shoes

Abstract

The shoe comprises a sole having a female element and an upper structure having a corresponding male element configured to be received in the female element upon insertion in an insertion direction. The male and female elements have complementary fastening portions including a first fastening portion provided on a peripheral surface of one of the male or female elements and a second fastening portion provided on a peripheral surface of the other of the male or female elements. The first fastening portion has a protrusion protruding in a direction intersecting the insertion direction and the second fastening portion has a fastening recess. The fastening protrusion is configured to engage with the fastening recess when the male element is inserted into the female element, thereby fastening the sole to the upper structure.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to footwear, particularly shoes, and methods of assembling such shoes, and more particularly, to modular shoes that can be disassembled and reassembled to allow for part replacement or separation of shoe components for reuse. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional shoe generally includes a sole structure and an upper secured to the sole structure, and is configured to accommodate and support a foot within the shoe. The sole structure forms the bottom of the shoe and contacts the ground, while the upper holds the shoe against the foot. Thus, the material of the sole structure is typically selected for its frictional qualities and durability, while the material of the upper is often selected for its comfort and aesthetics.

[0003] The upper is typically permanently sewn or bonded to the sole structure to prevent separation of the two components. This prevents the components from being removed or replaced once the shoe is completed. As a result, many shoes are disposed of before all of their components have reached the end of their life. Additionally, the permanent nature of traditional shoe construction does not encourage orderly disposal, where the various component materials are individually reused. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Several known approaches provide means for releasably connecting the upper to the sole structure by means of fasteners or zippers. However, the connections provided by these approaches are typically insufficient to withstand the forces exerted when the shoe is worn for demanding activities such as running. One particular challenge in providing a modular shoe is to achieve component connections that are both easily separable when needed and safe in use.

[0005] It is against this background that the present invention has been made. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] Against this background, the present invention relates to a shoe comprising a sole having a female element and an upper structure having a corresponding male element configured to be received in the female element upon insertion in an insertion direction. The male and female elements have complementary fastening parts including a first fastening part provided on a peripheral surface of one of the male or female elements and including a protrusion protruding in a direction transverse to the insertion direction, and a second fastening part provided on a peripheral surface of the other of the male or female elements and including a fastening recess. The fastening protrusion is configured to engage with the fastening recess when the male element is inserted into the female element, thereby fastening the sole to the upper structure.

[0007] The male and female elements and complementary fasteners allow the sole to be rigidly secured to the upper structure when the shoe is in use, but can be unlocked and removed with sufficient force. This arrangement thus allows the sole and upper structure to be assembled, separated, and replaced with like components in a modular shoe structure as needed. This facilitates shoe manufacturing, repair of worn components, and separation for reuse at the end of their life.

[0008] The upper structure may have an element support surface and the male element may have a body portion extending away from the element support surface in the insertion direction. The body portion may have a free end opposite the element support surface and a circumferential surface extending between the element support surface and the free end.

[0009] The fixing portion of the male element may be provided on the outer circumferential surface.

[0010] The female element may have an opening in the sole for receiving the male element, and the opening may define an inner periphery.

[0011] The fixing portion of the female element may be provided on the inner circumferential surface.

[0012] The fastening portion of the female element may be the first fastening portion and the fastening portion of the male element may be the second fastening portion.

[0013] The locking recess may be substantially continuous around the outer periphery. The locking recess may comprise a groove.

[0014] The locking recess may define an opening for receiving the locking protrusion in the locking recess in the engagement direction. The engagement direction may intersect (i.e., be non-parallel to) the insertion direction. For example, the engagement direction may be perpendicular to the insertion direction.

[0015] The locking recess and locking protrusion may each have first and second complementary abutment surfaces configured to abut upon relative movement of the upper structure in a direction opposite to the insertion direction to prevent disengagement of the male element from the female element.

[0016] The first contact surface may be provided in the fixing recess and face the upper support surface, and the second contact surface may be provided in the fixing protrusion and face the first contact surface when the shoe is assembled.

