Sandal or slip-on footwear with improved optional-use heel strap and related methods

Abstract

Disclosed is slip-on footwear with a concealable heel strap that is padded. Suitably, the padding of the padded heel strap is convertible into a pull-tab whenever the heel strap is concealed.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A slip-on sandal with a heel strap that features at least two pull tabs that have been unfolded to a heel-pad and placed on a heal of a user. 
     
     
         2 . The slip on sandal of  claim 1  wherein the heel strap is optional-use. 
     
     
         3 . The slip on sandal of  claim 2  wherein the heel strap was disposed in a strap channel before having been unfolded to the heel-pad and placed on the heal of the user. 
     
     
         4 . The slip on sandal of  claim 3  wherein the heel strap is partially strung through a hole. 
     
     
         5 . The slip on sandal of  claim 4  wherein the heel strap is made out of a polymer. 
     
     
         6 . The slip on sandal of  claim 5  wherein there are two pull tabs. 
     
     
         7 . The slip on sandal of  claim 6  wherein the heel-pad has been removed from the heal, folded into the two pull tabs, and then disposed in the strap channel. 
     
     
         8 . A slip-on sandal comprising:
 an upper;   a sole with a strap channel and hole;   an optional use strap with heal padding that is reverse folded into two pull tabs, wherein the optional use strap is disposed through the hole and within the strap channel so that the pull tabs are extended from the strap channel.   
     
     
         9 . The slip-on sandal of  claim 8  that is put on and taken off of a foot by folding and unfolding the two pull tabs to put on and take off the strap out of the strap channel to remove a user foot from the upper and off the sole. 
     
     
         10 . The slip on sandal of  claim 9  wherein the strap is elastic. 
     
     
         11 . The slip on sandal of  claim 10  wherein the upper is defined by a toe hole and a foot strap. 
     
     
         12 . A slip on sandal with a heel strap that features a heel pad that has been folded into at least two pull tabs and placed in a strap channel. 
     
     
         13 . The slip on sandal of  claim 12  wherein the pull tabs extend from the strap channel. 
     
     
         14 . The slip on sandal of  claim 13  wherein the heel strap was disposed in a user heel before having been folded and placed in the strap channel. 
     
     
         15 . The slip on sandal of  claim 14  wherein the sandal further comprises a sole in the shape of a human foot. 
     
     
         16 . The slip on sandal of  claim 15  wherein the strap channel is defined in the periphery of a heel portion of the sole. 
     
     
         17 . The slip on sandal of  claim 16  wherein the strap channel holds the heel padding in a reverse fold so that the heel padding is retained within the strap channel while it is inside out. 
     
     
         18 . The slip on sandal of  claim 17  wherein the strap is made out of rubber. 
     
     
         19 . The slip on sandal of  claim 18  wherein the strap is flush to the sole when stored in the strap channel. 
     
     
         20 . The slip on sandal of  claim 19  wherein the heel padding is a polymer.