Shoes convertible to roller skates

Abstract

A shoe convertible to a skate includes an elongated recess in the bottom of the shoe completely containing a mounting block to which a mounting bracket of a wheel assembly is easily detachable. The wheel assembly has wheel support arms extending axially outwardly from opposite ends thereof for rotatably supporting wheels adjacent outer ends of the arms for supporting the shoe off the ground for skating when the wheel assembly is attached to the mounting block.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A shoe convertible to a skate, the shoe having a bottom surface containing a recess, a mounting support completely within the recess, and a wheel assembly having a mounting bracket removably attachable to the mounting support, the wheel assembly having wheel support arms extending axially outwardly from opposite ends of the mounting bracket, and wheels rotatably supported by the wheel support arms for supporting the shoe off the ground for skating when the wheel assembly is attached to the mounting support.  
     
     
         2 . The shoe of  claim 1  wherein the mounting support has straight sides and the mounting bracket is channel shaped to have a close sliding fit over the straight sides of the mounting support.  
     
     
         3 . The shoe of  claim 2  wherein the mounting bracket has a bottom wall that engages an outer wall of the mounting support over a length of several inches for increased stability.  
     
     
         4 . The shoe of  claim 1  further comprising a fastener for removably attaching the mounting bracket to the mounting support.  
     
     
         5 . The shoe of  claim 4  wherein the fastener comprises at least one screw extending through the mounting bracket into threaded engagement with the mounting support.  
     
     
         6 . The shoe of  claim 4  wherein the mounting bracket has a bottom wall that is releasably fastened to the mounting support by the fastener.  
     
     
         7 . The shoe of  claim 6  wherein the fastener comprises a screw that extends through a hole in the bottom wall of the mounting bracket into threaded engagement with a threaded hole in the mounting support.  
     
     
         8 . The shoe of  claim 1  wherein the mounting bracket is channel shaped and has a close sliding fit over the mounting support, and a pair of spaced apart wheel support arms extend axially outwardly from both ends of the mounting support for rotatably supporting a wheel between each pair of wheel support arms.  
     
     
         9 . The shoe of  claim 1  wherein the recess is configured for storing the wheel assembly completely within the recess when the wheel assembly is detached from the mounting support.  
     
     
         10 . A shoe convertible to a skate comprising a sole having a bottom surface, an elongated recess in the bottom surface, a mounting block completely within the recess, and a wheel assembly including a mounting bracket removably attachable to the mounting block, the mounting bracket having wheel support arms extending axially outwardly from opposite ends of the mounting bracket, and wheels rotatably supported adjacent outer ends of the wheel support arms for supporting the shoe above the ground for skating when the wheel assembly is attached to the mounting block.  
     
     
         11 . The shoe of  claim 10  wherein the mounting block is rectangular in shape and the mounting bracket is channel shaped to have a close sliding fit over the mounting block.  
     
     
         12 . The shoe of  claim 11  further comprising a fastener for removably attaching the mounting bracket to the mounting block.  
     
     
         13 . The shoe of  claim 12  wherein the fastener comprises at least one screw that extends through a hole in a bottom wall of the mounting bracket into threaded engagement with a threaded hole in the mounting block.  
     
     
         14 . The shoe of  claim 10  wherein the recess is configured to completely receive the wheel assembly when the wheel assembly is detached from the mounting block.  
     
     
         15 . The shoe of  claim 14  wherein the wheel assembly is storable on its side within the recess when detached from the mounting block with the mounting bracket received between the mounting block and an adjacent side of the recess and the wheels lying flat within the recess.  
     
     
         16 . The shoe of  claim 15  wherein the recess has semi-cylindrical shaped ends that receive the wheels when lying flat.  
     
     
         17 . The shoe of  claim 16  wherein the wheel support arms curve inwardly toward the center of the recess when the wheel assembly is placed on its side within the recess to support the wheels lying flat within the semi-cylindrical shaped ends of the recess.  
     
     
         18 . The shoe of  claim 15  wherein the wheel assembly is retained in a stored position within the recess by friction.