[0017] The locking protrusion may project from the circumferential surface to define a tip spaced from the circumferential surface. The locking protrusion may have a tapered end region extending between the tip and the circumferential surface and meeting the circumferential surface at an acute angle.

[0018] The locking protrusion may define a first locking protrusion of a set of locking protrusions, and the set of locking protrusions may be arranged to engage the locking recess.

[0019] The body of the male element may have a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, which may have a first geometric shape, and the female element may have a cross-section perpendicular to the insertion direction, which may have a second geometric shape similar to the first geometric shape.

[0020] The sole may have a base surface that faces away from the upper structure when the shoe is assembled. The opening may be a through hole that passes through the sole and opens into the base surface.

[0021] The male and female elements may be configured such that when the shoe is assembled for use, the free ends of the male elements are substantially flush with the base surface to define a ground contact surface.

[0022] The upper structure may include a shoe upper including a base, and an insole including an element support surface and suitable for insertion into the shoe upper. The base may be configured to receive a male element to allow insertion of the male element into the female element, and the base of the shoe upper may be sandwiched between the sole and the insole during assembly of the shoe.

[0023] The base may have an opening through which the male element extends when the insole is inserted into a shoe upper.

[0024] At least a portion of the inner periphery of the female element may be adjacent to the outer edge of the sole, and during assembly of the shoe, the sole may be joined to the upper structure in the region of the outer edge.

[0025] The sole may have a plurality of female elements and the upper structure may have a male element corresponding to each female element.

[0026] The shoe may further comprise a support element removably connectable to the sole and supporting the upper structure.

[0027] The upper structure may have a lateral region, a heel region, and a toe region, and the support element may be positionable to support the lateral region, the heel region, or the toe region.

[0028] The support element and the sole may have complementary connections for releasably connecting the support element to the sole.

[0029] The complementary connection portion of the sole may have a first connection opening, and the complementary connection portion of the support element may have a second connection opening and a male connection element connecting the first and second connection openings.

[0030] The male element may be constructed of substantially the same material as the sole.

[0031] The male element and / or the sole may be made of an elastically deformable material.

[0032] The protrusion of the first fastening part may be integrally formed on the peripheral surface of the male or female element, or may be formed as a separate part that can be attached to the peripheral surface of the male or female element.

[0033] The invention also relates to a method for assembling the above-mentioned modular shoe, comprising the steps of inserting a male element into a female element in an insertion direction, and engaging the first fastening part and the second fastening part when inserting the male element into the female element, thereby fastening the sole to the upper structure. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0034] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an assembled shoe according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a shoe according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a close-up view of a male element of a shoe according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4a] FIG. 4a shows a close-up view of a female element of a shoe according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4b] FIG. 4b is a cross-sectional view of a female element of a shoe according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the upper structure of the shoe according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6a] FIG. 6a is an exploded view of a shoe according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6b] FIG. 6b is a partial exploded view of a shoe according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6c] FIG. 6c is a partial exploded view of a shoe according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6d] FIG. 6d is a rear cross-sectional view of a shoe according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6e] FIG. 6e is a partial exploded view of a shoe according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6f] FIG. 6f is a partial exploded view of a shoe according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an exploded view of a shoe according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an exploded view of a shoe according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an exploded view of a shoe according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an exploded view of a shoe according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0035] In order to facilitate an understanding of the invention, embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0036] FIG. 1 illustrates a shoe 10, and in particular a modular shoe having multiple modular parts that can be assembled together to form the shoe 10, and that can be disassembled, for example at the end of its life to reuse portions, or to allow one or more parts to be replaced, if desired.

[0037] The shoe 10 comprises a sole 12 and an upper structure 14. As best seen in Figure 2, the sole 12 has a plurality of female elements 16 and the upper structure has a plurality of corresponding male elements 18. The male elements 18 are aligned with the female elements 16 and are open to allow the male elements 18 to be inserted into the female elements 16 in an insertion direction D. It will be appreciated that when the shoe 10 is in its in-use orientation, the insertion direction is vertically downward, but that the insertion direction may change when the shoe is in a different orientation.

