Shoes with interchangeable upper skins

Abstract

A shoe system (10) can include a shoe with a sole (12) and an upper (14) attached to the sole (12) to form a foot space (16). The foot space (16) includes a toebox (18), a midfoot region (20), a heel region (22), and a collared opening (24) at the heel region (22), which allows a user's foot to be inserted into the foot space (16)..A flexion point (26) occurs between the toebox (18) and the midfoot region (20), The upper (14) also includes a skin¬ receiving area. (28) oriented over at least one of the toebox (18) and midfoot region (20), with a shoe skin registration fastener (30) oriented within or adjacent the skin-receiving area (28). The system (10) also includes a plurality of shoe skins (32) which are removably attachable within the skin-receiving area (28) and include a complementary shoe skin registration fastener (34) adapted to removably couple with the shoe skin registration fastener (30).

Description

[0001]SHOES WITH INTERCHANGEABLE UPPER SKINS RELATED APPLICATION This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.63 / 584,771, filed September 22, 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND Shoes are one of the most popular articles of clothing, with people commonly owning many different pairs. A lot of times, people own different shoes for different occasions or activities. It is also common for people to own different shoes for stylistic purposes, such as to match different outfits. However, one drawback to this is that in order to have shoes in different colors, designs, or made out of different materials, one must purchase a new pair of shoes for each desired appearance. This can get expensive and result in an unnecessary number of shoes, also creating storage challenges. SUMMARY This invention relates to a shoe system with a sole and an upper attached to the sole that forms a foot space. The foot space includes a toebox, a midfoot region, a heel region, and a collared opening at the heel region, which allows a user’s foot to be inserted into the foot space. Additionally, a flexion point occurs between the toebox and the midfoot region. Furthermore, the upper also includes a skin-receiving area oriented over at least one of the toebox and midfoot region. At least one shoe skin registration fastener is also oriented within or adjacent the skin-receiving area. The system also includes a plurality of shoe skins which are removably attachable within the skin-receiving area. Each of the plurality of shoe skins can also include a complementary shoe skin registration fastener adapted to removably couple with the shoe skin registration fastener. There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention so that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and so that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. Other features of the present invention will become clearer from the following detailed description of the invention, taken with the accompanying drawings and claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side view of the shoe system with the plurality of shoe skins attached in accordance with one example. FIG.2 is a top view of the upper insole in accordance with one example. FIG. 3A is a top view of the plurality of shoe skins in accordance with another example. FIG.3B is a bottom view of the plurality of shoe skins in accordance with the example of FIG.3A. FIG.4A is a top view of the toebox of the shoe system with the plurality of shoe skins attached in accordance with another example. FIG.4B is a top view of the toebox of the shoe system without the plurality of shoe skins attached in accordance with another example. FIG.5 is a side view of the shoe system without the plurality of shoe skins attached and with the collared extension sleeve attached. These drawings are provided to illustrate various aspects of the invention and are not intended to be limiting of the scope in terms of dimensions, materials, configurations, arrangements or proportions unless otherwise limited by the claims. DETAILED DESCRIPTION While these exemplary embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, it should be understood that other embodiments may be realized and that various changes to the invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, the following more detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, as claimed, but is presented for purposes of illustration only and not limitation to describe the features and characteristics of the present invention, to set forth the best mode of operation of the invention, and to sufficiently enable one skilled in the art to practice the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is to be defined solely by the appended claims. Definitions In describing and claiming the present invention, the following terminology will be used. The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a fastener” includes reference to one or more of such materials and reference to “the sole” refers to one or more of such features. As used herein with respect to an identified property or circumstance, “substantially” refers to a degree of deviation that is sufficiently small so as to not measurably detract from the identified property or circumstance. The exact degree of deviation allowable may in some cases depend on the specific context. As used herein, “adjacent” refers to the proximity of two structures or elements. Particularly, elements that are identified as being “adjacent” may be either abutting or connected. Such elements may also be near or close to each other without necessarily contacting each other. The exact degree of proximity may in some cases depend on the specific context. As used herein, the term “about” is used to provide flexibility and imprecision associated with a given term, metric or value. The degree of