Interchangeable orthopedic footwear

Abstract

An article of footwear includes an outer sole having a bottom walking surface and an opposed top surface, an upper member and a zipper member connected to the outer sole and to the upper member for releasably securing the upper member to the outer sole. An orthopedic appliance is received within a cavity that is disposed within the top surface of the outer sole.

1 . An article of footwear comprising: 
 (a) an outer sole having a bottom walking surface and an opposed top surface;    (b) an upper member having a predetermined shape and engageable with at least a foot of a wearer; and    (c) a fastening means peripherally connected to said outer sole and to said upper member for releasably securing said upper member to said outer sole.    
     
     
         2 . The article of footwear, according to  claim 1 , wherein said article of footwear includes a replaceable inner sole engageable with said top surface of said outer sole for supporting such foot of such wearer.  
     
     
         3 . The article of footwear, according to  claim 1 , wherein said replaceable inner sole is an orthopedic appliance.  
     
     
         4 . The article of footwear, according to  claim 1 , wherein said top surface includes a cavity disposed therein, said cavity forming an upstanding peripheral side wall of said outer sole and sized for receiving a replaceable inner sole for supporting such foot of such wearer.  
     
     
         5 . The article of footwear, according to  claim 4 , wherein said article of footwear further includes a peripheral ledge member disposed within an interior surface of said side wall and extending towards a center of said cavity for securing said replaceable inner sole received within said cavity.  
     
     
         6 . The article of footwear, according to  claim 4 , wherein a material of said cavity is a memory foam.  
     
     
         7 . The article of footwear, according to  claim 1 , wherein said fastening means is a zipper means having a first portion attached to a predetermined portion of said outer sole and a second portion attached to a predetermined portion of said upper member.  
     
     
         8 . The article of footwear, according to  claim 7 , wherein said zipper means is an interdigitating chain and each of said first portion and said second portion includes a plurality of elements attached to a flexible tape, said elements interlocked by a slider moving in one direction along said chain and separated by said slider moving in an opposite direction along said chain.  
     
     
         9 . The article of footwear, according to  claim 8 , wherein said chain includes an impermeable gasket for sealing said zipper means when said elements are interlocked.  
     
     
         10 . The article of footwear, according to  claim 7 , wherein said zipper means is a flexible zipper and said first portion and said second portion form a pair of continuous interlockable fastener elements.  
     
     
         11 . The article of footwear, according to  claim 10 , wherein said flexible zipper includes a slider movable in one direction along said flexible zipper for opening said flexible zipper and movable in an opposite direction along said flexible zipper for closing said flexible zipper.  
     
     
         12 . The article of footwear, according to  claim 1 , wherein said article of footwear includes a flap hingeably connected to one of said outer sole and said upper member for covering said fastening means when said upper member is secured to said outer sole.  
     
     
         13 . The article of footwear, according to  claim 1 , wherein said article of footwear includes a first flap hingeably connected to one of said outer sole and said upper member and a second flap hingeably connected to an opposed one of said outer sole and said upper member, said first flap and said second flap engageably connected with a loop and hook fastener for covering said fastening means when said upper member is secured to said outer sole.  
     
     
         14 . An article of footwear comprising: 
 (a) an outer sole having a bottom walking surface and an opposed top surface having a cavity formed therein;    (b) an upper member having a predetermined shape;    (c) an orthopedic appliance replaceably received in said cavity of said outer sole; and    (d) a zipper means having a first portion peripherally attached to said outer sole and a second portion peripherally attached to said upper member for releasably securing said upper member to said outer sole.