US20140298684A1

US20140298684A1 - Reversible Footwear

Info

Publication number: US20140298684A1
Application number: US13/857,559
Authority: US
Inventors: Daniel Young
Original assignee: ACI International Inc
Current assignee: ACI International Inc
Priority date: 2013-04-05
Filing date: 2013-04-05
Publication date: 2014-10-09

Abstract

Reversible footwear includes a flexible sole, flexible vamp and flexible quarter combined with stretchable inserts in the upper located at approximately the arch position of the footwear. A removable insole may be added to the footwear. The insole is removed prior to reversing the footwear and then reinserted after the reversal is completed.

Description

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

This disclosure relates to footwear; specifically, reversible footwear made of flexible materials and having stretchable inserts in the medial and lateral sides of the upper in approximately the arch area of the footwear.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The reversible footwear described herein is constructed in a unique manner which distinguishes it from the prior art designs. A very simple, but effective, construction allows a user to quickly reverse the interior and exterior portions by essentially turning the footwear inside out. The footwear includes flexible portions and stretchable inserts in the upper at approximately the arch position of the footwear on both the medial and lateral sides. A removable insole may be added to the footwear. It is removed prior to reversing the footwear and then reinserted after the reversal is completed.
The design allows the footwear to be constructed with traditional materials and requires the use of only simple manufacturing techniques, resulting in a cost effective product that can be quickly produced in large quantities.
The accompanying diagrams and descriptions will aid in the visualization of the described features, and functionality of the device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the footwear also illustrating a removable insole that can be inserted through the opening in the upper.

FIG. 2 depicts the beginning of the reversal process wherein the heel portion of the sole is passing through the opening in the upper.