flexibility for a particular variable can be readily determined by one skilled in the art. However, unless otherwise enunciated, the term “about” generally connotes flexibility of less than 2%, and most often less than 1%, and in some cases less than 0.01%. As used herein, a plurality of items, structural elements, compositional elements, and / or materials may be presented in a common list for convenience. However, these lists should be construed as though each member of the list is individually identified as a separate and unique member. Thus, no individual member of such list should be construed as a de facto equivalent of any other member of the same list solely based on their presentation in a common group without indications to the contrary. As used herein, the term “at least one of” is intended to be synonymous with “one or more of.” For example, “at least one of A, B and C” explicitly includes only A, only B, only C, or combinations of each. Numerical data may be presented herein in a range format. It is to be understood that such range format is used merely for convenience and brevity and should be interpreted flexibly to include not only the numerical values explicitly recited as the limits of the range, but also to include all the individual numerical values or sub-ranges encompassed within that range as if each numerical value and sub-range is explicitly recited. For example, a numerical range of about 1 to about 4.5 should be interpreted to include not only the explicitly recited limits of 1 to about 4.5, but also to include individual numerals such as 2, 3, 4, and sub- ranges such as 1 to 3, 2 to 4, etc. The same principle applies to ranges reciting only one numerical value, such as “less than about 4.5,” which should be interpreted to include all of the above-recited values and ranges. Further, such an interpretation should apply regardless of the breadth of the range or the characteristic being described. Any steps recited in any method or process claims may be executed in any order and are not limited to the order presented in the claims. Means-plus-function or step-plus- function limitations will only be employed where for a specific claim limitation all of the following conditions are present in that limitation: a) “means for” or “step for” is expressly recited; and b) a corresponding function is expressly recited. The structure, material or acts that support the means-plus function are expressly recited in the description herein. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined solely by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the descriptions and examples given herein. Example Embodiments A technology is described for shoes with interchangeable shoe skins. Referring now to FIG.1, shoe system 10 can include a shoe with a sole 12 and an upper 14 attached to the sole 12 that forms a foot space 16 is shown. The foot space 16 includes a toebox 18, a midfoot region 20, a heel region 22, and a collared opening 24 at the heel region 22. The collared opening allows a user’s foot to be inserted into the foot space 16. Additionally, a flexion point 26 occurs between the toebox 18 and the midfoot region 20. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4A and 4B, the upper 14 also includes a skin-receiving area 28 oriented over at least one of the toebox 18 and midfoot region 20, with a shoe skin registration fastener 30 oriented within or adjacent the skin-receiving area 28. The system also includes a plurality of shoe skins 32 which are removably attachable within the skin-receiving area 28 and include a complementary shoe skin registration fastener 34 adapted to removably couple with the shoe skin registration fastener 30. The registration fastener 30 allows for proper alignment of the shoe skins 32. Referring again to FIG. 1, the sole 12 can be constructed of any material which is flexible and sufficiently resilient to protect feet from impact with grounds surface during walking over time. As non-limiting examples, the sole can be constructed from natural rubber, leather, polyurethane (PU), PVC compounds, other synthetic or natural materials, or a combination thereof. Similarly, the upper 14 can be constructed from any materials which are flexible, exhibit a desired breathability, and can provide resilient integrity to the foot space. Non-limiting examples of suitable materials for construction of the upper can include natural leather, PU, mesh, satin, canvas, engineered mesh, engineered knit, sheet knit, sheet / roll mesh, neoprene, other synthetic or natural materials, or a combination thereof. The upper 14 can be attached to the sole 12 in a variety of ways, including glue, stitching, injection molding, adhesive bonding, regular construction, and other methods. In other embodiments, the sole 12 and upper 14 can be one solid piece, as opposed to two separate pieces. The upper 14 forms a foot space 16, designed to house a user’s foot. The foot space 16 includes a toebox 18, a midfoot region 20, a heel region 22, and a collared opening 24 at the heel region 22, which allows a user’s foot to be inserted into the foot space 16. The collared opening 24 can be a variety of shapes and stiffness levels. Additionally, in some aspects, the collared opening 24 progressively gets narrower from a bottom to a top portion of the upper 14. The toebox 18 is designed to be where the toes are located, the midfoot region 20 where the midfoot is located, and the heel region 22 where the heel is located, all while the foot is housed in the foot space 16. In some embodiments, the toebox 18, midfoot region 20, and the heel region 22 are all constructed from a common material. In other embodiments, the toebox 18, midfoot region 20, and heel region 22 are all constructed from different materials. In yet another embodiment, a combination of construction materials can be used