Footwear with removable bootie

Abstract

A footwear construction is provided including a primary footwear component and a secondary footwear component removably disposed in the primary footwear component. The primary footwear component can include an inward facing wall, and the secondary footwear component can include an outward facing wall surrounding a secondary sole of the secondary footwear component. The inward facing wall is configured to releasably interlock with the outward facing wall, such that the secondary sole is secured within the primary footwear component, yet can be manually pulled upward, whereby the inward facing wall releases from the outward facing wall to enable the secondary footwear component to be removed completely from the primary footwear component.

1 . An article of footwear comprising:
 a primary upper,   a primary sole joined with the primary upper so that the primary upper and the primary sole cooperatively define a primary void, the primary sole including an upper surface and a recess extending downward from the upper surface, the recess bounded by an inward facing wall that includes a first wall portion inward angled toward a longitudinal axis of the footwear from a lower part of the first wall portion to an upper part of the first wall portion adjacent the upper surface, such that the upper part of the first wall portion is closer to the longitudinal axis than the lower part of the first wall portion,   a secondary upper, and   a secondary sole joined with the secondary upper so that the secondary upper and the secondary sole cooperatively define a secondary void, the secondary void configured to receive the foot of a wearer,   wherein the secondary upper and secondary sole are removably nested within the respective primary upper and the primary sole,   wherein the secondary sole includes an outward facing exterior wall that extends downwardly adjacent the secondary upper, the outward facing exterior wall including a second wall portion inward angled toward a longitudinal axis of the footwear from a lower part of the second wall portion to an upper part of the second wall portion, such that the upper part of the second wall portion is closer to the longitudinal axis than the lower part of the second wall portion,   wherein the outward facing wall of the secondary sole is placed immediately adjacent the inward facing wall of the primary sole and the secondary sole is placed at least partially within the recess of the primary sole,   wherein the upper part of the first wall portion is configured to engage the upper part of the second wall portion to interlock the secondary sole within the recess of the primary sole when the secondary upper and secondary sole are disposed in the void cooperatively formed by the primary sole and the primary upper,   wherein the upper part of the first wall portion is configured to flex away from the longitudinal axis when the secondary sole is urged upwardly away from the primary sole so that the secondary upper and secondary sole can be removed from the primary upper and the primary sole.   
     
     
         2 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the primary upper is joined with a Strobel board adjacent a primary lower peripheral allowance of the primary upper,   wherein the Strobel board is disposed under the secondary sole and above the primary sole.   
     
     
         3 . The article of footwear of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the secondary sole includes a second bottom surface,   wherein the second bottom surface transitions to the lower part of the second wall portion,   wherein the second wall portion is substantially parallel to the first wall portion when the secondary sole is disposed in the recess of the primary sole.   
     
     
         4 . The article of footwear of  claim 3 ,
 wherein the primary sole includes a primary reference line coincident with a bottom of the recess,   wherein the outward facing wall of the secondary sole is disposed at a first acute angle relative to the primary reference line,   wherein the inward facing wall of the primary sole is disposed at a second acute angle relative to the primary reference line.   
     
     
         5 . The article of footwear of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the first acute angle and the second acute angle are equal.   
     
     
         6 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the primary sole includes a primary reference line coincident with a bottom of the recess,   wherein the outward facing wall of the secondary sole is disposed at a first acute angle relative to the primary reference line,   wherein the inward facing wall of the primary sole is disposed at a second acute angle relative to the primary reference line,   wherein the first acute angle is in the range of 5° to 89°, inclusive.   
     
     
         7 . The article of footwear of  claim 6 ,
 wherein the first acute angle is in the range of 10° to 30°, inclusive.   
     
     
         8 . The article of footwear of  claim 6 ,
 wherein the first acute angle is in the range of 15° to 20°, inclusive.   
     
     
         9 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first wall portion transitions to a third wall portion that is at least one of substantially vertical and rounded between the upper surface and a bottom of the recess.   
     
     
         10 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the primary upper includes a window through which the secondary upper can be viewed when the secondary upper and secondary sole are disposed in the void.   
     
     
         11 . An article of footwear comprising:
 a primary upper joined with a primary sole to form a primary footwear component;   a secondary upper joined with a secondary sole to form a secondary footwear component, the secondary footwear component removably disposed in the primary footwear component,   wherein the primary footwear component includes an inward facing wall,   wherein the secondary footwear component includes an outward facing wall configured to frictionally engage the inward facing wall to interlock the secondary footwear component with the primary footwear component,   wherein the inward facing wall is configured to flex outward when the secondary sole is pulled upward, thereby releasing the secondary sole from the primary sole to enable the secondary footwear component to be removed completely from the primary footwear component.   
     
     
         12 . The article of footwear of  claim 11 ,
 wherein the inward facing wall extends around a recess configured to receive the secondary sole,   wherein the outward facing wall extends around an outer periphery of the secondary sole in substantially a heel region of the footwear.   
     
     
         13 . The article of footwear of  claim 12 ,
 wherein the recess includes a recess bottom and a recess top, the recess top being adjacent an upper surface of the primary sole,   wherein the recess is wider below the recess top than at the recess top.   
     
     
         14 . The article of footwear of  claim 13 ,
 wherein the outward facing wall includes a lower surface and an upper surface of the secondary sole,   wherein the secondary sole is wider adjacent the lower surface than at the upper surface of the secondary sole.   
     
     
         15 . The article of footwear of  claim 11 ,
 wherein the primary sole includes a primary reference line coincident with a bottom of the recess defined by the primary sole,   wherein the outward facing wall of the secondary sole is disposed at a first acute angle relative to the primary reference line,   wherein an inward facing wall of the primary sole is disposed at a second acute angle relative to the primary reference line,   wherein the first acute angle is in the range of 5° to 89°, inclusive.   
     
     
         16 . The article footwear of  claim 15 ,
 wherein the outward facing wall and the inward facing wall are parallel,   wherein the first acute angle is equal to the second acute angle.   
     
     
         17 . The article of footwear of  claim 15 ,
 wherein the first acute angle is in the range of 10° to 20°, inclusive   wherein the second acute angle is in the range of 5° to 45°, inclusive.   
     
     
         18 . The article of footwear of  claim 11 ,
 wherein the primary footwear component includes at least one of a translucent window and a transparent window,   wherein the secondary footwear component includes an exterior surface,   wherein the exterior surface is visible through the at least one of a translucent window and a transparent window of the primary footwear component.   
     
     
         19 . An article of footwear comprising:
 a primary footwear component;   a secondary footwear component removably disposed in the primary footwear component,   wherein the primary footwear component includes an inward facing wall,   wherein the secondary footwear component includes an outward facing wall surrounding a heel region of a secondary sole of the secondary footwear component,   wherein the inward facing wall is configured to releasably interlock with the outward facing wall, such that when the secondary sole is pulled upward, the inward facing wall releases from the outward facing wall to enable the secondary footwear component to be removed completely from the primary footwear component.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 ,
 wherein the inward facing wall includes an upper part and a lower part, the upper part being closer to a longitudinal axis of the footwear than the lower part of the inward facing wall,   wherein the outward facing wall includes an upper part and a lower part, the upper part being closer to a longitudinal axis of the footwear in the lower part of the outward facing wall.