeter of the template 10, and corresponds to what is commonly called the outer sole. The template 10 also has a lower surface 12 which includes the fixing components of the lower surface 20, which will be described below. The insert 30 has an upper surface 31, a lower surface 32, a toe end of the insert 33, an insert heel end 34, and an insert perimeter 35, which is the outer surface of the insert 30. The lower surface of the insert 32 includes the fixing components of the lower surface 20, which are described below. The upper surface of the insert 31 includes the fixing components of the upper surface 40 described below. The sole 50 has an upper surface 51, a lower face, often called and named in 30 this invention the support surface 52, a toe end of the sole 53, an end for the heel of the sole 54, and a perimeter of sole 55 or outer surface or outer sole. The upper surface of the sole 51 includes the fixing components of the upper surface 40 described below. The convertible shoe 100 is designed so that the lower surface of the insole 12 and the lower surface of the insert 32 are identical, and the upper surface of the insert 31 and the upper surface of the sole 51 are identical, with the two lower surfaces with the same lower surface fixing components 20, and both upper surfaces with the same upper surface fixing components 40. And, as described below, the lower surface fixing components 20 correspond to the upper surface fixing components 40 so that the insole 10 can be fixed directly to the sole 50 to create a low-heeled shoe, or fixed to the insert 30 and the insert 30 is fixed to the sole 50 to create a high-heeled shoe.

40

[0019] The insole 10, as best seen in FIG 2, has an essentially uniform thickness between the inner sole 11 and the lower surface 12 which extends from the toes of the insole 13 to the heel of the insole 14 The insole 10 of all variations of the shoe 100 has a uniform thickness. In the preferred embodiment, the insert 10 has a thickness of 7.0 mm, but may vary between about a quarter of an inch.

45 thick to three quarters of an inch thick. The insert 30 is in the form of a cradle between the upper surface 31 and the lower surface 32, which is thin in the toes of the insert 33 and thick in the heel of the insert 34. The insert 30 of all variations of the shoe 100 has a crib-shaped thickness. The insert 30 of the preferred embodiment has a thickness in the toes of the insert 33 approximately 7 mm thick, and has a thickness in the heel of the insert 54 approximately 45 mm thick. The thickness as the toe end of the insert 50 will always be about a quarter of an inch thick, but the thickness of the toe end of the insert 34 may range from about one inch to about three inches. The sole 50, shown in FIG 2, has a cradle shape between the upper surface 51 and the support surface 52, which is thin on the toes of the sole 53 and thicker on the heel of the sole 54. In the preferred embodiment, the thickness of the sole 50 is approximately 7 mm in the toes of the sole 53 and approximately 58 mm 55 in the heel of the sole 54. The thickness of the sole 50 in the toes of the sole 53 will always be about half an inch, but the thickness at the end of the toes of the sole 54 may range from half an inch for the convertible sports version as described below to approximately three inches for the high heel version. FIGS 1 and 2 also show that the toe end of the shoe (13, 33 and 53) is also slightly curved upwards. This is common among

shoes, and referred to as "curvature." The curvature allows the user to slide the ball of the foot, and is necessary to allow the user of the shoe 100 to walk comfortably and normally.

[0020] The first embodiment of the fixing means is shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 5, and 6. The fixing of the lower surface 20 is shown in FIG. 4. The fixing of the lower surface 20 is the same. on the surface

lower 12 of the insole 10 and the lower surface 32 of the insert 30. The fixing of the lower surface 20 has a toe end 23 and a heel end 24, and consists of a protruding perimeter flange 21, and a field of lower fixation 25 which is located within the perimeter flange 21. The perimeter flange 21 has an essentially rectangular cross-section and is approximately% (one quarter) one inch wide and 10% (one quarter) one inch thick , but this size may vary slightly. In the preferred embodiment, the perimeter flange 21 is 8.0 mm at the top and narrows slightly to 8.3 mm at the bottom, in which the perimeter flange 21 is fixed to the surface 20. The height of the Perimeter flange 21 is 6.0 mm. There is a sheet of fixing material 26 located in the lower fixing field 25. In one variation, the fixing material 26 is a common standard hook and loop material known as velcro, and in another embodiment, the fixing material 26 it is "mushroom-type velcro", as sold under the 3-M ™ Dual Lock ™ brand fastener. This material is known as a mushroom type velcro because its cross section resembles a mushroom with a head protruding from a stem. When two corresponding sheets of mushroom-type velcro are pressed together, the heads fit into the space created by the stems to produce a very secure fit. The fixing material 26 is adhered to the fixing field 25 by gluing or other conventional and well-known means 20.