[0038] The male and female elements 18, 16 are provided with complementary fastening portions 20, 22 that are configured to engage when the male element 18 is inserted into the female element 16. In this example, the female element 16 is provided with a pair of fastening portions 20, each having a fastening protrusion 24, and the fastening portion 22 of the male element 18 having a fastening recess 25. Each fastening protrusion 24 projects in a direction transverse (i.e. non-parallel) to the insertion direction D and is shaped to be received in the fastening recess 25.

[0039] The male and female elements 18, 16 are generally located on the periphery of the shoe 10. For example, but not by way of limitation, the elements may be spaced from the outer edge of the shoe by about 25 mm or less, and preferably about 15 mm or less, such that the central region of the underside of the shoe 10 is substantially free of the male and female elements 18, 16, forming a central element-free region 17 (FIG. 1).

[0040] The sole 12 may be any component that is located between the upper and the ground when the shoe is in use. Typically, it is a midsole, an outsole, or a combination midsole and outsole. In the illustrated embodiment, the sole 12 is a combined midsole and outsole.

[0041] FIG. 3 shows the male element 18 in isolation. The male element 18 has a body portion 26 that is supported on and extends away from the element support surface 18 that forms part of the upper structure 14. Here, the body portion 26 defines a longitudinal axis L parallel to the insertion direction D. The male element is connected to the element support surface 28 via a proximal end of the male element. Opposite the proximal end is a free end 30, to which an outer peripheral surface 32 connects. In this embodiment, the body portion 26 is substantially cylindrical and has a circular cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, but the body portion 26 may have any other suitable shape, for example a cross section of another geometric shape. The body portion does not have to extend perpendicular to the base, but may instead extend at a non-perpendicular angle.

[0042] At the free end 30, the male element 12 has an end face 31. At the outer edge of the end face 31, an edge 33 connecting the end face 31 to the peripheral surface 32 is optionally rounded and forms a taper or incline transitioning from the vertical peripheral surface 32 to the horizontal end face 31. In another embodiment, the edge may be chamfered with a straight taper.

[0043] The fastening recess 25 is formed in the outer peripheral surface 32 of the element 18 and is spaced a short distance, for example of about 2 mm to about 10 mm, preferably about 5 mm, from the free end 30 of the body part 26. The fastening recess 25 has the form of a groove that extends continuously around the circumference of the body part 26. The groove has an opening 34 that allows the fastening projection 24 to be inserted into the groove in a radial engagement direction E that is intersecting (i.e. non-parallel to) the insertion direction D and that is perpendicular to the insertion direction D in this example.

[0044] Opposite the opening 34 is a base surface 36 with sides 38 extending between the base surface 36 and the opening 34. In this example, the base surface 36 and the sides 38 are perpendicular and the groove has a generally square or rectangular cross-section, although other configurations are contemplated.

[0045] As best seen in Figure 2, the male elements 18 vary in length throughout the shoe 10. The length of the male elements 18 corresponds to a corresponding depth of the sole 12 in the region of each female element 16. Thus, in this embodiment, each male element 18 extends the entire depth of the sole 12 when the shoe is assembled. However, in other embodiments, the male elements may not extend the entire depth of the sole.

[0046] 4a and 4b show the female element 16 alone. The female element 16 has an opening 40 in the sole 12, which defines an inner circumferential surface 42. In this example, the opening 40 is a through hole, which opens into both the upper facing surface 44 and the base surface 46 of the sole 12. The opening 40 has substantially the same size and shape as the cross section of the body portion 26 of the male element 18, which in this example is circular and the inner circumferential surface 42 is substantially cylindrical.

[0047] The locking projection 24 is provided on the inner peripheral surface 42 of the female element 16 and is spaced above the base surface 46 by a short vertical distance, for example about 2 mm to about 10 mm, preferably about 5 mm, which corresponds to the distance between the free end 30 and the locking recess 25 of the male element 18.

[0048] The fixing protrusions 24 define a set of fixing protrusions that project radially inwardly from the inner circumferential surface 42. In this example, the set includes three fixing protrusions 24, but may include any suitable number of fixing protrusions 24, for example only one fixing protrusion.

