Custom article of footwear
OwnerRobert M. Lydeninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention teaches a custom article of footwear, a method of making the same, and a method of conducting retail and Internet business. In particular, the components of the custom article of footwear can be selected from a wide range of options, and they can be easily removed and replaced, as desired.
Claims22
An article of footwear comprising an upper, a heel counter having a pocket, a sole, an inferior spring element having an end disposed in said pocket, and a single mechanical fastener comprising male and female releasable parts, said inferior spring element disposed below the upper, wherein said upper, said heel counter, said sole, and said inferior spring element are releasably secured together with said mechanical fastener.
An article of footwear comprising an upper having a superior side, an inferior side, an anterior side, a posterior side, a medial side, a lateral side, an exterior, an interior, an integral heel counter having a pocket, a sole, means for cushioning including an inferior spring element disposed below the upper having an end disposed in said pocket, and a single releasable mechanical fastener, said upper including said heel counter, said sole, and said means for cushioning including said inferior spring element being releasably secured together with said mechanical fastener, said means for cushioning including said inferior spring element being secured between said upper and said sole.
An article of footwear comprising an upper having a length, a superior side, an inferior side, a medial side, a lateral side, an anterior side, a posterior side, an exterior, and an interior, an insole, a sole, a heel counter having a pocket, said heel counter and pocket being rigid, said heel counter extending anteriorly from said posterior side in the range between fifty and sixty percent of the length of said upper, and an inferior spring element disposed below the upper and having an end disposed in said pocket and secured in functional relation to said heel counter.
An article of footwear comprising an upper, a heel counter having a pocket, a sole, an inferior spring element having an end disposed in said pocket and comprising a medial fork and a lateral fork, and a single mechanical fastener comprising releasable male and female parts, said inferior spring element disposed below the upper, wherein said upper, said heel counter, said sole, and said inferior spring element are releasably secured together with said mechanical fastener.
An article of footwear comprising an anterior side, posterior side, medial side, lateral side, superior side, inferior side, a sole, and an upper having a forefoot area, a midfoot area, and a rearfoot area, said upper comprising an exoskeleton including means for mechanically engaging at least a portion of said sole, said exoskeleton comprising at least one groove portion extending substantially around the anterior side, medial side, and lateral side on the inferior side of said upper in said forefoot area, said sole comprising an anterior outsole element including an outsole portion and also a backing portion comprising a tongue portion, the backing portion of said anterior outsole element being insertable within said at least one groove portion of said exoskeleton in said forefoot area on said inferior side of said upper along a transverse line extending between said medial side and said lateral side corresponding to the widest portion of said forefoot area, said anterior outsole element extending from said anterior side of said forefoot area and having an end disposed within a pocket located in said midfoot area, said anterior outsole element being removably secured in a functional relation to said upper with a removable mechanical fastener.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.