[0021] The fixation of the upper surface 40 is shown in FIG 3, and is the same on the upper surface of the insert 30 and the sole 50. The fixation of the upper surface 40 has a toe end 43 and a heel end 44, and consists of a perimeter channel 41, and an upper fixing field 45 which is located in the

25 upper surface within the perimeter channel 41. The perimeter channel 41 of the upper surface 40 corresponds to the perimeter flange 21 of the lower surface 20 so that the perimeter flange 21 protrudes downward and is inserted into the perimeter channel 41. The perimeter channel 41 has an almost rectangular cross-section and is approximately a width of% (a quarter) of an inch and a thickness of approximately% (a quarter) of an inch. In the most preferred embodiment, the channel 41 has a width of 8.2 mm at the bottom and a width of 8.5 mm at the top, and has a depth of 6.0 mm. There is a sheet of fixing material 46 fixed to the upper fixing field 45, by gluing or other well-known fixing means. In one variation, the fixing material 46 is a common standard hook and loop material known as velcro, and in another embodiment the fixing material 46 is mushroom type velcro. Obviously, the upper fixing material 46 corresponds to the lower fixing material 26, therefore it will either be a standard hook and loop material 35 or both will be velcro of the mushroom type.

[0022] The perimeter flange 21 of the lower surface 20 is configured to align and insert into the perimeter channel 41 of the upper surface 40, as shown in the cross-sectional sectional view of FIG. 7. Modern molding techniques they allow very precise molds so that the perimeter flange 21

40 can be almost precisely designed and configured to be inserted into the perimeter channel 41. When properly molded, the two components can be assembled together to create a relatively secure fixation. When the perimeter flange 21 is incorporated in the channel 41, the upper fixing material 46 will be coupled with the lower fixing material 26 to secure the two components together.

[0023] There is a variety of pressures and forces in a shoe when the person wearing the shoe is

walking. There are obviously vertical forces, or ascending and descending, created by the user's path with the shoe and the application of a downward pressure, as well! as an upward pressure when the user advances and arches on the instep. This is known in the manufacture of shoes and design field as "shedding forces" because these forces can cause the various layers of a shoe to come off. 50 There are also dynamic forces when the user walks with the shoe. Many people walk first on their heel, which creates forces that slide the different layers of a shoe (any shoe) forward against each other. This is different for high-heeled shoes, in which it is common for the person to walk with the ball of the foot. All people walk differently, and many slightly twist their feet while walking creating torsion forces. There are also lateral forces and the shoe components slide with each other. Many people also have a slight movement of rotation of the ball of the foot with respect to the toes while leaving behind their drag foot as they step forward. This causes torsional forces on the front portion and near the front portion of the shoe. These various forces are known as shear forces. The combination of shear and shear forces, and the fact that they are dynamic forces, makes it difficult to keep the components separate from a shoe

set.

[0024] The paired fixing material 26 and 46 prevents the components from separating due to forces

of "detachment" ascending or descending, and the placement of the perimeter flange 21 within the perimeter channel 5 41 is designed to take into account all other shear forces. Since the matched flange 21 and the channel 41 extend just inside the perimeter of the components, it can withstand lateral and torsional forces, and so on! ensure that shoe components can stay together. The shoe components, as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4 and 8 and 9, do not have a uniform shape, and are similar in shape to most shoes, the shoe being wider near the toes in the that the ball of the foot 10 of the users rests against the inner sole 11, and narrower towards the heel 13. This non-uniform configuration allows the matched flange 21 and the channel 41 to take into account all the various non-vertical shear forces which are present in the shoe 100. The channel 41 and the flange 21 have a uniform distance from the perimeter 15, 35 or 55 of the insole 10, insert 30 and sole 50, respectively. This distance ranges from one eighth of an inch (1/8 ") to half an inch (1/2") depending on the size of the shoe 100 and the configuration of the flange 15 21 and the channel 41. This prevents any material overlap. , but allows the material outside the channel 41 to support more lateral and transverse shear forces in that component of the shoe 100. This is an improvement over Gross and the other prior art cited, which include multiple alignment and fixing posts. They don't take into account the dynamic nature of the forces in a shoe.

