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US 9,808,044 B2Granted
Modifiable and decorative footwear
OwnerDeborah S Teitz, Susan Schlissermaninventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Footwear which can be modified and decorated by a wearer includes a sole through which a set of spaced-apart tunnels are formed which extend the full width of the sole. At least one strip of material is wound through the tunnels and along the opposite sides of the sole and the outer perimeter of the heel region to form loops extending between selected tunnel ends along the right and left sides of the sole and the outer perimeter of the heel region. Ribbons of different colors, shapes and fabrics can be attached to and between the loops enabling a wearer to modify the appearance of the footwear.
Claims21
Modifiable footwear comprising:
- a sole shaped to conform generally to a foot of a wearer;
- said sole having:
- (a) a predetermined thickness with top and bottom surfaces generally parallel to each other;
- (b) a width extending between a right side and a left side;
- and (c) a length extending between a heel region and a toe region;
- N spaced apart tunnels, where N is an integer greater than one;
- said N tunnels formed between the top and bottom surfaces of the sole and running generally parallel to each other in a generally perpendicular direction to the length of the footwear;
- said N tunnels extending across the full width of the sole with ends along the right and left sides of the sole;
- and
- a set of horizontal loops for enabling lacing material to be wrapped around and through said loops and around the foot of a wearer, selected ones of said loops extending horizontally along the left side and along the right side of the footwear;
- each loop along the right side of the footwear having a paired corresponding loop along the left side of the footwear, each loop and its corresponding paired loop being formed by winding the same strip of material between the same two tunnels and along opposite sides of the footwear between the same two tunnels wherein each loop and its paired corresponding loop are formed with the same strip of selected material;
- said loops formed by at least one strip of material wound to have one or more closed configurations and solely in a horizontal plane within and through the tunnels and along the right and left sides of the sole and an outer perimeter of the heel region to form said horizontal loops extending between selected tunnel ends along the right and left sides of the sole and the outer perimeter of the heel region, said horizontal loops extending exteriorly to the left and right sides of the sole between said top and bottom surfaces of said sole and in a parallel horizontal direction with the sides.
9 more elements
Modifiable footwear comprising:
- a sole shaped to conform generally to a foot of a wearer;
- said sole having:
- (a) top and bottom surfaces, generally parallel to each other, spaced apart by a predetermined thickness;
- (b) a width extending between a right side and a left side;
- and (c) a length extending between a heel region and a toe region;
- at least two spaced apart tunnels running generally parallel to each other extending across the full width of the sole between the right side and the left side;
- said tunnels being formed between the top and bottom surfaces of the sole;
- and
- permanent and fixed horizontal loops formed along the exterior of the sole and following its contour for enabling selected ribbons to be wound around and through the loops and the foot of a wearer including:
- (a) a first horizontal loop formed by extending a strip of selected material along the exterior right side of the sole and between two selected spaced apart tunnels and positioned between the top and bottom surfaces of the sole;
- and (b) a second horizontal loop, opposite the first loop, formed by extending said strip of said selected material through said two selected spaced apart tunnels and along the exterior left side of the sole between said two selected spaced apart tunnels and positioned between the top and bottom surfaces, said first and second horizontal loops are paired and extend exteriorly to the left and right sides of the sole between said top and bottom surfaces of said sole wherein said first and second loops are formed with the same strip of selected material and in a parallel horizontal direction with the sides;
- said horizontal loops enabling selected ribbons to be wound around and through the loops and the foot of a wearer.
9 more elements
A modifiable footwear kit including:
- a sole shaped to conform generally to a foot of a wearer;
- said sole having:
- (a) a predetermined thickness with top and bottom surfaces generally parallel to each other;
- (b) a width extending between a right side and a left side;
- and (c) a length extending between a heel region and a toe region;
- N spaced apart tunnels, where N is an integer greater than one;
- said N tunnels formed between the top and bottom surfaces of the sole and running generally parallel to each other in a generally perpendicular direction to the length of the footwear;
- said N tunnels extending across the full width of the sole with ends along the right and left sides of the sole;
- at least one strip of material wound through the tunnels and along the right and left sides of the sole and an outer perimeter of the heel region to form horizontal loops extending in the horizontal direction between selected tunnel ends along the right and left sides of the sole and the outer perimeter of the heel region;
- said horizontal loops extending exteriorly to the left and right sides of the sole between said top and bottom surfaces of said sole and in a parallel horizontal direction with the sides;
- selected ones of said loops extending horizontally along the left side and along the right side of the sole;
- each loop along the right side of the sole having a corresponding loop along the left side of the sole, each loop and its corresponding loop being formed between the same two tunnels
- the same strip of selected material;
- said loops along the sides of the sole being paired and following the contour of the sole;
- and
- a selection of ribbons of different colors, shapes and fabrics which can be selectively wound around and through said loops and around the foot of a wearer for securing the footwear to the foot of a user.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.