HK40008149A - Footwear with removable bootie - Google Patents

Description

Footwear with removable bootie

Technical Field

The present invention relates to footwear, and more particularly to footwear having a removable bootie that can be used as a stand-alone article of footwear.

Background

There are many different types of footwear for different functions. Certain types of footwear are designed for harsh outdoor activities. Such footwear may include a heavy-duty structural upper and outsole that are configured to withstand a wide range of engagements with an outdoor environment. Other footwear is designed for recreational indoor activities. The footwear may include a more flexible upper and a reduced outsole, particularly where the footwear is to be used for indoor recreational activities or non-athletic activities.

Some manufacturers have attempted to produce footwear that can be modified to function in both harsh outdoor activities and recreational indoor activities. The footwear may include an outer footwear and an inner slipper that is removable from the outer footwear. The inner slipper may be worn inside the outer footwear, which may be used for outdoor activities. When the user enters and wishes to do leisure activities, the user can take the inner slipper off the outer footwear and only put on the slipper.

While the above-described footwear having an inner slipper that is removable from the outer footwear is useful, it has several disadvantages. For example, because there is no connection between the sandal and the outer footwear, the inner sandal may often slide around and/or move within the outer footwear. In turn, the user may experience footing instability when wearing the combination footwear. In addition, the sandals may become misaligned and/or come together within the outer footwear, which may cause discomfort to the wearer. In addition, in particularly demanding activities, if the clog is not fully secured, the outer footwear can be detached from the inner clog and inadvertently removed from the wearer's foot while the clog remains in place. Finally, the inner slipper typically lacks adequate underfoot cushioning. Thus, the inner slipper may not provide sufficient cushioning for the user when performing indoor activities on a hard floor.

Accordingly, there remains room for improvement in the field of multi-purpose footwear (including combinations of nested footwear configured for different activities).

Disclosure of Invention

Footwear is provided that includes a primary footwear member and a secondary footwear member removably disposed in the primary footwear member.

In one embodiment, the primary footwear member includes an inwardly facing wall and the secondary footwear member includes an outwardly facing wall that surrounds a portion of the secondary sole of the secondary footwear member. The inward facing wall is configured to releasably couple with the outward facing wall such that the auxiliary sole can be manually pulled upward, whereby the inward facing wall releases the outward facing wall to enable the auxiliary footwear member to be completely removed from the main footwear member. Thus, the secondary footwear may be operated and worn independently of the primary footwear.

In another embodiment, the inward-facing wall and the outward-facing wall may be angled toward the longitudinal axis of the footwear. The walls may be at the same or different angles, optionally acute, relative to the axis. In some cases, the walls may be angled relative to a reference line at the bottom of the recess of the primary footwear member. The angle may be an acute angle, optionally in the range of 5 ° to 89 ° (inclusive), further optionally in the range of 5 ° to 45 ° (inclusive), even further optionally in the range of 10 ° to 30 ° (inclusive), and yet further optionally in the range of 15 ° to 20 ° (inclusive).

In yet another embodiment, portions of the inward-facing wall and the outward-facing wall of the respective member may be associated with the respective primary and secondary soles. These soles are constructed of hard and tough materials such as cushioning materials, e.g., ethylene vinyl acetate, polyurethane foam, thermoplastic polyurethane, and/or other materials.

In even another embodiment, the primary sole can be configured such that the inwardly facing wall is configured and/or arranged to flex outwardly away from the longitudinal axis of the shoe as the secondary sole is pulled upward and away from the primary sole. The flexing may enable the secondary sole to disengage and release from a recess defined in the primary sole.

In yet another embodiment, the inwardly facing wall and/or the outwardly facing wall may be partially or completely rounded. For example, on the lateral and medial sides of the footwear, near the area where the ball or forefoot of the wearer will be located, the inward-facing wall and the outward-facing wall may each be rounded so that these elements may be joined with one another. For example, the outwardly facing walls may be convex while the inwardly facing walls may be concave, such that the walls are located within each other and may be releasably coupled to each other at this location.

