Shoe with a high heel to low heel conversion
AssigneeHigh-Low Heel, LLC
InventorsMaria Mercedes Berberian, Allen Nejah
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A convertible shoe may include a sole and a plurality of interchangeable heel portions, each selectively attachable to the sole. The heel portions may each include a mounting surface configured to interface with a heel receiver of the sole. The heel receiver may include a fixed hook and a movable hook, with the movable hook being operable by an actuator coupled to a bottom surface of the sole. In some examples, an upper is secured to the sole of the shoe by one or more clamping plates. In some examples, the sole of the shoe is configured to be biased into a default bend corresponding to a high-heeled state even when a low heel is attached to the heel receiver.
Claims37
An article of footwear, comprising:
- a sole having an insole and an outsole, and an outer layer on a rear portion of the outsole, wherein the outer layer is not present on a toe portion of the outsole, and wherein the outer layer is more rigid than the outsole;
- and
- an upper clamped to the sole by one or more clamp plates, wherein each of the one or more clamp plates includes first mating features configured to mate with corresponding second mating features in the sole via corresponding apertures in the upper;
- wherein the one or more clamp plates include a U-shaped heel clamp plate configured to fit into a corresponding U-shaped recess in a heel end of the sole, such that a top surface of the heel clamp plate is flush with a top surface of the sole.
A method of manufacturing an article of footwear, the method comprising:
- aligning first apertures of an upper with corresponding first mating features of a sole;
- clamping the upper to the sole using one or more clamp plates, wherein the one or more clamp plates includes second mating features configured to mate with the first mating features through the apertures of the upper;
- and
- wherein the one or more clamp plates include a U-shaped heel clamp plate configured to fit into a corresponding U-shaped recess in a heel end of the sole, such that a top surface of the heel clamp plate is flush with a top surface of the sole.
An article of footwear, comprising:
- a sole having an insole and an outsole, and an outer layer on a rear portion of the outsole, wherein the outer layer is not present on a toe portion of the outsole, and wherein the outer layer is more rigid than the outsole;
- and
- an upper clamped to the sole by one or more clamp plates, wherein each of the one or more clamp plates includes first mating features configured to mate with corresponding second mating features in the sole via corresponding apertures in the upper;
- wherein the one or more clamp plates include a pair of crescent-shaped clamp plates configured to fit into corresponding lateral recesses at a toe end of the sole, such that the pair of crescent shaped clamp plates secure a front portion of the upper to the sole.
A method of manufacturing an article of footwear, the method comprising:
- aligning first apertures of an upper with corresponding first mating features of a sole;
- clamping the upper to the sole using one or more clamp plates, wherein the one or more clamp plates includes second mating features configured to mate with the first mating features through the apertures of the upper;
- wherein the one or more clamp plates include a pair of crescent-shaped clamp plates configured to fit into corresponding lateral recesses at a toe end of the sole, and a U-shaped heel clamp plate configured to fit into a corresponding U-shaped recess in a heel end of the sole;
- and
- wherein the upper comprises a heel portion and a toe strap portion, and clamping the upper to the sole includes clamping the heel portion to the sole using the heel clamp plate and the toe strap portion to the sole using the pair of crescent-shaped clamp plates.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.