for one or more regions. The foot space 16 can be constructed in many different sizes in order to accommodate different sized feet. Additionally, a flexion point 26 occurs between the toebox 18 and the midfoot region 20. The flexion point 26 is where the shoe flexes, and corresponds to a location where the foot naturally flexes while walking or running. This flexion point 26 can be on a border of the toebox 28 and midfoot region 20. The flexion point 26 can also vary in location from shoe to shoe, depending on shoe design, chosen materials, flexibility changes, and size of the user’s foot. Furthermore, the upper also includes a skin-receiving area 28 oriented over at least one of the toebox 28 and midfoot region 20, with a shoe skin registration fastener 30 oriented within or adjacent the skin-receiving area 28. The skin-receiving area 28 can be of varying depth and shape. Generally, the skin-receiving area can encompass the entirety or a partial portion of the toebox 18, midfoot region 20, or both. As for the shoe skin registration fastener 30, suitable mechanisms can include, but are not limited to, a button clasp, hook and loop fastener, stretch rope cording, button loops, or other suitable types of fasteners. The registration fastener can be made of out plastic (e.g. PU, PE, PC, etc), metal (e.g. steel, aluminum, nickel, alloys of these etc), or other synthetic or natural materials. In some cases, the shoe skin registration fastener is not a hook and loop fastener, and in some cases the shoe skin registration fastener is of a fastener type distinct from a secondary fastener mechanism as described below. The system also includes a plurality of shoe skins 32 which are removably attachable within the skin-receiving 28 area and include a complementary shoe skin registration fastener 34 adapted to removably couple with the shoe skin registration fastener 30. By coupling with the shoe skin registration fastener 30, the plurality of shoe skins 32 can be correctly lined up with the skin-receiving area 28. One or more shoe skin registration fasteners may be used. Furthermore, as the shoe skin 32 is laid into the skin-receiving area 28 a secondary fastening mechanism can be used to secure the shoe skin within the skin-receiving area. These secondary fastening mechanisms can be distributed along a periphery of the shoe skin, along substantially an entire inner surface of the shoe skin, or within selected regions of an underside of the shoe skin. Non-limiting examples of secondary fastening mechanisms can include hook and loop fastener, snaps, buttons, channel receiver lips, zippers, or the like. The secondary fastening mechanisms can be attached to the shoe skin in a variety of ways, including glue, stitching, injection molding, adhesive bonding, and other methods. In one example, methods such as double stitching can be used to ensure the secondary fastening mechanisms remain attached to the shoe. The use of secondary fastening mechanisms ensures that the plurality of shoe skins 32 look like a natural part of the shoe system 10 and avoid crooked alignment on the shoe system 10, and are flush with the rest of the upper 14. The plurality of shoe skins 32 can be many different shapes and sizes, corresponding to the shape of the skin-receiving area 28. The shoe skins can also be different colors and constructed from suitable flexible materials. Non-limiting examples of suitable flexible materials for the shoe skins can include natural leather, PU, mesh, satin, canvas, nylon, polyester, ripstop (i.e. a woven nylon), other synthetic or natural materials, or a combination thereof. In another alternative, the shoe skins can include printed patterns, stitched patterns, or other indicia (e.g. logos, words, artwork, etc). In some cases, the shoe system 10 can be free of shoe laces or other tightening mechanism. This allows for the shoe system 10 to be a slip-on, allowing to user to not have to tie or tighten the shoe system in any way before use. This can be accomplished by constructing the upper 14 with materials that have some elasticity, allowing the upper 14 to retain its shape after the user’s foot is inserted into the foot space 16. Additionally, the lack of shoe laces or other tightening mechanism allows for the plurality of shoe skins 32 to be oriented flush with an upper surface of the skin-receiving area when placed within the area 28. In other cases, the shoe system 10 can include shoe laces as traditionally applied. In these cases, the shoe laces can be oriented outside of the skin-receiving area (i.e. either side, or above the shoe skins). However, in other cases, the shoe laces can be oriented beneath the shoe skins within the skin-receiving area and flush therewith such that application of the shoe skin will coverup or obscure the shoe laces. In another embodiment, the sole 12 includes and upper insole 36, and outsole 38, and a midsole 40. The upper insole 36 is designed to be in contact with the user’s foot when inserted in the foot space 16. The upper insole can have different shapes, with varying amounts of arch support, making the user’s foot comfortable while wearing the shoes. The midsole 40, which is coupled to the upper insole 36, allows for various amounts of cushioning depending on thickness of the upper insole. The amount of cushioning can range from no cushioning at all to an amount of cushioning allowable by the foot space and available materials. The outsole 38 can be coupled to the midsole 40 and is designed to be in contact with the ground. The outsole can have a ground surface contact pattern, allowing for suitable grip on the ground when moving. The upper insole 36, midsole 40, and outsole 38 can be secured to each other via gluing, stitching, molding (i.e. in parts or as a single integrated piece), or other suitable securing methods. In another embodiment, the upper 14 