FIG. 3 depicts the near completion of the reversal process of the heel portion wherein the heel portion of the sole has almost completely passed through the opening.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view depicting the migration of the toe portion of the sole through the opening.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the sole and one side of the footwear after reversal is completed.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the footwear of FIG. 1 after reversal has been completed and depicting the insole being inserted with the opposite surface facing upwardly.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 is an illustration of one embodiment of the reversible footwear 2 in perspective view. The footwear includes an upper 4 that comprises a flexible quarter 6, a flexible vamp 10, a flexible sole 8 and two stretchable midpieces 12 on each side of the footwear. The flexible sole 8 has a heel portion 8 a generally under the heel of a wearer and a toe portion 8 b generally under the toes and transverse metatarsal arch of the wearer. The midpieces 12 are generally trapezoidal shaped gussets or gores but other shapes could be used, including triangular or rectangular. In the disclosed embodiment, the midpieces 12 are located in approximately the longitudinal arch area of the footwear on both the medial and lateral sides and are wider at the top than they are at the bottom where they meet the flexible sole 8, which facilitates increasing the size of the opening 30 during the reversal process. The midpieces 12 do not necessarily have to extend all the way to the flexible sole 8. The reversible footwear includes an optional insole 20 that is removable to facilitate the reversal process.
The footwear 2 also has a vamp topline 26 and a quarter topline 28. The flexible sole 8 includes a sole exterior surface 24 and a sole interior surface 25. As depicted in FIG. 1, the sole exterior surface 24 will touch the walking surface and the sole interior surface will touch the foot that is inserted through opening 30.
The figures depict designs 14, 15, 16 and 18 on the interior and exterior surfaces of the footwear 2 so that the reversal process may be more easily followed. The designs depicted are for reference only and could be any other design or no design at all. Because the product is reversible, what is denominated as an exterior design will become an interior design, and vice versa, when reversal is complete. FIG. 1 shows the footwear prior to reversal. A vamp exterior surface design 14 is depicted as a circle and a quarter exterior surface design 16 is also depicted as a circle. An insole first surface design 22 is depicted as a circle on the optional, removable insole 20. A quarter interior design 18 is shown as a rectangle, but it could also be any other design or no design at all. The surfaces themselves on which the designs are placed are not all separately numbered in order to avoid a tangle of lead lines. However, it should be clear that the first surface designs are on the first surfaces of the footwear components and the second surface designs are on the second surfaces of the footwear components.
FIG. 6 depicts the reversible footwear of FIG. 1 after the reversal process is completed. The first surfaces of the footwear components have been reversed with the second surfaces. In other words, the external surfaces have become internal surfaces and vice versa. In FIG. 1, the vamp second surface design 15 is hidden, but after reversal is visible in FIG. 6. The insole 20 has been flipped in FIG. 6 to display insole second side design 23, which was not visible in FIG. 1. Flipping the insole 20 is optional.
The reversal process is depicted in FIGS. 2-5, which show the migration of the flexible sole 8 through the opening 30. The recommended procedure is for a single person to grasp the quarter topline 28 with one hand and the vamp topline 26 with the other hand. Then, the quarter topline 28 and the vamp topline 26 are pulled in generally opposite directions stretching the stretchable midpieces 12. As depicted in FIG. 2, the sole is then pushed upwardly (relative to the figures) in the direction of arrow 32 by pressing with the thumbs against the heel portion 8 a of the sole first surface 24 until the sole second surface 25 passes through the opening 30. FIG. 3 shows that the heel portion 8 a of the sole second surface 25 has become an exterior surface and that the quarter second surface design 18 is transitioning to become an exterior design.
After the heel portion of sole second surface 25 passes through the opening 30, the toe portion 8 b is pushed upwardly (relative to the figures). FIG. 4 depicts what appears to be a foreshortened vamp 10. This is because the figure is two dimensional. It depicts the migration of the toe portion 8 b between the steps shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. FIG. 4 shows an intermediate toe portion 9 at the most forward end of the figure with the remainder of toe portion 8 b still hidden within the footwear. When the footwear is fully reversed, the entirety of toe portion 8 b is visible, as in FIG. 5.
FIG. 5 depicts the footwear from its bottom showing that the sole second surface 25 has fully transitioned from being an interior surface to now being an exterior surface and that the quarter second surface design 18 and the associated surface of the quarter have fully become exterior surfaces. The toe portion 8 b has fully transitioned. FIG. 6 shows the same footwear as in FIG. 5 from the top, fully transitioned. To reverse the footwear to its original configuration, the steps above are repeated.
It should be noted that the exact shape and size of the footwear is not limited to what is depicted in the drawings. The footwear can be sized for adults and children, female and male. The footwear may include open portions in the upper as is common in sandals and the shapes of the components may be different than depicted to conform to popular fashions.
While the above description contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the disclosure, but rather as an exemplification of the embodiment disclosed. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this specific embodiment. Accordingly, the invention is not limited to the precise embodiment described in detail hereinabove. With respect to the claims, it is applicant's intention that the claims not be interpreted in accordance with the sixth paragraph of 35 U.S.C. §112 unless the term “means” is used followed by a functional statement. Further, with respect to the claims, it should be understood that any of the claims described below may be combined for the purposes of the invention.

Claims

I claim:

1. Reversible footwear comprising:

a flexible sole;

an upper;

the upper having a flexible vamp;

the upper having a flexible quarter;

a stretchable midpiece between the vamp and the quarter;

the sole, vamp, quarter and midpiece each having an exterior surface and an interior surface;

the vamp having a vamp topline;

the quarter having a quarter topline;

an opening in the upper between the vamp topline and the quarter topline through which a foot may be inserted;

the midpiece adapted to stretch when the vamp topline is pulled in a direction generally away from the quarter topline by hand when a foot is not present in the footwear;

the flexible sole adapted to pass through the opening when the vamp topline is pulled in a direction generally away from the quarter topline;

whereby the exterior surfaces and interior surfaces are reversed.

2. The reversible footwear of claim 1 further comprising a removable insole.

3. The reversible footwear of claim 1 wherein the stretchable midpiece is wider near the topline than near the sole.

4. The reversible footwear of claim 3 wherein the stretchable midpiece is a trapezoidal shaped gusset.