In another embodiment, the inwardly facing wall and/or the outwardly facing wall may have similar or different surface profiles. For example, in one example, the inwardly facing wall may include a rounded and/or semi-circular profile, while the inwardly facing wall may be a flat or substantially planar wall. With this configuration, the outward facing wall can easily slide upward and disengage from the rounded profile of the inward facing wall. As another example, the outwardly facing wall may include a planar profile, and the inwardly facing wall may include a similar planar profile. Under these configurations of the walls, the walls may shift and move relative to each other with minimal coupling of their surfaces, rather than a friction fit of the secondary and primary members. As yet another example, the inward facing wall may be angled inward from bottom to top relative to the longitudinal axis of the footwear, while the outward facing wall may be rounded such that it may be joined by the upper lip of the angled inward facing wall.

In yet another embodiment, the primary sole member may include an upper and/or an outsole having a window defined therein. The window may be completely open or may be covered by a translucent and/or transparent material. In the case of an open window or a translucent or transparent window, when the secondary footwear member is disposed in the primary footwear member, portions of the secondary footwear member are visible through the window to a wearer or observer of the footwear.

In yet another embodiment, the secondary footwear member may include a secondary sole that includes its own independent outsole. The outsole may provide and/or include a cushioning layer to provide underfoot cushioning to the footwear member. Thus, when the secondary footwear member is removed from the primary footwear member, it may operate and function as a stand-alone footwear unit worn by the wearer. It may also provide satisfactory cushioning to the wearer's foot.

In even another embodiment, the secondary footwear component may include a secondary sole that is mechanically coupled with the primary sole of the primary footwear component. The mechanical coupling may include portions of the inward facing wall of the primary footwear member and the outward facing wall of the secondary footwear member. The walls may be specifically shaped such that they do not become free relative to each other without applying a predetermined force to remove the walls that engage each other. Depending on the application, the force may be in the range of 1 pound to 10 pounds (inclusive); further optionally 2 pounds to 8 pounds, inclusive, and still further optionally 3 pounds to 5 pounds, inclusive, and/or other forces.

In yet another embodiment, the main member may comprise a Strobel construction, wherein the main upper is joined to the main sole. The Strobel board may be joined with the main upper. The Strobel board may be under the secondary sole and over the primary sole.

The footwear of the present embodiments provides a multi-functional footwear that allows one type of footwear to be inside another type of footwear. Different types of footwear may be used for different activities. The outer footwear member may be configured for more demanding activities, while the inner footwear member is optionally provided in the outer footwear member. The inner footwear member may be releasably removable from the outer footwear member and may be more compact, thereby enabling the user to wear the inner footwear in certain circumstances. In cases where the inner footwear member also includes cushioning, it may provide sufficient comfort to the wearer when worn alone. The coupling structure also selectively keeps the footwear members connected during activity, but enables the user to disengage the footwear members when the footwear members are adapted to use one or more of them independently.

These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by reference to the description of the current embodiment and the drawings.

Before the embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of embodiments in various other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways not specifically disclosed herein. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of "including" and "comprising" and variations thereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof, as well as additional items and equivalents thereof. Furthermore, enumeration may be used in the description of various embodiments. The use of lists should not be construed as limiting the invention to any particular order or number of components unless expressly stated otherwise. The use of enumeration also should not be construed as excluding from the scope of the invention any additional steps or components that may be combined with or into the enumerated steps or components.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a side view of the footwear showing the current embodiment of the secondary footwear member removed from or installed in the primary footwear member;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the footwear with the secondary footwear member fully installed in the primary footwear member;

FIG. 3 is a rear view of a secondary footwear component including a portion of a coupling feature;

FIG. 4 is another rear perspective view thereof;

FIG. 5 is a further rear perspective thereof;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the footwear taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the footwear taken along line 7-7 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of a first alternative embodiment of footwear;

FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view of a second alternative embodiment of footwear; and is

FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of a third alternative embodiment of footwear.

Detailed Description

A current embodiment of footwear is shown in fig. 1-7 and is generally indicated at 10. The footwear generally includes a primary footwear member 20 having a primary upper 21 and a primary sole 22 that cooperatively define a space 23, with a secondary footwear member 40 removably disposed within the space 23. The auxiliary footwear components may include an auxiliary sole 42 and an auxiliary upper 41. The secondary footwear members may function independently as footwear and may be removable from the primary footwear member, as described below. The first and second footwear members may include a coupling feature 60, as shown in fig. 6, that maintains the secondary footwear members in a substantially fixed and locked, or secure, relationship with respect to the primary footwear member when the secondary footwear members are disposed in the primary footwear member.