[0025] The second embodiment of the fixing means is shown in FIGS. 8, 9, 10 and 11. The fixing of the

lower surface 20 is shown in FIG 8. The fixing of the lower surface 20 is the same on the lower surface of the template 10 and the insert 30. The fixing of the lower surface 20 has a toe end 23 and a heel end 24, and consists of a perimeter flange 21, a multiplicity of points protruding downward 22, and a lower fixing field 25 which is located within the perimeter flange 21. There is a sheet of 25 fixing material 26 located at the lower fixing field 25 and around the tips 22. In one variation, the fixing material 26 is a common standard hook and loop material known as velcro, and in another embodiment, the fixing material 26 is velcro type mushroom as a 3-M ™ Dual Lock ™ brand fastener. The fixing of the lower surface 20 of the second embodiment is identical to the first embodiment, but with the addition of the protruding tips 22.

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[0026] The fixing of the upper surface 40 of the second embodiment is shown in FIG 9, and is the same

on the upper surface of the insert 30 and the sole 50. The fixation of the upper surface 40 has a toe end 43 and a heel end 44, and consists of a perimeter channel 41, a multiplicity of alignment recesses 42, and an upper fixing field 45 which is located on the upper surface within the perimeter channel 35. The alignment recesses 42 have a diameter of approximately 6.2 mm, but the actual diameter may vary slightly depending on the size and configuration. of the shoe 100. In general, there is a recess 42 located near the heel end, a recess located in the opening, or narrower part of the shoe, a recess 42 located behind the area of the ball of the foot, two recesses 42 located approximately when the ball of the users foot exerts more pressure, and a recess 42 located near the toe. The depth of the recess 42 corresponds to the height of the tips 22 which vary according to the location. The recess 42 in the opening is deeper, approximately 6 mm, while the recesses near the toe are shallow, approximately 4 mm. The fixing of the upper surface 40 of the second embodiment is identical to the first embodiment, but with the addition of the alignment recesses 42. The perimeter channel 41 of the upper surface 40 corresponds to the perimetric recess 21 of the lower surface 20 so that the perimeter flange 21 protrudes downwardly and is inserted 45 in the perimeter channel 41. The tips 22 of the second embodiment of the lower surface 20 are sized and aligned to be inserted into the alignment recesses 42 of the second surface embodiment upper 40. There is a tip 22 near the toes, two tips 22 located below the area of the ball of the user's foot, a tip 22 located behind the area of the ball of the foot, a tip 22 located at the inlet and a tip 22 located near the heel. The tip 22 in the coil is the highest, approximately 6 mm. This is to take into account the need for extra pure protection in that location. With modern molding techniques, the perimeter flange 21 can be molded as an almost exact fit for the perimeter channel 41 such that the perimeter flange 21 can fit into place within the perimeter channel 41. When properly molded, the two Components can be assembled together to create a relatively secure fixation. There is a sheet of fixing material 46 located in the upper fixing field 45. In one variation, the fixing material 55 is a common standard hook and loop material known as velcro, and in another embodiment, the fixing material 46 It is velcro of mushroom type. Obviously, the upper fixing material 46 corresponds to the lower fixing material 26, therefore it will either be a standard hook and loop material or both will be velcro of the mushroom type.

[0027] In the preferred embodiment, the components, the template 10, the insert 30 and the sole 50, are made of injection molded plastic in a process well known in the art. The components can be manufactured from a variety of molded plastic materials, including, among others, EVA plastic, PE plastic, PU plastic, or any other molded plastic material well known in the art. Template

Top 5 10 will have a shoe instep 60 to keep the foot against the inner sole 11. The instep of shoe 60 can have any number of common styles and variations, ranging from a single-toed strap to insteps of shoes locked more elaborated A couple of different variations are seen in FIGS. 17 and 18, but it is possible, and within the conception of the invention, that the instep 60 is in any style of women's shoes. There is also the version for men with a changeable sole 50 and the support surface 10 52, so that the instep 60 has a wide variety of styles for men. The instep of the shoe 60 can be manufactured from any common material for the manufacture of shoe insteps, including fabric and leather, as well! as a variety of other natural or synthetic materials. The instep 60 is fixed to the template 10 by well known and conventional means, including, among others, sewing and gluing. The visible outer perimeters of the upper insole 10, the central insert 30, and the bottom sole 50 can be covered with a lining or other decorative material to create a decorative and stylish shoe. For example, a common lining for crib shoes is cork. The lower face of the lower sole 50, or support surface 52, can be any type of synthetic leather and plastic products of the lower sole of a conventional shoe.

