Device for transforming on demand a city shoe into a sports shoe and shoes adapted to said device

Abstract

Footwear having a sole and a removable device placed under the sole of the footwear. A peripheral region of the sole and the removable device have male-female engagement portions in opposite regions for retaining the removable device under the sole. At least one of the male-female arrangements is provided on a flexible portion of the removable device. The removable device is provided in the vicinity of at least one of the male-female arrangements. A protruding release tab integral with the removable device can be selectively moved to cause the deformation of the flexible portion and the disengagement of the male-female engagement portions.

1 . A footwear comprising a sole and a removable device placed under the sole of the footwear, a peripheral region of the sole and the removable device having male-female engagement portions in opposite regions for retaining the removable device under the sole, and at least one of said male-female arrangements being provided on a flexible portion of the removable device and said removable device being provided in the vicinity of said at least one male-female arrangement with a protruding release tab integral with said removable device and which can be selectively moved to cause the deformation of said flexible portion and the disengagement of said male-female engagement portions. 
     
     
         2 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the removable device is in the form of a strip. 
     
     
         3 . The footwear of  claim 2 , wherein the strip is a front strip positioned under the forefoot and having two longitudinal edges and two lateral edges which are shorter than the two longitudinal edges, and has end portions extend upwardly from the lateral edges, the male-female engagement portions of the removable device being positioned in the upper region of the upwardly extending end portions. 
     
     
         4 . The footwear of  claim 3 , wherein the two longitudinal edges are not parallel to each other. 
     
     
         5 . The footwear of  claim 3 , wherein the release tab extends laterally from the end portion of the lateral edge opposite the other foot when the footwear is worn. 
     
     
         6 . The footwear of  claim 2 , wherein the strip is a heel strip positioned under the heel and having a back edge and a front edge. 
     
     
         7 . The footwear of  claim 6 , including upwardly extending end portions from the back edge and the front edge. 
     
     
         8 . The footwear of  claim 7 , wherein the male-female engagement portions of the removable device are positioned in an upper region of the upwardly extending end portions. 
     
     
         9 . The footwear of  claim 6 , wherein the release tab extends at the front edge of the removable device toward the front part of the sole. 
     
     
         10 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the male-female engagement portions are tongue-recess engagement elements. 
     
     
         11 . The footwear of  claim 10 , wherein the tongue-recess engagement elements on the sole are recesses and tongue-recess engagement elements on the removable device are tongue-shaped claws engaging said recesses. 
     
     
         12 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the removable device is made integrally from a flexible material. 
     
     
         13 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the removable device has on its underside ground anchoring arrangements.