Although the present embodiments are shown in the context of winter or waterproof footwear, they may be incorporated into any type or style of footwear, including show shoes, hiking shoes, cross-country shoes and boots, hiking boots, work boots, all terrain shoes, barefoot running shoes, athletic shoes, running shoes, hiking shoes, traditional tennis shoes, walking shoes, multi-sport shoes, casual shoes, dress shoes, or any other type of footwear or footwear component. It should be noted that directional terms such as "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "upper," "lower," "inner," "inward," "outer," and "outward" are used to help describe the invention based on the orientation of the embodiments shown in the drawings.

In addition, the terms "medial," "lateral," and "longitudinal" are used in a manner commonly used in connection with footwear. For example, when used to refer to a side portion of a shoe, the term "medial" refers to the inward side (i.e., the side facing the other shoe), and "lateral" refers to the outward side. When used in reference to a direction, the term "longitudinal" refers to a direction extending generally along the length of the shoe between the toe and heel, and the term "lateral" refers to a direction extending generally across the width of the shoe between the medial and lateral sides of the shoe. The use of directional terms should not be construed to limit the invention to any particular orientation. Further, as used herein, the term "arch region" (or arch or midfoot) generally refers to the portion of the footwear or sole assembly that corresponds with the arch or midfoot of the wearer's foot; the term "forefoot region" (or forefoot) generally refers to the portion of footwear forward of the arch region that corresponds with the forefoot of a wearer's foot (e.g., including the ball and toes); the term "heel region" (or heel) generally refers to the portion of the footwear behind the arch region that corresponds with the heel of the wearer's foot. A forefoot region 17, an arch or midfoot region 18, and a heel region 19, generally identified in fig. 2. However, it is to be understood that the depiction of these regions may vary depending on the configuration of the sole assembly and/or the footwear.

Referring to fig. 2, the primary footwear member 20 may include a primary sole 22. Sole 22 may be configured to include a ground-contacting surface 23, where ground-contacting surface 23 may itself include a plurality of protrusions, treads, cleats, and/or other features designed to enhance traction between footwear 10 and an underlying surface. The sole 22 may include one or more various components, such as an outsole, a midsole, and/or an insole. In general, the main sole may form the bottommost portion of the main footwear component 20 regardless of which components are present.

As shown in fig. 2 and 6, the main sole 22 is joined with the main upper 21. The main upper may include a vamp 21V, a toe box 21B, a body panel 21Q, and a heel portion 21H. These components may be joined with one another as part of a one-piece upper, or they may be joined together using fasteners such as stitching, gluing, or other features. The main sole, in conjunction with the main upper, may cooperatively define a main void 23, with all or a portion of the auxiliary footwear members 40 removably interfitting and/or embedding within the main void 23.

With further reference to fig. 2 and 6, the primary sole 22 may include an upper surface 24. The upper surface may generally be the highest point, surface or area on the main sole 22 in any given cross-section taken transverse to the longitudinal axis LA of the footwear 10. The primary sole 22 may also define a recess 22R that extends downwardly from the upper surface 24 to a recess bottom 26. An inwardly facing wall 25 is disposed between the upper surface 24 and the bottom 26. The inward facing wall 25 may optionally include a lower peripheral remnant 21L of the main upper 21, wherein the remnant 21L is glued, fastened, molded, or otherwise attached to the sole 22, and may optionally form a portion of the inward facing wall 25. For purposes herein, the inwardly facing wall may be the actual inner surface 25 of the outsole itself, and/or the inner surface of the remainder 12L, or some other member inwardly therefrom. The inwardly facing wall 25 extends down to a recess bottom 26.

