Convertible sandal

Abstract

A convertible sandal comprises a vamp extending over a forefoot portion of the wearer's foot and first and second connectors located along respective medial and lateral sides of the vamp adjacent a rear margin of the vamp. A strap is secured to the connectors and movable selectively between a first position, in which the strap extends behind a heel of the wearer's foot, and a second position, in which the strap extends over the wearer's forefoot. The connectors may include elongated eyelets through which first and second end sections of the strap are threaded and then folded back against the strap for securing the strap to the connectors. In some embodiments a holder is provided for securing the straps across the forefoot or for connecting the sandal to a second sandal or another item using the strap.

1 . A convertible sandal, comprising: 
 a sole for supporting a wearer's foot;    a vamp attached to the sole for extending over a forefoot of the wearer's foot between medial and lateral margins of the sole, the vamp including medial and lateral sides proximal of the medial and lateral margins of the sole, respectively, and a rear margin proximal of a heel of the wearer's foot;    first and second connectors supported on the vamp along the respective medial and lateral sides thereof and adjacent the rear margin of the vamp;    first and second holders supported on the vamp along the respective medial and lateral sides thereof; and    a strap including opposing first and second end sections, the strap being movable between a first position, in which the first and second end sections are detachably connected to the first and second connectors and the strap extends around a heel of the wearer's foot, and a second position, in which the first and second end sections are detachably connected to the first and second holders and the strap extends over the forefoot.    
     
     
         2 . The convertible sandal of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the connectors comprises an eyelet.  
     
     
         3 . The convertible sandal of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second connectors includes a swivel connector that facilitates pivoting of the strap between the first and second positions.  
     
     
         4 . The convertible sandal of  claim 1  in which the first holder is the first connector and the second holder is the second connector.  
     
     
         5 . The convertible sandal of  claim 2 , further comprising complementary sections of hook-and-loop fastener material arranged on the strap for engagement when at least one of the end sections is threaded through the eyelet and folded back upon the strap, thereby detachably connecting the strap to the vamp.  
     
     
         6 . The convertible sandal of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the connectors comprise elongated eyelets sized for threading the first and second end sections therethrough; and    the strap includes complementary sections of hook-and-loop fastener material arranged so that the first and second end sections may be threaded through the eyelets of the respective first and second connectors and folded back upon themselves, where they are releasably held in place to detachably secure the strap to the vamp in the first position.    
     
     
         7 . The convertible sandal of  claim 6 , wherein at least one of the holders includes a keeper loop sized to receive one of the first and second end sections of the strap therethrough.  
     
     
         8 . The convertible sandal of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the holders includes a keeper loop.  
     
     
         9 . The convertible sandal of  claim 1 , wherein the keeper loop is sewn to the vamp.  
     
     
         10 . The convertible sandal of  claim 1 , wherein the vamp is split longitudinally to facilitate adjustment of the vamp to fit the wearer's foot.  
     
     
         11 . The convertible sandal of  claim 10 , further comprising one or more cinch straps or laces, or both, extending between the medial and lateral sides of the vamp for tightening the vamp to fit the wearer's foot.  
     
     
         12 . A convertible sandal, comprising: 
 a sole for supporting a wearer's foot;    a vamp attached to the sole for extending over a forefoot of the wearer's foot between medial and lateral margins of the sole, the vamp including a rear margin proximal of a heel of the wearer's foot;    a detachable strap including opposing first and second end sections;    first and second connector means mounted on the vamp along respective medial and lateral sides thereof and adjacent the rear margin of the vamp for detachably connecting the respective first and second end sections of the strap thereto in a first position, in which the strap extends around a heel of the wearer's foot; and    first and second holder means mounted on the vamp along the respective medial and lateral sides thereof for detachably holding the first and second end sections of the strap to the vamp in a second position, in which the strap extends over the forefoot.    
     
     
         13 . The convertible sandal of  claim 12 , further comprising means for adjusting the vamp to fit the wearer's foot.  
     
     
         14 . In a sandal having a sole for supporting a wearer's foot, a vamp attached to the sole and extending over a forefoot portion of the wearer's foot between medial and lateral margins of the sole, and a strap including opposing first and second end sections, an improved method of reconfiguring the sandal between a heel-strap configuration, in which the strap extends around a heel of the wearer's foot, and a slide configuration, in which the strap is moved clear of the heel, comprising: 
 providing first and second connectors on the vamp at respective medial and lateral sides of the vamp adjacent a rear margin of the vamp;    providing a holder supported on the vamp along at least one of the medial and lateral sides thereof;    connecting the first and second end sections to the first and second connectors, respectively, thereby configuring the sandal in the heel-strap configuration;    detaching at least one of the first and second end sections from the corresponding connector to which it is connected; and    detachably connecting the strap to the holder in the slide configuration.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein: 
 the strap includes a main portion extending between the first and second end sections;    the connectors include elongated eyelets sized for threading the first and second end sections of the strap therethrough; and    the step of connecting the first and second end sections to the first and second connectors includes threading the first and second end sections through the eyelets, folding back the first and second end sections over the main portion of the strap, and securing the first and second end sections to the main portion of the strap to thereby secure the strap to the vamp.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising detachably connecting one of the first and second end sections to a second sandal or another article.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising adjusting the vamp to fit the wearer's foot.  
     