[0049] Each of the fixing protrusions 24 connects to the inner peripheral surface 42 at its base end and extends radially inward toward the tip 48. The upper and lower surfaces 50 and 52 extend substantially perpendicular to the insertion direction and face the upper opposing surface 44 and the base surface 46, respectively. Each of the protrusions 24 has a side end region 54 including a side end surface 56. The side end region 54 is tapered, and the side end surface 56 meets the inner peripheral surface 42 at an acute angle. In this example, the side end surface 56 is a concavely curved surface. These tapered side end regions 54 reduce stress concentration at the points where the fixing protrusions 24 meet the inner peripheral surface 42, thereby improving the wear resistance of the fixing protrusions.

[0050] In this example, the plurality of fastening protrusions 24 together define an outer peripheral edge that projects inwardly from the inner peripheral surface 42. The edge is interrupted to define each fastening protrusion in a set, and the plurality of fastening protrusions 24 are separated by spaces 25, with side end regions 54 adjacent the spaces 25.

[0051] 4b and 2, the fixing protrusions 24 are equally spaced within a set, and the spacing 54 is the same between each adjacent pair of fixing protrusions 24. In this example, the length of each fixing protrusion 24 extending around the inner circumferential surface 42, including the side end regions 54, is greater than the spacing between adjacent fixing protrusions 24.

[0052] It should be noted that the fixing protrusions may have any suitable number, shape, or arrangement.

[0053] Returning to Figure 4b, the opening 40 has substantially the same width over its entire length, except in the area of ​​the fixing tongue 24 and in an enlarged base area 41 which opens into the base surface 46 of the sole 12. In the base area 41, the opening 40 has a slightly larger diameter than the rest of the opening 40. When the male element 18 is placed within the opening 40, the enlarged base area 41 provides a small gap around the free end 30 of the male element 18, which is best seen in Figure 6d.

[0054] FIG. 5 shows upper structure 14 in greater detail, and shows that upper structure 14 has an upper 60 and an insole 62 insertable into upper 60 .

[0055] The insole 62 has a generally planar base 63 including an upper surface defining a foot support surface 64 and a lower surface defining an element support surface 28. The male elements 18 extend downwardly from the element support surface 28. In this example, the base 63 and the male elements 18 are integrally formed from the same object and are constructed of the same material. Suitable materials are, for example, any suitable resin material, rubber material or foam, such as algae foam or flexible polyurethane. Preferably, the material is an elastically deformable material.

[0056] In this example, the upper 60 has a sock-like configuration and includes a base 66 and a shaft 68. In use, the base 66 is sandwiched between the substrate 63 of the insole 62 and the sole 12, and the shaft 68 covers the wearer's foot. The upper may be constructed of any suitable material, such as knitted or woven materials, other textile materials, rubber or other polymers, leather materials, etc. The base 66 and shaft 68 may be constructed of the same material or different materials.

[0057] The base 66 defines a base surface that, in use, is disposed beneath the insole 62. The base 66 is configured such that, when the insole 62 is inserted into the upper 60, with the substrate 63 resting on an upper surface of the base 66, the male elements 18 project below the base surface to engage the female elements 16 of the sole 12.

[0058] In this example, the base 66 has an opening 70 aligned with the male element 18 through which the male element 18 protrudes when the insole 62 is placed within the upper 60. In another example, the upper 60 may be constructed of a flexible material, in which case the base surface 66 may deform around the male element 18.

[0059] FIG. 6a shows the upper structure 14 and sole 12 described above, provided with left and right side support elements 74a, 74b and an additional optional support element 72 in the form of a rear heel support element 76. The side support elements 74a, 74b are configured to follow the contours of the side regions of the upper 60. In this embodiment, the side support elements are generally "U" shaped, although the side support elements may be of any suitable shape. The side support elements 74a, 74b may have lacing holes 78 for receiving laces and reinforcing corresponding lacing holes in the upper 60. The heel support element 76 is configured to follow the heel region of the upper 60, and in particular to cover the rear periphery of the user's heel.