Alternatively, inward facing wall 25 may be contoured such that inward facing wall 25 engages and secures and/or joins outward facing wall 45 of midsole 42 or some other portion of secondary footwear member 40. As an example, the inward facing wall 25 may include a first wall portion 25A that angles inward toward the longitudinal axis LA of the footwear from a lower portion 25L of the first wall portion 25 to an upper portion 25U of the first wall portion 25. In this configuration, the upper portion 25U of the first wall portion may be closer to the longitudinal axis LA than the lower portion 25L of the first wall portion 25. Further, where first wall portion 25A is disposed on lateral side L and medial side M of the footwear, for example, by virtue of it extending around at least a portion of heel region 19 of the footwear, the width of recess 22R in this location near lower portion 25L may be width W1. Likewise, the distance between the upper portions 25 on the opposite medial and lateral sides may be the width W2. The width W1 may be greater than the width W2. By way of example, the width W1 may alternatively be 1mm, further alternatively may be 2mm, even further alternatively may be 3mm, yet further alternatively may be 5mm, yet further alternatively may be 10mm, or greater than the width W2. Of course, in some applications, the width W1 may be less than the corresponding amount of width W2.

Referring to fig. 6, the first wall portion 25 may in turn be angled inwardly relative to the longitudinal axis LA from the lower portion 25L to the upper portion 25U. The angle a1 may be an acute angle and may be measured relative to a primary reference line PRL that coincides with the lowermost portion of the bottom 26 of the recess 22R. The angle a1 may be in the range of 5 ° to 89 ° (inclusive), further alternatively in the range of 10 ° to 30 ° (inclusive), and still further alternatively in the range of 15 ° to 20 ° (inclusive). This acute angle a1 may be referred to as the first angle of the first wall portion 25 of the main sole 22. Of course, other angles may be selected as desired. Further, it will be appreciated that the angle a1 may refer to the angle formed tangent to the fully or partially curved surface of the inwardly facing wall, and in particular the first wall portion 25. Further, while the inwardly facing wall may be described as angled, it may also include one or more planar, convex, concave, and/or rounded surfaces.

Optionally, as mentioned above, the width of the recess may vary. Near upper portion 25, the width of recess 22R may be width W2. Near lower portion 25L, the width may be W1, W1 may be greater than width W2. Further alternatively, proximate the bottom of the recess, the width may be width W5, width W5 being less than width W1 at lower portion 25L and less than width W2 at upper portion 25U. Of course, these widths may vary, but in general, width W1 may be greater than width W2 to provide some sort of coupling feature with the inward facing wall.

As also shown in FIG. 6, the main upper 12 may be joined with a Strobel panel 28 near the main lower peripheral heel 21L of the main upper. The Strobel board can be disposed above the main sole and above the bottom 26 of the recess 22R. In the illustrated construction, the Strobel plate 28 can also be disposed below the secondary sole 42, and in particular the lowermost surface 42B thereof, which lowermost surface 42B can in turn function as a ground-contacting surface when the secondary footwear member 40 is removed from the primary footwear member 20.

The secondary footwear member 40 will now be described in more detail with reference to fig. 3-6. The secondary footwear member 40 may include its own upper 41 and its own specialized sole 42. The upper as shown may be a knitted member. An alternative knit upper is disclosed in pending U.S. patent application 15/648,514 to Burch filed 2017, month 7, day 13, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The knitted upper optionally may include a cushioning element disposed under the foot between the knit layers. Of course, other types of uppers may be used with the secondary footwear member. The outsole 42 may include its own ground-contacting surface 43 so that when the secondary member is removed from the primary member, the secondary member may function similar to conventional footwear. The secondary footwear components, specifically secondary upper 41 and secondary sole 42, may cooperatively define a secondary footwear space 44 configured to receive a foot of a wearer. The secondary footwear members and (optionally) the secondary sole 42 may include an outward facing outer wall 45 that extends downwardly adjacent the lower portion 41L of the secondary upper 41. Outward-facing wall 45 may include a second wall portion 45A that angles inward toward longitudinal axis LA of footwear 10 from a lower portion 45L of second wall portion 45A to an upper portion 45U of second wall portion. The upper portion 45U of the second wall portion may be closer to the longitudinal axis LA than the lower portion 45L of the second wall portion. The second wall portion 45A may optionally extend around at least a portion of the periphery of the second sole 42.