     
         18 . A convertible sandal, comprising: 
 a sole for supporting a wearer's foot;    a vamp attached to the sole for extending over a forefoot of the wearer's foot between medial and lateral margins of the sole, the vamp including medial and lateral sides proximal of the medial and lateral margins of the sole, respectively;    first and second connectors secured to the vamp along the respective medial and lateral sides and adjacent a rear margin of the vamp, the first and second connectors defining respective first and second eyelets; and    a heel strap including opposing first and second end sections and a main portion extending between the first and second end sections, the first and second end sections being threaded through the first and second eyelets, respectively, folded back upon the main portion of the strap, and secured to the main portion of the strap, to thereby secure the strap to the vamp.    
     
     
         19 . The convertible sandal of  claim 18 , wherein the first and second end sections are releasably secured to the main portion, the heel strap is detachable from the vamp, and the vamp further includes first and second holders different from the first and second connectors, the first and second holders located along the medial and lateral sides of the vamp, respectively, for detachably securing the heel strap over the forefoot.  
     
     
         20 . The convertible sandal of  claim 18 , wherein each of the first and second connectors includes a swivel connector that facilitates pivoting of the heel strap between a first position extending around a wearer's heel and a second position extending across a wearer's forefoot.  
     
     
         21 . The convertible sandal of  claim 20 , wherein each swivel connector comprises: 
 a socket part aligned with a hole in the vamp; and    a plug part rotatably mated with the socket part through the hole; and    a pivotable body supported on one of the plug and socket parts for rotation relative to the vamp, the body defining one of the first and second eyelets.    
     
     
         22 . The convertible sandal of  claim 21 , wherein the other of the plug and the socket parts not supporting the body includes a flange resting against an inner surface of the vamp, the flange including a gripping feature to grip the vamp.  
     
     
         23 . The convertible sandal of  claim 18 , wherein at least one of the first and second end sections is releasably secured to the main portion with hook-and-loop fastener material.  
     
     
         24 . The convertible sandal of  claim 18 , wherein: 
 the second end section is releasably connected to the second connector; and    the first end section is non-releasably connected to the first connector.    
     
     
         25 . The convertible sandal of  claim 24 , wherein the second end section is releasably secured to the main portion with hook-and-loop fastener material.  
     
     
         26 . The convertible sandal of  claim 12 , wherein each of the first and second connector means includes a swivel connector that facilitates pivoting of the strap between the first and second positions.  
     
     
         27 . The convertible sandal of  claim 26 , wherein the swivel connectors include eyelets to receive the first and second end sections of the strap.  
     
     
         28 . A convertible sandal, comprising: 
 a sole;    a vamp attached to the sole for extending over a forefoot of a wearer's foot between medial and lateral margins of the sole, the vamp including medial and lateral sides proximal of the medial and lateral margins of the sole, respectively;    a first connector pivotably secured to the vamp along one of the medial and lateral sides thereof;    a second connector secured to the vamp along the other of the medial and lateral sides thereof; and    a strap including opposing first and second end sections, the first end section being non-releasably connected to the first connector, the second end section being releasably connected to the second connector when in a first position in which the strap extends around a heel of the wearer's foot, and the second end section being detachable from the second connector for movement of the strap, without removal of the sandal from the wearer's foot, to a second position in which the strap extends over the forefoot and the second end section is reattached to the second connector.    
     
     
         29 . The convertible sandal of  claim 28 , wherein each of the first and second connectors comprises a swivel connector.  
     
     
         30 . The convertible sandal of  claim 29 , wherein each swivel connector includes: 
 a socket part and a plug part, the socket and plug parts rotatably mated together through a hole in the vamp, one of the socket and plug parts including a flange that rests against an inner surface of the vamp, the flange including gripping features for gripping the vamp; and    a pivotable body supported on the other of the socket and plug parts for rotation relative to the vamp.    
     
     
         31 . The convertible sandal of  claim 28 , wherein the strap includes a main portion extending between the first and second end sections, the second connector including an eyelet through which the second end section is threaded, the second end section being folded back upon the main portion of the strap and releasably and adjustably secured thereto.  
     
     
         32 . The convertible sandal of  claim 31 , wherein the second connector is a swivel connector including a body that rotates relative to the vamp and the eyelet is formed in the body.  
     
     
         33 . The convertible sandal of  claim 31 , wherein the second end section is releasably secured to the main portion with hook-and-loop fastener material.