Footwear with Removable Upper Sleeve

Abstract

The invention is directed to a piece of footwear with a removable upper sleeve. The footwear comprises a boot shell, a skirt, and an upper sleeve. The skirt is attached to the upper rim of the boot shell at its lower edge and has a connection means attached along its upper edge. The upper sleeve has a corresponding connection means along its lower edge which is configured to connect to the connection means along the upper edge of the skirt. In one embodiment the upper sleeve is reversible with different patterns or visual elements on each side of the sleeve.

1 . Footwear comprising:
 a boot shell with an upper shell rim;   a skirt with a lower skirt edge and a straight upper skirt edge; and   an upper sleeve with a straight lower sleeve edge;   wherein the skirt is attached to the upper shell rim along the lower skirt edge and is attached to a lower connection means along the straight upper skirt edge; the upper sleeve is attached to an upper connection means along the straight lower sleeve edge; and the lower and upper connection means are configured to connect to one another.   
     
     
         2 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the footwear is selected from the group consisting of a rubber boot, hiking boot, hiking shoe, winter boot, and winter shoe. 
     
     
         3 . The footwear of  claim 2 , wherein the footwear is a winter boot. 
     
     
         4 . The footwear of  claim 3 , wherein the boot shell is configured to fit an insulated boot liner. 
     
     
         5 . The footwear of  claim 4 , wherein the upper sleeve is configured to extend up a user's leg beyond the top of the insulated boot liner. 
     
     
         6 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the upper skirt edge is positioned above the upper shell rim at a distance to prevent the lower connection means from rubbing against the ankle of a user. 
     
     
         7 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the skirt is attached to the upper shell rim by stitching, adhesives, snaps, buttons, material welding, or locking mechanisms. 
     
     
         8 . The footwear of  claim 7 , wherein the skirt is attached to the upper shell rim by stitching. 
     
     
         9 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the upper and lower connection means are selected form the group consisting of a zipper, Velcro™, hook and loop fasteners, snaps, buttons, slide lock means, or bindings. 
     
     
         10 . The footwear of  claim 9 , wherein the upper and lower connection means are a zipper. 
     
     
         11 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the upper sleeve further comprises a drawstring and toggle proximate an upper edge of the upper sleeve.