[0028] Referring now to FIG 12, a rear view of the convertible shoe 100, the 20-heel end of the insole 14 of the insole 10 has a slightly flared cross section, the edge being

near the inner sole 11 wider than the edge near the bottom surface 12. The flared cross section creates a grip surface to allow the user to grip the heel end 14 of the template 10 with one hand. The insert heel end 34 of the insert 30 has a concave cross section to create a convenient grip area. The heel end of the sole 54 also has a concave cross section 25 to create a convenient grip area. This allows the user to grasp the heel end of the flared insole 14 in one hand and the concave sole heel end 54 in the other hand and separate the components.

[0029] The fixing means described above are designed to join the components (the template 30 10, the insert 30, and the sole 50) securely to cope with the dynamic forces of the march. In the design

At present, the combination of the paired fixing material 26 and 46, and the paired perimeter flange 21 and the perimeter channel 41, has been shown to have sufficient strength to hold the components together.

during the march. Unfortunately, the strength of the union created makes it difficult to separate the components. He

flared insole heel end 14 is designed to provide a handle at heel end 14, and concave insert heel end 34 and concave sole end 54 is designed to create a handle to allow the user to keep the shoe separated from the components. The flared end and the concave end

They are not only functional, but also add an element of style to the 100 convertible shoe. When all three

components are brought together, the user can grasp the flared template heel end 14 in one hand and the cross section of the heel end of the sole 54 in the other hand and separate the components. In this 40 position, the sole 50 can be separated from the insert 30 or the insert 30 can be separated from the template 10. Once these two components are separated, the user can repeat the procedure with the remaining two components.

[0030] The main object of the convertible shoe 100 is to be able to change from a high heel to a low heel 45 for comfort. FIGS. 13 and 14 show the convertible shoe 100 in the low heel version, without the addition of the

insert 30. In this version, the insole 10 is fixed directly to the sole 50. FIG 1 represents the convertible shoe 100 in the high heel version, and FIG 13 represents the same shoe in the low heel version. These figures show the sole 50 with a heel 54 that is slightly thicker than the toes 53. It is possible, and within the conception of the invention, that the heel 54 and the toes 53 of the sole 50 have almost 50 same thickness to create a flat style shoe. Due to the geometry of the perimeter channel 41, the sole must be at least one inch thick to accommodate the channel 41 and still retain sufficient strength. FIG 14 shows a perspective of the insole 10 available to be attached to the sole 50 for the low version of the shoe. FIG 14 shows the first embodiment, without tips 22 and recesses 42, but it is also possible to use the second embodiment with tips 22 and recesses 42 for the low version of shoe 100. FIG 6 shows shoe 100 with insert 30, 55 to create the high heel shoe version 100, and FIG 14 shows the same shoe 100 without the insert 30 to create the low heel shoe version 100.

[0031] It is possible, and within the conception of the invention, the use of a variety of different support surfaces 52 in the soles 50. In a configuration, shown in FIG 16, the support surface 52 will include the

golf nails In this embodiment, the user will have two lower soles 50 with a template 10 with an instep 60. A lower sole 50 will have a standard shoe sole support surface, as seen in FIG 15, and the other lower sole 50 it will have a golf shoe sole with nails, as seen in FIG 16. In this variation of shoe 100, sole 50, as described above, will have a relatively uniform thickness, which is generally necessary for sports shoes, and In general it is common for men's shoes. This will allow the user to wear the same pair of golf shoes and they are not golf. Other combinations include a more elegant leather of the artificial leather support surface 52 and a sports shoe or tennis style support surface 52, which will allow the user to convert a dress shoe to a casual shoe.

[0032] FIG 19 shows a removable arch 70. The arch 70 is fixed to the instep 60 by means of a clamp 76

fixed to the arch 70, which slides on a tongue 62 that is fixed to the instep 60. In the preferred embodiment, the tongue 62 is fixed to the instep at two ends, leaving a sliding space 63 in the center to allow the arc of the clamp 76 slides to fix the arc 70 to the instep 60. In a variation, the arc clamp 76 includes a spring to allow easy opening of the clamp, and clamp teeth 76 to ensure that the arc 70 cannot 15 sliding out of the tongue 62. It is possible to use any decorative element, or jeweler for the heel, instead of the arch 70 and use the tongue 62 to fix the decorative element. The jeweler for the heel can come from a wide variety of configurations from flowers to metal letters to allow shoe customization. The embodiment shown in FIG 19 shows the tongue 62 fixed to the top, but it is possible, and within the conception of the invention, to fix a tongue 62 to the sole 50 or to the insert 30. This allows the owner 20 of the 100 shoe fully customize the 100 footwear with a variety of decorative elements.

