Construction Unit and Shoe Incorporating the Construction Unit

Abstract

A footwear construction unit for receiving a decorative component is provided along with an embellished shoe that incorporates the construction unit. The construction unit comprises an upper body and a weight-bearing wall extending downwardly from the upper body, which together at least partially define an interior upraised area that, in some aspects of the invention, accommodates at least a portion of the decorative component to elevate the decorative component above the walking surface and to protect it from dirt and abrasion. In other aspects of the invention, the decorative component may extend across the arch, down the inner heel, through a décor-receiving channel inset in the weight-bearing wall, and/or onto other surfaces herein disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A shoe, comprising:
 a toe section including a toe section periphery;   an arch section disposed rearwardly of said toe section;   a heel section disposed rearwardly of said arch section;   a construction unit comprising:
 an upper body extending rearwardly from a body front portion and extending side-to-side between opposing body side portions; said upper body comprising an outer body top portion surface disposed generally at a first level and a body inner roof surface disposed generally at a second level that is below said first level; 
 a weight-bearing-wall extending downwardly from at least a portion of said opposing body side portions and said body front portion; said weight-bearing-wall terminating rearwardly at right and left back wall margins and terminating downwardly in a wall bottom boundary lying substantially in a third level disposed below said second level; said right and left back wall margins having a gap therebetween; said weight-bearing wall having a wall interior surface and a wall exterior surface; and 
 an upraised area defined at least partially by said wall interior surface and said body inner roof surface. 
   
     
     
         2 . The shoe, as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a decorative component disposed within said upraised area. 
     
     
         3 . The shoe, as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said weight-bearing wall extends downwardly from at least a portion of said toe section periphery. 
     
     
         4 . The shoe, as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said weight-bearing wall extends downwardly from a location inset from at least a portion of said toe section periphery. 
     
     
         5 . The shoe, as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said weight-bearing wall comprises a bottom boundary flange that is disposed at the bottom of said weight-bearing wall and that extends outwardly beyond an upper portion of said weight-bearing wall; and wherein said weight-bearing wall comprises a décor-receiving channel defined by a top surface of said bottom boundary flange and said wall exterior surface of said upper portion of said weight-bearing wall. 
     
     
         6 . The shoe, as recited in  claim 4 , said shoe further comprising a decorative component disposed within said décor-receiving channel. 
     
     
         7 . The shoe, as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said body inner roof surface meets said wall interior surface at a curved roof-wall interface. 
     
     
         8 . The shoe, as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said wall interior surface is curved. 
     
     
         9 . The shoe, as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said construction unit is directly or indirectly fixedly attached to said heel section. 
     
     
         10 . The shoe, as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said construction unit further comprises a proximal unit body portion and a distal unit body portion; wherein said weight-bearing wall is fixedly attached to said proximal unit body portion; and wherein said distal body portion is configured with slits that receive said weight-bearing wall. 
     
     
         11 . The shoe, as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said upper body further comprises an arch extension and a heel extension. 
     
     
         12 . The shoe, as recited in  claim 11 , wherein said construction unit further comprises a proximal unit body portion and a distal unit body portion; wherein said weight-bearing wall is fixedly attached to said proximal unit body portion; and wherein said distal body portion is configured with slits receive said weight-bearing wall. 
     
     
         13 . A shoe construction unit comprising:
 an upper body extending rearwardly from a body front portion and extending side-to-side between opposing body side portions; said upper body comprising an outer body top portion surface disposed generally at a first level and a body inner roof surface disposed generally at a second level that is below said first level;   a weight-bearing-wall extending downwardly from at least a portion of said opposing body side portions and said body front portion; said weight-bearing-wall terminating rearwardly at right and left back wall margins and terminating downwardly in a wall bottom boundary lying substantially in a third level disposed below said second level; said right and left back wall margins having a gap therebetween; said weight-bearing wall having a wall interior surface and a wall exterior surface; and   an upraised area defined at least partially by said wall interior surface and said body inner roof surface.   
     
     
         14 . The shoe construction unit, as recited in  claim 13 , wherein when said construction unit is attached to a shoe, said weight-bearing wall extends downwardly from at least a portion of a periphery of a shoe. 
     
     
         15 . The shoe construction unit, as recited in  claim 13 , wherein when said construction unit is attached to a shoe, said weight-bearing wall extends downwardly from a location inset from a section of a shoe periphery. 
     
     
         16 . The shoe construction unit, as recited in  claim 13 , wherein said weight-bearing wall comprises a bottom boundary flange that is disposed at the bottom of said weight-bearing wall and that extends outwardly beyond an upper portion of said weight-bearing wall; and wherein said weight-bearing wall comprises a décor-receiving channel defined by a top surface of said bottom boundary flange and said wall exterior surface of said upper portion of said weight-bearing wall. 
     
     
         17 . The shoe construction unit, as recited in  claim 13 , wherein said body inner roof surface meets said wall interior surface at a curved roof-wall interface. 
     
     
         18 . The shoe construction unit, as recited in  claim 13 , wherein said wall interior surface is curved. 
     
     
         19 . The shoe construction unit, as recited in  claim 13 , further comprising an arch extension and a heel extension. 
     
     
         20 . The shoe construction unit, as recited in  claim 19 , further comprising a proximal unit body portion and a distal unit body portion; wherein said weight-bearing wall is fixedly attached to said proximal unit body portion; and wherein said distal body portion is configured with slits that receive said weight-bearing wall. 
     
     
         21 . The shoe construction unit, as recited in  claim 13 , further comprising a proximal unit body portion and a distal unit body portion; wherein said weight-bearing wall is fixedly attached to said proximal unit body portion; and wherein said distal body portion is configured with slits that receive said weight-bearing wall. 
     
     
         22 . The shoe construction unit, as recited in  claim 13 , wherein said wall bottom boundary is configured to receive a sole protective cover.