Article of footwear with removable shield

Abstract

An article of footwear includes an upper, a sole structure coupled to the upper, at least one receiver integrated into an exterior surface of the upper, and a removable shield configured to selectively attach to the at least one receiver. The removable shield has an outward-facing ornamental exterior surface when attached to the at least one receiver.

1 . An article of footwear, comprising:
 an upper;   a sole structure coupled to the upper;   at least one receiver integrated into an exterior surface of the upper; and   a removable shield configured to selectively attach to the at least one receiver, the removable shield having an outward-facing ornamental exterior surface when attached to the at least one receiver.   
     
     
         2 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one receiver comprises a slot, and the removable shield comprises a tab configured to engage with the slot in a press-fit engagement. 
     
     
         3 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one receiver comprises one or more magnets embedded in the upper, and the removable shield comprises one or more corresponding magnets configured to magnetically secure the removable shield to the upper. 
     
     
         4 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the removable shield comprises a mechanical fastener selected from the group consisting of posts, screws, snaps, rivets, and buttons that engage corresponding receiving features in the at least one receiver. 
     
     
         5 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one receiver is positioned on at least one of a tongue, a heel counter, a sidewall, a vamp, or adjacent to lace eyelets of the upper. 
     
     
         6 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the removable shield comprises a semi-rigid thermoplastic material selected from the group consisting of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), and polyamide 6 (PA6). 
     
     
         7 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the visible exterior surface of the removable shield is contoured to match a corresponding portion of the upper. 
     
     
         8 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the removable shield comprises a textured or patterned surface for aesthetic customization. 
     
     
         9 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the article comprises a plurality of receivers disposed at different locations on the exterior surface of the upper, each receiver configured to selectively receive a removable shield. 
     
     
         10 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the removable shield extends from the throat area of the upper to a heel counter portion of the upper. 
     
     
         11 . An article of footwear, comprising:
 an upper;   a sole structure coupled to the upper;   at least one receiver integrated into an exterior surface of the upper;   a removable shield configured to selectively attach to the at least one receiver, the removable shield comprising:
 an exterior surface; 
 an electronic display integrated into the exterior surface; 
 a memory module storing display data; 
   a communication system configured to receive signals from an external device;   a processor disposed within the article of footwear and operatively connected to the removable shield when attached, the processor configured to process the display data and control the electronic display based on the signals received from the external device.   
     
     
         12 . The article of footwear of  claim 11 , wherein the electronic display comprises an electronic ink display or an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. 
     
     
         13 . The article of footwear of  claim 11 , wherein the communication system comprises a wireless communication protocol selected from the group consisting of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and Near Field Communication (NFC). 
     
     
         14 . The article of footwear of  claim 11 , wherein the removable shield comprises an inductively charged power supply. 
     
     
         15 . The article of footwear of  claim 11 , wherein the external device is a smartphone configured to transmit visual content to be displayed on the electronic display. 
     
     
         16 . The article of footwear of  claim 11 , wherein the removable shield comprises a sensor configured to detect movement of the foot, and the electronic display is configured to alter the displayed content based on detected movement. 
     
     
         17 . The article of footwear of  claim 11 , wherein the communication system is configured to allow the removable shield to display content associated with a non-fungible token (NFT). 
     
     
         18 . The article of footwear of  claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to modify the display content based on parameters stored in the memory module of the removable shield. 
     
     
         19 . The article of footwear of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one receiver includes electrical contacts configured to engage with corresponding electrical contacts on the removable shield. 
     
     
         20 . The article of footwear of  claim 11 , wherein the removable shield is magnetically attachable to the at least one receiver.