As shown, outward-facing wall 45 extends primarily and/or substantially only in heel region 19 of the footwear. In some applications, it may be strategically placed to strengthen the coupling of the heel region of the secondary footwear member within the primary footwear member and its recess. This may be suitable to prevent removal of the secondary footwear members from the primary footwear member due to the heel being forcefully pulled from the primary footwear member, particularly in situations where the primary footwear member may become stuck or trapped in the underlying terrain (e.g., mud, snow, etc.). This may also prevent the heel portion of the secondary member from being dislodged from the heel portion of the primary member when moisture is present between these elements due to perspiration and/or liquids that may enter footwear 10.

Referring to fig. 6, the second wall portion 45A may, in turn, be angled inwardly relative to the longitudinal axis LA from the lower portion 45L to the upper portion 45U. The angle may alternatively be an acute angle a2, and may be measured relative to a primary reference line PRL that coincides with the bottom of the recess 22R. The angle a2 may be in the range of 5 ° to 89 ° (inclusive), further alternatively in the range of 10 ° to 30 ° (inclusive), and yet further alternatively in the range of 15 ° to 20 ° (inclusive). This acute angle a2 may be referred to as the second angle of the second wall portion 45A of the secondary sole member. Of course, other angles may be selected as desired. Further, it will be appreciated that the angle a2 may refer to the angle formed tangent to a partially or fully curved surface of the outwardly facing wall 45 (specifically the second wall portion 45A). Further, while the inwardly facing wall may be described as angled, it may also include one or more planar, convex, concave, and/or rounded surfaces. Further alternatively, the second angle a2 may be equal to the first angle a 1. In other cases, the angles may be different, with one being sharper or blunter than the other. In still other cases, the corners may be perpendicular or parallel to the recess bottom 26.

Optionally, as mentioned above, the width of the secondary sole 42 may vary. Near upper 45U, the width of midsole 42 may be width W4 shown in fig. 6. Near lower portion 45L, the width may be W3, W3 may be greater than width W4. Further alternatively, immediately adjacent the bottom of recess 22R, the midsole may be of width W6, which may be less than width W3 at lower portion 45L and less than width W4 at upper portion 45U. Of course, these widths may vary, but generally the width W3 may be greater than the width W4 to provide some sort of coupling feature between the outward facing wall and the inward facing wall. It will be further appreciated that the widths W1, W2, and W5 of the recesses may be approximately equal to or slightly greater than the widths W3, W4, and W6 of the corresponding portions of the secondary sole 42 at various locations and distances from the bottom of the recesses.

As shown in fig. 6, the outward facing wall 45 of the auxiliary sole may be placed immediately adjacent to and optionally engaging the inward facing wall 25 of the main sole 22. The auxiliary sole 42 may also be placed at least partially or completely within the recess 22R of the main sole 22. In general, when the inwardly facing wall and the outwardly facing wall of coupling feature 60 are configured as shown in fig. 6, upper portion 25U of first wall portion 25A engages upper portion 45U of second wall portion 45A to couple sub-sole 42 within recess 22R of main sole 22, particularly when the sub-sole and sub-sole are disposed in space 23 formed by the cooperation of the main sole and the main sole.

To enable the secondary component to be removed from the primary component, the coupling feature 60 may be releasable. To provide a release mechanism for the coupling feature 60 and thus enable the secondary footwear member to be removed from the primary footwear member, the primary footwear member and/or the secondary footwear member may be configured to flex, bend, slide, move, or otherwise displace relative to one another. As one example, the upper portion 25U of the first wall portion 25A may be configured to flex or bend in direction B generally away from the longitudinal axis LA when the midsole 42 is pushed upward under the force F. This in turn pulls the auxiliary sole 42 away from the main sole 22 so that the auxiliary upper and auxiliary sole can be removed from the main upper and main sole, respectively. After this removal, the secondary footwear member 40 may be used as a separate and independent piece of footwear from the primary footwear member 20. Of course, the secondary footwear member may be repositioned back into the void 23 of the primary footwear member in the opposite manner.

Optionally, in some configurations, the outwardly facing wall may transition to the undercut wall 45X. The undercut wall may be disposed at an obtuse angle a3 with respect to the primary reference line PRL. With this obtuse angle, the undercut wall may help to bend the upper portion 25U of the first wall portion 25A outward and away from the longitudinal axis LA, such that the inward facing wall 25 may in turn be joined with the outward facing wall 45 as shown in fig. 6, wherein the primary and secondary members are configured together in the combination footwear. Further optionally, upon such coupling, when the upper 25U is bent back inwardly toward the longitudinal axis, it may emit an audible sound, such as a snap or click, to indicate to the wearer that the secondary footwear member is sufficiently installed in the primary footwear member. In some cases, this clicking or snapping sound may be produced via the slapping of the outwardly facing wall 45 relative to the inwardly facing wall 25.

