Adjustable Footwear Having Interchangeable Panels

Abstract

The footwear includes a base having a toe portion, a heel portion opposing the toe portion, a base left and right side, and a bottom surface to engage the ground when worn by a user. The footwear additionally includes a base top surface opposing the base bottom surface, a toe box permanently coupled to the toe portion of the base at the top surface, and a counter permanently coupled to the heel portion of the base at the top surface. The footwear further includes a left and right support structure permanently coupled to the top surface of the base between the toe box and the counter on each side of the base, and a detachable left and right panel configured to detachably connect to the respective left and right support structure.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . Footwear comprising:
 a base comprising a base top surface, the base top surface comprising one or more channels; and   one or more detachably interchangeable panels, each of the one or more detachably interchangeable panels configured to detachably connect to the base top surface via a respective slider configured to slide into a corresponding channel of the one or more channels on the base top surface.   
     
     
         3 . The footwear of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a counter permanently coupled to a heel portion of the base at the base top surface, wherein the counter includes slots configured to receive a rear portion of the one or more detachably interchangeable panels.   
     
     
         4 . The footwear of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more detachably interchangeable panels include a detachably interchangeable left panel and a detachably interchangeable right panel, wherein the detachably interchangeable left panel is distinct and separate from the detachably interchangeable right panel. 
     
     
         5 . The footwear of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a left support structure permanently coupled to the base top surface of the base, wherein the detachably interchangeable left panel is configured to detachably connect to the left support structure; and   a right support structure permanently coupled to the base top surface of the base, wherein the detachably interchangeable right panel is configured to detachably couple to the right support structure.   
     
     
         6 . The footwear of  claim 5 , wherein the left support structure is coupled to the base top surface of the base is integrally formed with one or more of a counter and a toe box of the footwear. 
     
     
         7 . The footwear of  claim 4 , wherein the detachably interchangeable left panel and the detachably interchangeable right panel are configured to connect to each other. 
     
     
         8 . The footwear of  claim 4 , wherein neither of the detachably interchangeable right panel or the detachably interchangeable left panel cover a toe portion of the footwear. 
     
     
         9 . A method, comprising:
 attaching a first detachable panel to a corresponding first side of a shoe using one or more of a first set of connection mechanisms embedded within the first side of the first detachable panel and a first set of receiving connection mechanisms embedded within the first side of the shoe; and   attaching a second detachable panel to a corresponding second side of the shoe distinct from the first side of the shoe using one or more of a second set of connection mechanisms embedded within the second detachable panel and a second set of receiving connection mechanisms embedded within the second side of the shoe.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first detachable panel is a right detachable panel, and the second detachable panel is a left detachable panel. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising, weaving a shoe lace through eyelet holes of the first and second detachable panel to tie the first and second detachable panels together. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising,
 untying the first and second detachable panels from each other;   detaching the first detachable panel from the corresponding first side of the shoe; and   detaching the second detachable panel from the corresponding second side of the shoe.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising,
 untying the first and second detachable panels from each other;   detaching the second detachable panel from the corresponding second side of the shoe; and   detaching the first detachable panel from the corresponding first side of the shoe.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first set of connection mechanism and the second set of connection mechanisms are selected from a group consisting of snap fasteners, hook and eye connectors, and hook and loop connectors. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising,
 detaching the first detachable panel from the corresponding first side of the shoe; and   detaching the second detachable panel from the corresponding second side of the shoe.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising,
 detaching the second detachable panel from the corresponding second side of the shoe; and   detaching the first detachable panel from the corresponding first side of the shoe.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein attaching the first detachable panel to a corresponding first side of the shoe includes sliding a slider of the first detachable panel into a channel of the first side of the shoe. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein detaching the first detachable panel from the first side of the shoe comprises sliding the slider of the first detachable panel out of the channel of the first side of the shoe, and detaching the second detachable panel from the second side of the shoe comprises sliding the slider of the second detachable panel out of the channel of the second side of the shoe. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein attaching the second detachable panel to a corresponding second side of the shoe includes sliding a slider of the second detachable panel into a channel of the second side of the shoe.