Modular Shoe

Abstract

A shoe including a base portion having a pair of slots and an upper portion having a pair of cordings configured to be slid into the pair of slots to attach the top portion to the base portion. The upper portion is removable from the base portion by sliding the cording out of the pair of slots so that the upper portion may be replaced with another upper portion.

1 . A shoe, comprising:
 a base portion comprising a pair of slots; and   an upper portion comprising a pair of cordings configured to be slid into the pair of slots to attach the upper portion to the base portion,   wherein the upper portion is removable from the base portion by sliding the cording out of the pair of slots so that the upper portion is replaceable with another upper portion.   
     
     
         2 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the upper portion comprises at least one strap. 
     
     
         3 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the upper portion comprises at least one buckle. 
     
     
         4 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the base portion comprises at least one opening configured to receive at least one cushion. 
     
     
         5 . The shoe of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one opening is configured to receive a heel cushion. 
     
     
         6 . The shoe of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one opening is configured to receive a foot pad cushion. 
     
     
         7 . The shoe of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one opening comprises a first opening and the base portion further comprises a heel cushion removably disposed in the first opening. 
     
     
         8 . The shoe of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one opening comprises a second opening and the base portion further comprises a foot bed cushion removably disposed in the second opening. 
     
     
         9 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the base portion comprises a first side surface and a second side surface, and each slot of the pair of slots is cut or formed in a respective one of the first and second side surfaces. 
     
     
         10 . The shoe of  claim 9 , wherein the base portion comprises a pair of internal tubes which run underneath each of the first side surface and second side surface, and the pair of slots in the base portion is cut or formed in a respective one of the first and second side surfaces to provide access to the pair of internal tubes. 
     
     
         11 . The shoe of  claim 10 , wherein each cording of the pair of cordings of the upper portion are larger in diameter than the width of each slot of the pair of slots, preferably wherein each cording of the pair of cordings of the upper portion are smaller in diameter than each tube in the pair of internal tubes, more preferably sufficiently smaller such that the cordings can be slid through the internal tubes without the cordings rubbing against the inside of the internal tubes. 
     
     
         12 . The shoe of  claim 10 , wherein each cording of the pair of cordings comprises a tip portion and each internal tube comprises a portion configured to hold the tip portion in place when the pair of cordings are fully inserted into the pair of slots. 
     
     
         13 . The shoe of  claim 11 , wherein the pair of cordings of the upper portion run the full length of each tube of the pair of internal tubes. 
     
     
         14 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the cordings are not visible on the outside of the shoe. 
     
     
         15 . The shoe of  claim 11 , wherein each tube in the pair of internal tubes is cylindrical. 
     
     
         16 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein each slot of the pair of slots comprises an insertion opening configured to allow a cording to be slid into and out of the slot. 
     
     
         17 . The shoe of  claim 16 , wherein the insertion opening is at the rear of the slot of the base portion. 
     
     
         18 . The shoe of  claim 16 , wherein the pair of cordings is made of, or coated in, a material, preferably a low-friction material, that allows them to be slid through the insertion openings at the back of the shoe and into place by pushing them forward towards the front of the base portion on both sides. 
     
     
         19 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein each cording of the pair of cordings comprises a tip portion at the front of the cording, wherein the tip portion:
 a) is textured, and/or   b) is configured to hold the cordings in place when the cording is fully inserted into a slot of the pair of slots.   
     
     
         20 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the base portion:
 a) is rigid; and/or   b) is at least 10 mm in thickness, preferably 10 mm to 18 mm in thickness.   
     
     
         21 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the base portion comprises a toe and heel portion and the base portion comprises a rounded bottom in the toe portion. 
     
     
         22 . The shoe of  claim 2 , wherein the pair of cordings are held in place in the pair of slots when the shoe is worn on a foot by a forward and/or upward pressure of the foot on the at least one strap of the upper portion. 
     
     
         23 . The shoe of  claim 22 , wherein in the absence of forward and/or upward pressure on the at least one strap of the upper portion, the pair of cordings are not held in place. 
     
     
         24 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the base portion is a left foot base portion or a right foot base portion, and the upper portion is a left foot upper portion or a right foot base portion, wherein the right foot upper portion is configured to be attached to the right foot base portion and the left foot upper portion is configured to be attached to the left foot base portion, preferably wherein each upper portion comprises a marking to indicate whether the upper portion is a left foot upper portion or a right foot upper portion.