As mentioned above, coupling feature 60 may be provided primarily in heel region 19, and in some cases, also in arch region 18. Of course, alternatively, features 60 may be disposed around the entire periphery of the footwear member, or intermittently spaced around it and/or in different areas. In the current embodiment, the contour or profile of the inward facing wall and the outward facing wall may be different in the forward heel region, e.g., in forefoot region 17. For example, as shown in fig. 7, the outward facing wall 65 of the secondary sole member 42 may be rounded and/or obtuse at an angle a4 with respect to the primary reference line PRL. Likewise, the inwardly facing wall 55 may also be angled outwardly like the obtuse angle a 5. These walls 55 and 65 may transition into corresponding walls 25 and 45 in the heel region. Further, the width W8 of the recess 22R and the sub-sole and in the upper portion thereof may be wider than the width W9 thereof near the bottom of the recess 22R. This configuration may be adapted to the forefoot such that portions of the secondary sole may slide or move relative to corresponding forefoot portions of the primary footwear member during a gait cycle. This configuration with minimal or no dedicated coupling features 60 in forefoot region 17 may also facilitate the removal or sliding out of the secondary member from the corresponding portion of the primary member.

Optionally, the primary footwear member 20 may define a window 29. The window may be free of a cover such that it is a through-hole, or it may include a transparent or translucent cover. Secondary footwear member 40 may include an imprint or feature 49. This element 49 is provided on the secondary member 40 such that when the secondary member is installed in the primary member, the element 49 is visible to the wearer or through the window 29.

A first alternative embodiment of footwear is shown in fig. 8 and is generally designated 110. The footwear may be similar in structure, function, and operation to the embodiments described above, with a few exceptions. For example, the footwear 110 may include a primary footwear member 120 and a secondary footwear member 140. The main footwear member 120 may include an upper 121 joined to an outsole or main sole 122. This attachment may be accomplished via stitching 122S through the lower peripheral remainder of the upper. The secondary footwear member may include a secondary upper 141 having a Strobel board 149 closing a bottom thereof. The secondary upper may be joined with the secondary sole 142. The sub-sole 142 may include an outward facing wall 145 that engages the inward facing wall 125 of the primary footwear member. Both walls may be substantially planar, with the sole recess 122R and the secondary sole 142 being wider at their bottoms than at their tops. The interface or engagement of the inwardly and outwardly facing walls of the various components may provide a coupling structure similar to that of the above embodiments.

A second alternative embodiment of footwear is shown in fig. 9 and is generally designated 210. The footwear may be similar in structure, function, and operation to the embodiments described above, with a few exceptions. For example, the footwear 210 may include a main footwear member 220. The primary footwear member 220 may include a sole member 221 that includes an inwardly facing wall 225, the inwardly facing wall 225 terminating at an upper 225U that curves inwardly upon itself. The middle portion 225M of the wall may be substantially vertical. The secondary sole 242 may include an outward-facing wall 245 that is generally rounded and/or partially convex. The rounded portion may interfere with the inwardly projecting rounded upper portion 225U of the primary footwear member to help couple these features together and retain the secondary footwear member within the primary footwear member.

A third alternative embodiment of footwear is shown in fig. 10 and is generally indicated at 310. The footwear may be similar in structure, function, and operation to the embodiments described above, with a few exceptions. For example, the footwear 310 may include a primary footwear member 320 and a secondary footwear member 340. The primary footwear member 320 may include a sole member 321, the sole member 321 including an inwardly facing wall 325. The inward facing wall 325 may be generally concave. The corresponding outward facing wall 325 may be correspondingly shaped and may be generally convex. With these profiles, the female portion may releasably receive the male portion to couple the secondary footwear member with the primary footwear member. The upper portion 325U of the primary sole 322 can be flexible, and optionally can be substantially vertical, which can correspond to a corresponding portion of the secondary sole 342. Alternatively, as shown, the lower portion 325L of the auxiliary sole and the corresponding portion of the main sole may be substantially vertical. Thus, the inwardly facing wall portion and the outwardly facing wall portion may have different profiles from the top to the bottom of each.

