Shoes with a fashion design mounting base material for use with interchangeable fashion design attachments

Abstract

The present invention relates to a shoe, including sandals, for men, women, and children, wherein the shoe includes a shoe display strip which traverses from an ankle strap of the shoe to a forefoot area of the shoe, along a centerline of a sole of the shoe, and wherein a top-facing surface of the shoe display strip includes a fashion design mounting base material which enables the attachment of at least one fashion design attachment. The fashion design attachment may be present in a pouch of showcase which is attached to the fashion design mounting base material, or may be attached directly to the fashion design mounting base material. In addition, the invention relates to a shoe fashion modification kit which is used in combination with a strip of material which travels from an ankle strap of said shoe to a foot retaining strap in a forefoot area of said shoe.

What I claim is: 
     
         1 . A shoe, including sandals, wherein said shoe includes a shoe display strip which traverses from an ankle strap of said shoe to a forefoot area of said shoe, along a centerline of a sole of said shoe, said shoe comprising:
 said at least one ankle strap;   said at least one additional foot-retaining strap positioned in a forefoot area of said shoe;   said at least one shoe display strip which traverses from said at least one ankle strap to at least one foot-retaining strap positioned in a forefoot area of said shoe; and   a top-facing, upper surface of said shoe display strip which includes a fashion design mounting base material, which enables the attachment of at least one fashion design attachment.   
     
     
         2 . A shoe in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said at least one fashion design mounting base material is selected from the group consisting of a mechanical fastening surface, a magnetic surface, a textured rubber surface, a textured plastic surface, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         3 . A shoe in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein said fashion design mounting base material provides a mechanical fastening surface, and said mechanical fastening surface which is selected from the group consisting of a hook or loop structure, a tongue or groove structure, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         4 . A shoe in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein said fashion design mounting base material provides a textured rubber surface or a textured plastic surface which is designed to work in combination with a pressure-sensitive adhesive which is present on a surface of said shoe display strip, to provide easy, repositionable adhesion of said pouch or showcase on said shoe display strip. 
     
     
         5 . A shoe in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein said fashion design mounting base material comprises a magnetic surface which works in combination with a corresponding attractive magnetic surface. 
     
     
         6 . A shoe in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein a pouch or showcase used to display a decorative attachment comprises a fashion design mounting base material on a back side of said pouch or showcase and a transparent window on a front side of said pouch or showcase. 
     
     
         7 . A shoe in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein a pouch is formed by direct attachment of a frame of a trim/back surface-forming layer present on a back surface of a transparent sheet to a top-facing, upper surface of said shoe display strip which includes a fashion design mounting base material 
     
     
         8 . A shoe in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein said decorative attachment attaches directly to a fashion design mounting material present on an upper surface of said shoe display strip. 
     
     
         9 . A shoe in accordance with  claim 3 , wherein said mounting base structure is selected from the group consisting of a hook structure, a loop structure, a tongue structure, a groove structure, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         10 . A shoe in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein said fashion design attachment has at least an upper extruded surface which is wear-resistant, or an upper surface which is coated with an abrasion-resistant coating. 
     
     
         11 . A shoe in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein said fashion design attachment has a lower surface comprising a material selected from the group consisting of a mechanical fastening surface, a magnetic surface, a textured rubber surface, a textured plastic surface, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         12 . A shoe in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein said fashion design attachment has a lower surface comprising a material selected from the group consisting of a mechanical fastening surface, a magnetic surface, a textured rubber surface, a textured plastic surface, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         13 . A shoe in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein an upper portion of said shoe which includes an ankle strap, at least one forefoot-retaining strap, and a shoe display strip which includes a fashion design mounting base material is attached to an injection-molded shoe sole. 
     
     
         14 . A shoe in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein said upper portion of said shoe is fabricated from leather. 
     
     
         15 . A shoe in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein at least said shoe display strip of said upper portion of said shoe is also injection molded. 
     
     
         16 . A shoe in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein said injection-molded shoe sole includes features designed to improve the performance of an athlete. 
     
     
         17 . A shoe fashion modification kit which is used in combination with a strip of material which travels from an ankle strap of said shoe to a foot retaining strap in a forefoot area of said shoe, wherein said fashion modification kit comprises a transparent layer or sheet of material, and at least one trim/back surface-forming layer which can be adhered to a back side of said strip of material which travels from said ankle strap to said foot retaining strap to form a pouch on an upper surface of said strip of material. 
     
     
         18 . A shoe fashion modification kit in accordance with  claim 17 , wherein said transparent layer or sheet of material comes pre-attached to said trim/back surface-forming layer. 
     
     
         19 . A shoe modification kit in accordance with  claim 17 , wherein said kit also includes at least one insert which can be used within said pouch. 
     
     
         20 . A shoe modification kit which is used in combination with a top-facing, upper surface of a shoe display strip which includes a fashion design mounting base material, which enables the attachment of at least one fashion design attachment, wherein said kit includes at least one fashion design attachment which works in combination with said fashion design mounting base material. 
     
     
         21 . A shoe modification kit in accordance with  claim 20 , wherein said fashion design mounting base material is selected from the group consisting of a mechanical fastening surface, a magnetic surface, a textured rubber surface, a textured plastic surface and combinations thereof.