US20080005927A1

US20080005927A1 - Multi-function shoe having flexible sock body

Info

Publication number: US20080005927A1
Application number: US11/480,954
Authority: US
Inventors: Kun-Wang Hung
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-07-06
Filing date: 2006-07-06
Publication date: 2008-01-10

Abstract

A multi-function shoe includes a flexible sock body, a sole body, a first connector provided on an upper surface of the sole body, and a second connector provided on a bottom surface of the flexible sock body for connecting with the first connector or for detaching from the first connector. The flexible sock body can be selected to combine various sole body such as a thinner sole as a sock pad, a medium sole as an indoor shoe, or a thicker sole as an outdoor shoe for satisfying various needs used in various states.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-function shoe. More particularly, the present invention relates to the multi-function shoe having the flexible sock body with a connector selectively connecting with another connector of a suitable sole body used as a sock-and-pad combination, an indoor shoe, or an outdoor shoe.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, an indoor floor can be maintained clear if a user keeps wearing indoor shoes such as slippers in his/her feet. However, traditional indoor shoes just have a poor warm-keeping effect and a poor skidproof effect so that the traditional indoor shoes are unsuitable for using in a cold environment. Furthermore, the traditional indoor shoes just have thinner soles mounted on bottom surfaces thereof for providing a poor wearproof effect so that the traditional indoor shoes can not be used as outdoor shoes in an outdoor environment.
In another aspect, traditional socks can be used to keep human feet warm better, but have no enough skidproof and waterproof effects while the traditional socks can not be directly used as outdoor shoes. Hence, there is a need for improving the structures of the traditional shoes and socks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention intends to provide a multi-function shoe having a flexible sock body for foot wearing in such a way as to mitigate and overcome the above problem. Furthermore, the flexible sock body provides a connector selectively connecting with another connector of a suitable sole body selected from various types of soles for using in an indoor environment or an outdoor environment. Accordingly, this ensures an increase of the skidproof effect, the waterproof effect, the warm-keeping effect, and the practicability of shoes.
The primary objective of this invention is to provide a multi-function shoe having a flexible sock body and a sole body which have a pair of corresponding connectors for connecting with each other, wherein in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, the flexible sock body can be selected to combine with a first sole body having a first thickness in an indoor environment for defining a sock-and-sole combination to selectively insert into a traditionally shoe; in accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, the flexible sock body can be selected to combine with a second sole body having a second thickness greater than the first thickness in an indoor environment for providing a walking function, a warm-keeping effect, and a skid proof effect, and for preventing the flexible sock body from being released from human foot; and in accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, the flexible sock body can be selected to combine with a second sole body having a third thickness greater than the second thickness in an outdoor environment for providing a walking function and a wearproof effect. Accordingly, this ensures an increase of various functions of the shoe of the present invention.
Further scope of the applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a multi-function shoe in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an assembled cross-sectional view illustrating the multi-function shoe in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an assembled cross-sectional view illustrating the multi-function shoe used for foot wearing in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is another assembled cross-sectional view illustrating the multi-function shoe used for foot wearing and further inserting into a traditional shoe in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a side schematic view illustrating a sole body of a multi-function shoe selected from a thicker sole in accordance with the other preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a side schematic view, similar to FIG. 5, illustrating the sole body of the multi-function shoe selected from the thicker sole in a coiled state in accordance with the same preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to FIG. 1, an exploded perspective view of a multi-function shoe structure in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. In the preferred embodiment, the multi-function shoe generally includes a flexible sock body designated numeral 10, a sole body designated numeral 20, a first connector designated numeral 30, and a second connector designated numeral 40. The first connector 30 is mounted on an upper surface of the sole body 20, and the second connector 40 is mounted on a bottom surface of the flexible sock body 10. The first connector 30 and the second connector 40 are preferably selected from a pair of Velcro-type fasteners (magic tapes) or other equivalent separable fasteners. Moreover, the sole body 20 is preferably selected from the group consisting of a thinner sole with a first predetermined thickness, a medium sole with a second predetermined thickness greater than the first predetermined thickness, and a thicker sole with a third predetermined thickness greater than the first and second predetermined thickness, wherein the thicker sole has a wear proof effect better than that of the thinner sole and the medium sole.