[0060] Support element 72 is configured to provide additional support to the user's foot and is preferably constructed of a material that is harder than the material of upper 60. Any suitable material may be used, such as, for example, a resin material, and any suitable method may be used for formation, such as molding, 3D printing, or forming from cut or stamped sheet material.

[0061] The support element 72 is configured to be removably connected to the sole 12. For this purpose, the support element 72 and the sole 12 have complementary connections 80, 82. In this example, the complementary connection 80 of the sole 12 is a female connection and the complementary connection 82 of the support element 72 is a male connection.

[0062] The sole 12 has front and rear female connection portions 80 on each of the left and right sides of the sole 12. Each female connection portion 80 of the sole 12 has an opening 84 and an enclosing portion 86 surrounding the opening 84. The enclosing portion 86 is configured to protrude vertically upward above the upper surface of the sole 12 when the shoe 10 is in a use orientation. The enclosing portion 86 is also disposed toward the outside of the upper surface of the sole 12. As a result, as shown in FIG. 1, in the assembled shoe 10, the enclosing portion 86 and the opening 84 are located above the upper surface of the sole 12 and toward the outside of the upper structure 14, and are easily accessible for connection of the support element 72.

[0063] In the embodiment shown, each male connection part 82 of each support element 72 is configured to be removable from the support element 72. Here, the male connection part 82 has a removable male connection element 88 in the form of a double-ended stud and an opening 90 provided in the connection part 72. A first end 88a of the stud 88 is insertable into the opening 90 by push-fitting, so that the male connection part 82 of the support element 82 is assembled, and a second end 88b of the stud 88 is insertable into the opening 84 of the female connection part 80 of the sole 12, thereby connecting the support element 82 to the sole 12.

[0064] Each side support element 74a, 74b is configured to connect to a respective one of the front and rear connectors 80 via a respective stud 88. That is, the left side support element 74a is configured to connect to the front left and rear left connectors 80, and the right side support element 74b is configured to connect to the front right and rear right connectors 80 (not visible in FIG. 6a).

[0065] At the rear of the shoe, the heel support element 76 is configured to connect to left and right rear connection portions 80 of the sole 12. Here, at the rear of the shoe, the left side support element 74a connects to the same female connection portion 80 as the left side of the heel support element 76, and the right side support element 74b connects to the same female connection portion 80 as the right side of the heel support element 76. One stud 88 serves as the rear male connection portion 84 of the side support element 74 and as the removable male connection element of the heel support element 76.

[0066] The connecting portions 80, 82 thereby rigidly connect the support element 72 to the sole such that, in use, the support element 72 is positioned outboard of the upper structure 14 to support the user's foot.

[0067] However, in another embodiment, the stud 88 may be integrally formed with the support element 72 to define the male connection portion 82. In this case, the stud may be a single-headed stud.

[0068] Each step in the assembly of the shoe will now be described with reference to Figs. 6a to 6f.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 6a, a sole 12, an upper 60 and an insole 62, and a support element 72 are provided.

[0070] First, the insole 62 is inserted into the upper 60 to form the upper structure 14, as in the configuration shown in Figure 6b. The male elements 18 are aligned with the openings 70 in the base 66 of the upper 60, and the insole 62 is pressed into place such that the base surface 28 of the substrate 63 of the insole 62 rests on the base 66 of the upper 60 and the male elements 18 protrude through the openings 70.

[0071] Then, as shown in Figures 6c and 6d, the upper structure 14 is fitted onto the sole 12. The male elements 18 of the upper structure 14 are aligned with the female elements 18 of the sole 12 and inserted in an insertion direction D. The insertion continues until the free ends 30 of the male elements 18, in particular the rounded edges 33, come into contact with the fixing protrusions 24 of the female element, in particular the upper faces 50 of the fixing protrusions 24.