Directional terms such as "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "upper," "lower," "inner," "inward," "outer," and "outward" are used to aid in describing the invention based on the orientation of the embodiments shown in the drawings. The use of directional terms should not be construed to limit the invention to any particular orientation(s).

The above description is that of the current embodiment of the invention. Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and broader aspects of the invention as defined in the appended claims, which are to be interpreted in accordance with the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents. This disclosure is presented for purposes of illustration and should not be construed as an exhaustive description of all embodiments of the invention or to limit the scope of the claims to the particular elements shown or described in connection with those embodiments. For example, and without limitation, the individual element(s) of the described invention may be replaced by alternative elements providing substantially similar functionality or otherwise providing suitable operation. For example, this includes alternative elements that are currently known, such as those that may be currently known to those skilled in the art, as well as alternative elements that may be developed in the future, such as those that may be considered alternatives by those skilled in the art at the time of development. Further, the disclosed embodiments include a number of features that are described consistently and that can cooperatively provide a range of benefits. To the extent that the invention is explicitly recited otherwise in the disclosed claims, it is not limited to only those embodiments that include all of these features or that provide all of the indicated benefits. Any reference to claim elements in the singular (e.g., using the articles "a," "an," "the," or "said") should not be construed as limiting the element to the singular. Any reference to claim elements as "at least one of X, Y and Z" is meant to include any of X, Y or Z, respectively, and any combination of X, Y and Z, e.g., X, Y, Z; X, Y; x, Z, respectively; and Y, Z.

Claims (20)

1. An article of footwear comprising:

the main shoe upper is provided with a main shoe upper,

a main sole joined with the main upper such that the main upper and the main sole cooperatively define a main shoe space, the main sole including an upper surface and a recess extending downwardly from the upper surface, the recess being bounded by an inwardly facing wall, the inwardly facing wall including a first wall portion angled inwardly toward a longitudinal axis of the footwear from a lower portion of the first wall portion to an upper portion of the first wall portion near the upper surface such that the upper portion of the first wall portion is closer to the longitudinal axis than the lower portion of the first wall portion,

a counter upper, and

a secondary sole joined with the secondary upper such that the secondary upper and the secondary sole cooperatively define a secondary shoe space configured to receive a foot of a wearer,

wherein the secondary upper and the secondary sole are removably embedded within the respective main upper and the main sole,

wherein the secondary sole includes an outward-facing outer wall that extends downward adjacent the secondary upper, the outward-facing outer wall including a second wall portion that angles inward toward a longitudinal axis of the footwear from a lower portion of the second wall portion to an upper portion of the second wall portion such that the upper portion of the second wall portion is closer to the longitudinal axis than the lower portion of the second wall portion,

wherein the outwardly facing wall of the auxiliary sole is positioned proximate the inwardly facing wall of the main sole and the auxiliary sole is positioned at least partially within the recess of the main sole,

wherein the upper portion of the first wall portion is configured to engage the upper portion of the second wall portion when the secondary upper and the secondary sole are disposed in the space cooperatively formed by the primary sole and the primary upper to couple the secondary sole within the recess of the primary sole,

wherein the upper portion of the first wall portion is configured to flex away from the longitudinal axis when the secondary sole is pushed upward away from the primary sole such that the secondary upper and the secondary sole are removable from the primary upper and the primary sole.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1,

characterized in that the main upper is connected with a Strobel plate near a remaining part of the periphery of the main lower part of the main upper,

wherein the Strobel plate is disposed below the auxiliary sole and above the main sole.

3. The article of footwear of claim 2,

it is characterized in that the auxiliary sole comprises a second bottom surface,

wherein the second bottom surface transitions to the lower portion of the second wall portion,

wherein the second wall portion is substantially parallel to the first wall portion when the auxiliary sole is disposed in the recess of the main sole.

4. The article of footwear according to claim 3,

characterized in that the main sole comprises a main reference line coinciding with the bottom of the recess,

wherein the outward facing wall of the auxiliary sole is disposed at a first acute angle relative to the main reference line,

wherein the inward facing wall of the primary sole is disposed at a second acute angle relative to the primary reference line.