[0033] The present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and reach both ends and

The mentioned advantages, as! as other benefits inherent in it. While the present invention has been represented, described, and defined by reference to particular embodiments of the invention, said reference does not imply a limitation to the invention, and said limitation is not to be inferred. The depicted and described embodiments of the invention are merely exemplary, and are not exhaustive of the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the present invention aims only to be limited by the scope of the claims, disclosing fully equivalent in all aspects.

Claims (12)

1. A convertible shoe (100) comprising: 5 an upper portion (10) having an inner sole (11) and an instep (60), and a lower lateral fixing means; a central insert portion (30) having an upper lateral fixing means (40) and a lower lateral fixing means (20); Y a lower portion (50) having an upper lateral fixing means (40) and a support surface (52); wherein said lower lateral fixing means of said upper portion and said central insert are identical and said upper lateral fixing means 10 of said central insert and the lower portion are identical, and wherein said upper lateral fixing means is sized , spaces and configures to correspond and removably fix to said lower lateral fixing means such that said upper portion can be fixed directly to said lower portion to create a low-heeled shoe or said upper portion can be fixed to said central insert and said central insert can be fixed to said lower part to create a high-heeled shoe, and said lower lateral fixing means includes an overhanging perimeter flange (21) and a lower fixing material (26) and said upper lateral fixing means includes a recessed perimeter channel (41) and an upper fixing material (46) and wherein said upper fixing material s and engages with said lower fixing material to securely secure said lower side to said upper side and in which said perimeter flange is sized and configured to be inserted into said perimeter channel to create a secure but removable fixing. 2. The convertible shoe of claim 1, wherein; said lower lateral fixing means has a non-uniform curved perimeter and said perimeter flange is spaced with a uniform distance from said perimeter thereby giving said perimeter flange a non-uniform curved shape; said upper lateral fixation has a non-uniform curved perimeter and said perimeter channel is spaced a uniform distance from said perimeter thereby giving said perimeter channel a non-uniform curved shape. 30 3. The convertible shoe of claim 1 or 2, wherein said shoe is exposed to vertical shearing forces and lateral shear forces, and in which when fixed, said fixing material is designed to resist said shearing forces and, wherein said perimeter flange is inserted into said perimetric channel to resist said shear forces. 35 4. The convertible shoe of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said material of upper lateral fixing and said lower lateral fixing material is a hook and loop material. 5. The convertible shoe of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said material of 40 upper lateral fixing and said lower lateral fixing material is velcro of mushroom type. 6. The convertible shoe of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a multiplicity of lower portions having different bearing surfaces, wherein said upper portion can be fixed to one of said multiplicity of lower portions to provide a shoe for different uses. Four. Five 7. The convertible shoe of any one of the preceding claims, wherein: said upper portion has a toe end (13) and a heel end (14), said central insert portion has a toe end (33) and a heel end (34), and said lower portion it has a 50 toe end (53) and a heel end (54), wherein said heel end of the upper portion has a flared cross section to provide a grip area, said center insert heel end it has a concave cross section to provide a grip area, and said lower potion heel end has a concave cross section to provide a grip area. The convertible shoe of any one of the preceding claims, wherein: said perimeter flange extends along an entire perimeter (15, 35) of said upper portion / said central insert portion. 9. The convertible shoe of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: a fixing tongue (62) fixed to the heel end of said instep, said fixing tongue has a fixing groove (63) for fixing a multiplicity of heel jewelry (70). 5 10. The convertible shoe of any one of the preceding claims, wherein: said lower fastening material fills an area (25) surrounded by said perimeter flange. The convertible shoe of any one of the preceding claims, wherein: said upper fixing material fills an area (45) surrounded by said perimeter channel. 12. The convertible shoe of any one of claims 1-9, wherein: fifteen said lower lateral fixing means also includes a multiplicity of points protruding downwards (22) and said upper lateral fixing means also includes a multiplicity of recesses (42) in which said recesses are sized, spaced and configured to correspond and connect to the tips. The convertible shoe of any one of the preceding claims, wherein: said central insert portion has a cradle shape between an upper surface (31) and a lower surface (32) thereof, whose cradle shape is thin on a toe (33) of said thick and central insert portion in a heel (34) of said central insert portion. 25 14. The convertible shoe of any one of the preceding claims, wherein: said lower portion has a cradle shape between an upper surface (51) and a support surface (52) thereof, whose cradle shape is thin on a toe (53) of said lower and thick portion on a heel (54) 30 of said lower portion. 15. The convertible shoe of any one of the preceding claims, wherein: said lower lateral fixing means comprises a sheet of said lower fixing material and / or said upper lateral fixing means comprises a sheet of said upper fixing material.