[0072] Now, pressure is exerted on the rounded edge from the locking protrusion 24 in the region of the male element 18 until the locking recess 25 is aligned with the locking protrusion 24. When this is done, the locking protrusion 24 enters in a snap-fit ​​manner into the locking recess 25 in an engagement direction perpendicular to the insertion direction D, whereby the male element 18 is locked in the female element 16.

[0073] When all fastening parts 20, 22 are successfully engaged, the base 66 of the upper 60 is sandwiched between the upper facing surface 44 of the sole 12 and the underside surface 28 of the insole 62. The height of each male element 18 in the insertion direction corresponds to the height of each female element 16, so that the end surface 31 of each male element 18 is flush with the base surface 46 of the sole 12. Here, in this embodiment, the end surface 31 and the base surface 46 together define the lower ground contact surface of the shoe 10 that contacts the ground in use. In alternative embodiments where the male elements do not extend completely through the sole 12, the lower ground contact surface of the shoe may be defined only by the base surface of the sole.

[0074] Finally, the support element 72 is connected to the sole 12, as shown in Figures 6e and 6f. The support element 72 is placed in a predetermined position on the outside of the upper, so that the connection openings of the support element 72 are next to the connection openings of the sole 12, as shown in Figure 6e. Then, the studs 88 are pressed in to connect the connection openings, thereby fixing the support element 72 in place.

[0075] In this state, the shoe 10 is fully assembled for use.

[0076] In that assembled state, the fastening parts 20, 22 hold the sole 12 and the upper structure 14 together particularly firmly, so that when the shoe 10 is worn, the components remain engaged and there is no risk of separation. In particular, if, during use of the shoe 10, a force arises which tends to move the upper structure 14 upwards relative to the sole 12, the lower surface 52 of the fastening projection 24 abuts against the lower horizontal surface 38 of the fastening recess 25, preventing said movement, see Fig. 6d. The lower surface 52 of the fastening projection 24 and the lower horizontal surface 38 of the fastening recess 25 thus define corresponding abutment surfaces which, during normal use, tend to prevent the male element 18 from being withdrawn from the female element 16 in the direction opposite to the insertion direction.

[0077] When the shoe 10 is in use, forces tending to separate the sole 12 from the upper structure 14 are most likely to act at the edges of the sole 12. By locating the male and female elements 18, 16 near the edges of the shoe 10, particularly good engagement is achieved at the edges of the sole where it is most needed. This allows for a particularly strong engagement to be achieved.

[0078] To disassemble the shoe 10, for example to replace components or to recycle a used shoe 10, the upper structure 14 can be separated from the sole 12 by application of an appropriate force. This may be done by hand, with a suitable tool, or with a machine.

[0079] Due to the elastically deformable material of the male element 16, as well as the gap area around the rounded edge 33 of the end region 30 of the male element 18, the male element 18 can be biased to one side of the opening 40 of the female element 16, whereby the locking protrusion 24 is pulled out of the locking recess 25 on one side of the male and female elements 18, 16 in the direction opposite to the engagement direction.

[0080] When disassembly of the upper assembly is necessary, the insole 62 can be easily removed from the upper 60 by pulling the base 63 , and thus the male elements 18 , out of the openings 70 .

[0081] Once the components have been separated, the shoe may be reused as desired, or one or more components may be replaced and the shoe reassembled for reuse.

[0082] The modular shoe construction thus provides a shoe that is safe in use whilst being easily disassembled and reassembled as required, particularly through the combination of male and female elements and complementary fastenings.

[0083] Figure 7 shows an alternative modular shoe structure. The sole 112 is substantially the same as the sole of Figure 2. The upper structure 114 differs, however, in that the male element 118 is provided as an integral component with the shoe upper 160. Here, the element support surface 128 is defined by the base of the upper 160, and the male element 118 projects from said base. In this embodiment, a separate insole may not be provided, or the insole may be provided as a conventional insole (not shown) that can be placed within the upper 160 in a conventional manner.

[0084] 8 illustrates another embodiment of the support element 72 in the form of a toe cap 92 for supporting the toe box region of a shoe. Accordingly, the toe cap 92 is configured to fit around the outside of the toe box region of the upper structure 14 and has a base 94 that extends below the upper structure 14 and is sandwiched between the upper structure 14 and the sole 12 in use.