5. The article of footwear according to claim 4,

wherein the first acute angle and the second acute angle are equal.

6. The article of footwear of claim 1,

characterized in that the main sole comprises a main reference line coinciding with the bottom of the recess,

wherein the outward facing wall of the auxiliary sole is disposed at a first acute angle relative to the main reference line,

wherein the inwardly facing wall of the primary sole is disposed at a second acute angle relative to the primary reference line,

wherein the first acute angle is in the range of 5 ° to 89 °, inclusive.

7. The article of footwear according to claim 6,

characterized in that the first acute angle is in the range of 10 ° to 30 °, inclusive.

8. The article of footwear according to claim 6,

characterized in that the first acute angle is in the range of 15 ° to 20 °, inclusive.

9. The article of footwear of claim 1,

wherein the first wall portion transitions to a third wall portion that is one of substantially vertical and rounded between the upper surface and a bottom of the recess.

10. The article of footwear of claim 1,

wherein said main upper includes a window through which said auxiliary upper is visible when said auxiliary upper and said auxiliary sole are disposed in said space.

11. An article of footwear comprising:

a main upper joined with the main sole to form a main footwear component;

a secondary upper joined with a secondary sole to form a secondary footwear member, the secondary footwear member removably disposed in the primary footwear member,

wherein the primary footwear member includes an inwardly facing wall,

wherein the secondary footwear member includes an outward facing wall configured to frictionally engage the inward facing wall to couple the secondary footwear member with the primary footwear member,

wherein the inwardly facing wall is configured to flex outwardly when the auxiliary sole is pulled upwardly, thereby releasing the auxiliary sole from the main sole to enable the auxiliary footwear member to be completely removed from the main footwear member.

12. The article of footwear according to claim 11,

wherein the inwardly facing wall extends around a recess configured to receive the sub-sole,

wherein the outward facing wall extends substantially around a periphery of the outsole in a heel region of the footwear.

13. The article of footwear according to claim 12,

wherein the recess comprises a recess bottom and a recess top, the recess top being near an upper surface of the primary sole,

wherein the recess is wider below the recess top than at the recess top.

14. The article of footwear according to claim 13,

characterized in that said outwardly facing wall comprises a lower surface and an upper surface of said sub-sole,

wherein the outsole is wider near the lower surface than at the upper surface of the outsole.

15. The article of footwear according to claim 11,

characterized in that the main sole comprises a main reference line coinciding with the bottom of the recess defined by the main sole,

wherein the outward facing wall of the auxiliary sole is disposed at a first acute angle relative to the main reference line,

wherein the inwardly facing wall of the primary sole is disposed at a second acute angle relative to the primary reference line,

wherein the first acute angle is in the range of 5 ° to 89 °, inclusive.

16. The article of footwear according to claim 15,

wherein the outwardly facing wall and the inwardly facing wall are parallel,

wherein the first acute angle is equal to the second acute angle.

17. The article of footwear according to claim 15,

characterized in that said first acute angle is in the range of 10 ° to 20 °, inclusive,

wherein the second acute angle is in the range of 5 ° to 45 °, inclusive.

18. The article of footwear according to claim 11,

wherein the primary footwear member includes at least one of a translucent window and a transparent window,

wherein the secondary footwear member includes an outer surface,

wherein the outer surface is visible through at least one of the translucent window and the transparent window of the primary footwear member.

19. An article of footwear comprising:

a primary footwear member;

a secondary footwear member removably disposed in the primary footwear member,

wherein the primary footwear member includes an inwardly facing wall,

wherein the secondary footwear component includes an outward facing wall that wraps around a heel region of a secondary sole of the secondary footwear component,

wherein the inward facing wall is configured to releasably couple with the outward facing wall such that, upon pulling the secondary sole upward, the inward facing wall is released from the outward facing wall to enable the secondary footwear member to be completely removed from the primary footwear member.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first and second portions are selected from the group consisting of,

wherein the inward-facing wall includes an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion being closer to a longitudinal axis of the footwear than the lower portion of the inward-facing wall,

wherein the outward-facing wall includes an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion being closer to a longitudinal axis of the footwear than the lower portion of the outward-facing wall.