Turning now to FIG. 2, an assembled cross-sectional view illustrating the multi-function shoe in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. Constructions of the flexible sock body 10 and the sole body 20 shall be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The flexible sock body 10 is preferably constructed from a traditional sock structure which includes a foot portion 12, a leg portion 14 extended from an end of the foot portion 12, and an inner space 16 defining inside the flexible sock body 10 in an expanded state for accommodating a foot of a user. The sole body 20 is made of at least one plastic material such as polyurethane (PU), ethylene/vinyl acetate (EVA), or the like. The upper surface of the sole body 20 is corresponding to the bottom surface of the flexible sock body 10. The sole body 20 and the flexible sock body 10 can be combined into a single member by the first connector 30 and the second connector 40.
Turning now to FIG. 3, an assembled cross-sectional view illustrating the multi-function shoe used for foot wearing in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. A user can insert his/her foot 90 into the inner space 16 of the flexible sock body 10 until a toe 92 of the foot 90 of the user is received in the foot portion 12 of the flexible sock body 10 while a heel 94 of the foot 90 of the user is positioned below the leg portion 14 of the flexible sock body 10.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the leg portion 12 of the flexible sock body 10 can be selectively omitted or suitably adjusted the length thereof.
When the user wears the multi-function shoe of the present invention in his/her foot 90 for walking or sporting, the flexible sock body 10 accommodates and protects the foot 90 of the user to provide a good warm-keeping effect. Furthermore, due to the sole body 20 is made of plastic materials, the sole body 20 can provide a good skidproof effect when the sole body 20 is in contact with the ground or the floor. Thereby, the present invention can satisfy needs for the warm-keeping effect and the skidproof effect while providing a wearing comfort and preventing the flexible sock body 10 from being released from the foot 90 for increasing the practicability of the multi-function shoe of the present invention.
Turning now to FIG. 4, another assembled cross-sectional view illustrating the multi-function shoe with a sole body 20 selected from a thinner sole used for foot wearing and further inserting into a traditional shoe 50 in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The flexible sock body 10 is connected to the sole body 20 selected from the thinner sole used as a pad of the flexible sock body 10 so that a sock-and-sole combination of the flexible sock body 10 and the sole body 20 can be inserted into the traditional shoe 50 for providing another type of practicability.
After taking off the traditional shoe 50, the flexible sock body 10 can be detached from the sole body 20 selected from the thinner sole, and further be attached to a sole body 20 selected from the medium sole and thicker than the thinner sole for being used as an indoor type shoe. Alternatively, the flexible sock body 10 can be attached to the sole body 20 selected from the thicker sole thicker than the medium sole for being used as an outdoor type shoe.
For the purpose of convenient carrying the sole body 20, the sole body 20 should be coiled in advance. Furthermore, due to the sole body 20 selected from the thicker sole is difficult to be coiled, the present invention provides a design for overcome the problem.
Turning now to FIG. 5 and 6, a side schematic view illustrating a sole body 20 of a multi-function shoe selected from a thicker sole in accordance with the other preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The sole body 20 selected from the thicker sole has an upper surface provided with the first connector 30, and a bottom surface provided with a plurality of grooves 22 for increasing the flexibility of the sole body 20 so that the sole body 20 can be coiled into a coiled state as a portable unit to decrease its volume for convenient carrying.
The multi-function shoe of the present invention can be used in three state described as above, i.e. the flexible sock body 10 can be selected to combine with the sole body 20 selected from the thinner sole, the medium sole, or the thicker sole for being used as a sock-and-sole combination, an indoor shoe, or an outdoor shoe for increasing the practicability. In another aspect, the sole body 20 can be provided with the grooves 22 on its bottom surface for convenient carrying.
Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to its presently preferred embodiment, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A multi-function shoe, comprising:

a flexible sock body including a bottom surface;

a sole body including an upper surface;

a first connector mounted on the upper surface of the sole body; and

a second connector mounted on the bottom surface of the flexible sock body for connecting with the first connector so as to combine the flexible sock body with the sole body.

2. The multi-function shoe as defined in claim 1, wherein the flexible sock body includes a foot portion, and a leg portion extended from an end of the foot portion.

3. The multi-function shoe as defined in claim 1, wherein the sole body includes a bottom surface provided with a plurality of grooves.