can be secured to the sole 12 along an outer perimeter of the sole 12. The upper can be secured in a variety of ways, including but not limited to, gluing, stitching, injection molding, adhesive bonding, regular construction, and other methods. In some cases, the upper 14 can be at least partially constructed from a stretch knit engineered mesh. This allows for the upper 14 to be breathable, flexible, while having some increased elasticity over non-stretch knit materials. The upper can also be custom tailored for specific needs such as specific zonal breathability areas, density variations in specific areas to provide support / protection, design patterns within the mesh, add multiple colors within the mesh, add multiple textures / different hole sizes within the mesh, and / or adaptations for specific climates. As previously mentioned, the flexion point 26 of the shoe system 10 can occur between the toebox 18 and the midfoot region 20 of the shoe system 10. In some cases, the flexion point 26 can be located within 10% of from 20% to 40% of a length of the upper 14 as measured from a toe end, and in other cases within 5% of 20% to 40% of the length, and in other cases from 25% to 45% of the length from the toe. Additionally, in some embodiments, the skin-receiving area 28 does not cover, either partially or fully, the flexion point 26. Such a configuration, can prevent the plurality of shoe skins 32, when attached to the skin-receiving area 28, from having to flex with the flexion point 26, which may diminish their appearance or securement on the shoe system 10. In some aspects, the skin-receiving area is flush with surrounding regions. However, in some aspects, the skin-receiving area 28 is a recessed area. For example, the recessed area can be about 3mm deep. Accordingly, the plurality of shoe skins 32 can be roughly the same thickness, as to fit in the recessed skin receiving area 28 and to sit flush with the rest of the upper 14 when attached. In these examples, the recessed area can be isolated from surrounding features by an elevated trim, variation in thickness, or the like. As a general guideline the depth of the recessed skin-receiving area can be 0.1mm to 5mm and in some cases 0.5mm to 2mm, in other cases 0.5 mm to 5 mm, and in some cases from 1 mm to 3.5 mm. Furthermore, the shoe skin registration fastener 30, which aligns the plurality of shoe skins 32 with the skin-receiving area 28, can be a button clasp in one example embodiment. The shoe skin registration fastener 30 can also be located at a central location along a longitudinal centerline of the shoe on the top of the upper 14 in order to give a central location for fastening of the plurality of shoe skins 32. In some cases, the registration fastener can be oriented at a central location along the longitudinal centerline of the shoe on a tip region of the shoe skin, or along other edges of the shoe skin. In another embodiment, each of the plurality of shoe skins 32 substantially fills an entirety of the skin-receiving area 28, as to not allow any part of the skin-receiving area 28 to be exposed when a shoe skin is installed. Alternatively, each of the plurality of shoe skins 32 can only partially fill the skin-receiving area 28. Furthermore, each of the plurality of shoe skins 32 can have an outer surface which is substantially flush with an outer surface of adjacent portions of the upper 14 when oriented within the skin-receiving area 28. In some cases, the plurality of shoe skins 32 are removably attachable to the skin-receiving area 28 via a hook and loop fastener. However, other mechanisms can be used to attached a shoe skin to the skin-receiving area such as, but not limited to, snaps, zippers, clips, etc. The plurality of shoe skins 32 can also have a common shape, with the surface indicia being variations in colors, textures, artworks, logos, and other differentiating characteristics. In another embodiment, the shoe system 10 can further comprise a collar extension sleeve 42. This collar extension sleeve 42 can be removably attachable to the collar of the collar opening 24 of the upper 14. This allows the shoes to also become high-top shoes and to provide additional ankle support during use. The collar extension sleeve 42 can be made out of natural leather, PU, mesh, satin, canvas, other synthetic or natural materials, or a combination thereof. An optional stiffening reinforcement can be oriented within the collar extension sleeve to provide additional ankle support. For example, a flexible plastic sheet, cardboard, or other member can be stitched or secured within the collar extension sleeve. The collar can also have various colors, designs, textures, artworks, logos, and other differentiating characteristics. In some cases, the inside or outside or both of the collar extension sleeve 42 can have an air mesh lining. The collar extension sleeve 42 can be removably attachable to the collar of the collar opening 24 via a zipper, hook and loop fastener, snaps, or other attaching methods. Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more examples. In the preceding description, numerous specific details were provided, such as examples of various configurations to provide a thorough understanding of examples of the described technology. It will be recognized, however, that the technology may be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, devices, etc. In other instances, well-known structures or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the technology. For example, various features and elements of the above-described invention can be used alone or in various combinations where elements descried in one example can be utilized in other described examples. More specifically, the invention can be generally described by the following clauses: Clause 1. A shoe system, comprising: a sole; an upper secured to the sole, the upper forming a foot space including a toebox, a midfoot region, a heel region, and a collared opening at the heel region to allow insertion of a foot of a user within the foot space, wherein a flexion point occurs between the toebox and the midfoot region and wherein the upper further includes a skin-receiving area oriented over at least one of the toebox and midfoot region, and a shoe skin registration fastener oriented within or adjacent the skin-receiving area; and a plurality of shoe skins which are removably attachable within the skin-receiving area and include a complementary shoe skin registration fastener adapted to removably couple with the shoe skin registration fastener. Clause 2. The system of clause 1, wherein the shoe is a slip-on, allowing the shoe to be worn without shoe laces or other tightening devices. Clause 3. The system of clause 1, wherein the sole includes an upper insole, an outsole having a ground surface contact pattern, and a midsole oriented between and secured to each of the upper insole and the outsole. Clause 4. The system of clause 1, wherein the upper is secured to the sole along an outer perimeter of the sole. Clause 5. The system of clause 1, wherein the upper is at least partially constructed from a stretch knit engineered mesh. Clause 6. The system of clause 1, wherein the flexion point is within 10% of from 20% to 40% of a length of the upper as measured from a toe end. Clause 7. The system of clause 1, wherein the skin-receiving area does cover or overlap the flexion point. Clause 8. The system of clause 1, wherein the skin-receiving area is a recessed area. Clause 9. The system of clause 1, wherein the shoe skin registration fastener is a button clasp. Clause 10. The system of clause 1, wherein the shoe skin registration fastener is oriented at a central location on the top of the upper. Clause 11. The system of clause 1, wherein each of the plurality of shoe skins substantially fills an entirety of the skin-receiving area. Clause 12. The system of clause 1, wherein each of the plurality of shoe skins has an outer surface which is substantially flush with an outer surface of adjacent portions of the upper when oriented within the skin-receiving area. Clause 13. The system of clause 1, wherein the plurality of skins are removably attachable via a hook and loop fastener. Clause 14. The system of clause 1, wherein the plurality of skins have a common shape and varied surface indicia. Clause 15. The system of clause 1, further comprising a collar extension sleeve removably attachable to a collar of the collared opening. Clause 16. The system of clause 10, wherein the collar extension sleeve is removably attachable via a zipper. Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and / or operations, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features and operations described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the described technology.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A shoe system, comprising: a sole; an upper secured to the sole, the upper forming a foot space including a toebox, a midfoot region, a heel region, and a collared opening at the heel region to allow insertion of a foot of a user within the foot space, wherein a flexion point occurs between the toebox and the midfoot region and wherein the upper further includes a skin-receiving area oriented over at least one of the toebox and midfoot region, and a shoe skin registration fastener oriented within or adjacent the skin-receiving area; and a plurality of shoe skins which are removably attachable within the skin-receiving area and include a complementary shoe skin registration fastener adapted to removably couple with the shoe skin registration fastener.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the shoe is a slip-on, allowing the shoe to be worn without shoe laces or other tightening devices.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the sole includes an upper insole, an outsole having a ground surface contact pattern, and a midsole oriented between and secured to each of the upper insole and the outsole.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the upper is secured to the sole along an outer perimeter of the sole.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the upper is at least partially constructed from a stretch knit engineered mesh.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the flexion point is within 10% of from 20% to 40% of a length of the upper as measured from a toe end.

7. The system of claim1, wherein the skin-receiving area does cover or overlap the flexion point.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the skin-receiving area is recessed.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the shoe skin registration fastener is a button clasp.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the shoe skin registration fastener is oriented at a central location on the top of the upper.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of shoe skins substantially fills an entirety of the skin-receiving area.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of shoe skins has an outer surface which is substantially flush with an outer surface of adjacent portions of the upper when oriented within the skin-receiving area.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of skins are removably attachable via a hook and loop fastener.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of skins have a common shape and varied surface indicia.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a collar extension sleeve removably attachable to a collar of the collared opening.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the collar extension sleeve is removably attachable via a zipper.

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