[0085] The base 94 has an opening 96 aligned with the male element 18 on the upper structure 14, and the male element 18 protrudes through the opening 96 in the toe cap 92 to engage with the female element 16 on the sole 12 when the base 94 of the toe cap 92 is positioned between the upper structure 14 and the sole 12.

[0086] Alternatively, the toe cap 92 may be configured to fit within the toe box region of the upper structure 14 shown in Figure 5. In such an example, the toe cap 92 may be secured in place by sandwiching the base 94 of the toe cap 92 between the insole 62 and the base 66 of the upper 60 such that the male elements 18 on the insole 62 protrude through openings 96 in the toe cap 92 and into the respective female elements 16 on the sole 12.

[0087] The toe cap 92 is preferably constructed of a material suitable for protecting the wearer's toes during use. Any suitable material may be used, such as, for example, a resin or rubber material, and any suitable method may be used for formation, such as molding, 3D printing, or forming from cut or punched sheet material. The base 94 may be constructed of a different material than the remainder of the toe cap 92 to maintain the soft and smooth characteristics of the insole.

[0088] FIG. 9 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the above-described lateral support elements 74a, 74b shown in FIGS. 6a-6f. In this embodiment, the left and right lateral support elements 174a, 174b are connected via a bridge region 98 that functions generally similarly to the base 94 of the toe cap 92 described above. That is, the lateral support elements 174a, 174b are secured in place by sandwiching the bridge region 98 between the upper structure 14 and the sole 12. Accordingly, the bridge region 98 has an opening 96 configured to align with the male element 18 such that the male element 18 may pass through the opening 96 in the bridge region 98 and engage with the female element 16 of the sole 12 during assembly of the shoe 10.

[0089] As shown in FIG. 10, the same principle of sandwiching a support element 72 between the upper structure 14 and the sole 12 may be applied to a rear heel support element 76, or any other support element 72 that may be required.

[0090] In the above-described embodiment, the locking protrusion is an integral part of the female element so as to be integrally formed on the circumferential surface, but this is not limiting. For example, the protrusion may be formed as a separate locking element. In this case, the male or female element may have a recess for receiving a first portion of the separate locking element. And, a second portion of the locking element may be received in a locking recess provided in the other of the male or female element.

[0091] Other embodiments and variations are possible. For example, the male and female elements may be provided in any suitable size, shape, or number and may be located in any suitable portion of the shoe. Any suitable materials may be used for the components.

[0092] The upper structure may have any suitable configuration, and embodiments are specifically contemplated in which the upper does not completely encase the foot, for example, the upper may encase only a portion of the foot or may only have laces or other configurations for securing the upper structure to the foot.

[0093] Other modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. a sole having a female element; an upper structure having a corresponding male element configured to be received within the female element upon insertion in an insertion direction; Equipped with The male and female elements have complementary fastening portions; The complementary fixing portion is a first fixing portion provided on a peripheral surface of one of the male or female elements and including a protrusion protruding in a direction intersecting the insertion direction; A second fixing portion provided on the circumferential surface of the other of the male or female elements and including a fixing recess; having The fixing protrusion is configured to engage with the fixing recess when the male element is inserted into the female element, thereby fixing the sole to the upper structure.

2. The upper structure has an element support surface; the male element has a body portion extending away from the element support surface in the insertion direction; The main body portion is an opposite free end of said element support surface; a peripheral surface extending between said element support surface and said free end; The shoe of claim 1 , comprising:

3. The shoe according to claim 2 , wherein the fixing portion of the male element is provided on the outer circumferential surface.

4. the female element having an opening in the sole for receiving the male element; The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the opening defines an inner periphery.

5. The shoe according to claim 4 , wherein the fixing portion of the female element is provided on the inner circumferential surface.

6. the fastening portion of the female element is the first fastening portion, The shoe according to claim 1 , wherein the fastening portion of the male element is the second fastening portion.

7. The upper structure has an element support surface, the male element has a body portion extending away from the element support surface in the insertion direction; The main body portion is an opposite free end of said element support surface; a peripheral surface extending between said element support surface and said free end; having The shoe of claim 6 , wherein the locking recess is substantially continuous around the periphery.

8. The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the locking recess comprises a groove.

9. The shoe according to claim 1 , wherein the locking recess defines an opening for receiving the locking protrusion in the locking recess in an engagement direction intersecting the insertion direction.

10. 2. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the locking recess and the locking protrusion have first and second complementary abutment surfaces, respectively, configured to abut when the upper structure moves relative to the male element in a direction opposite to the insertion direction, thereby preventing disengagement of the male element from the female element.

11. The fixing portion of the female element is the first fixing portion, the fastening portion of the male element is the second fastening portion, The first abutment surface is provided in the fixed recess and faces the upper support surface, The shoe according to claim 10 , wherein the second contact surface is provided on the fixing convex portion and faces the first contact surface when the shoe is assembled.

12. The fixing protrusion protrudes from the peripheral surface to define a tip spaced from the peripheral surface, The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the fastening projection has a tapered end region extending between the tip and the circumferential surface and intersecting the circumferential surface at an acute angle.

13. The locking protrusion defines a first locking protrusion of a set of locking protrusions; The shoe according to claim 1 , wherein the set of locking projections are arranged to engage with the locking recesses.

14. the body portion of the male element has a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the cross-section having a first geometric shape; The shoe of claim 2 , wherein the female element has a cross section perpendicular to the insertion direction, the cross section having a second geometric shape similar to the first geometric shape.

15. the sole has a base surface that faces away from the upper structure when the shoe is assembled; The shoe according to claim 4 , wherein the opening is a through hole that penetrates the sole and opens into the base surface.

16. The upper structure has an element support surface, the male element has a body portion extending away from the element support surface in the insertion direction; The main body portion is an opposite free end of said element support surface; a peripheral surface extending between said element support surface and said free end; having 16. The shoe of claim 15, wherein the male and female elements are configured such that, when the shoe is assembled for use, the free ends (of the male elements) are substantially flush with the base surface to define a ground contact surface.

17. The upper structure includes: a shoe upper including a base; an insole including the element support surface and adapted for insertion into the shoe upper; having 3. The shoe of claim 2, wherein the base is configured to receive the male element to permit insertion of the male element into the female element, and the base of the shoe upper is sandwiched between the sole and the insole during assembly of the shoe.

18. 18. The shoe of claim 17, wherein the base has an opening through which the male element extends when the insole is inserted into the shoe upper.

19. 5. The shoe according to claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the inner circumferential surface of the female element is adjacent to an outer edge of the sole, and wherein, when the shoe is assembled, the sole is joined to the upper structure in the region of the outer edge.

20. The sole has a plurality of female elements; The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the upper structure has a male element corresponding to each of the female elements.

21. The shoe of claim 1 , further comprising a support element removably connectable to the sole and supporting the upper structure.

22. the upper structure having a side region, a heel region, and a toe region; 22. The shoe of claim 21, wherein the support element is positionable to support the side region, the heel region, or the toe region.

23. 22. The shoe of claim 21, wherein the support element and the sole have complementary connections for releasably connecting the support element to the sole.

24. The complementary connection portion of the sole has a first connection opening; 24. The shoe according to claim 23, wherein the complementary connection portion of the support element comprises a second connection opening and a male connection element connecting the first and second connection openings.

25. The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the male element is constructed from substantially the same material as the sole.

26. The shoe according to claim 1 , wherein the male element and / or the sole are made of an elastically deformable material.

27. The shoe according to claim 1 , wherein the convex portion of the first fastening portion is integrally formed on the circumferential surface of the male or female element.

28. 10. A method for assembling a modular shoe according to claim 1, comprising the steps of: inserting the male element into the female element in an insertion direction; when inserting the male element into the female element, engaging the first fastening portion with the second fastening portion, thereby fastening the sole to the upper structure; A method comprising:

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