A dual use women's shoe has a pivoting heel assembly. The heel assembly has a housing and a heel piece pivoting is controlled by use of a two stage bayonet latch that may be selectively manipulated to convert the shoe between a ladies court style with the heel fully extended as a high heel and another style of lesser height with the heel piece in a retracted positon down beneath the sole. The other style may be a wedge, loafer, mule or sandal. The heel assembly may include with a spring that biases the heel piece towards the fully extended high heel configuration, such that the retracted heel piece in the retracted configuration springs into the fully extended high heel configuration when a button of the bayonet latch is depressed.

A dual use women's shoe has a pivoting heel assembly. The heel assembly has a housing and a heel piece pivoting is controlled by use of a two stage bayonet latch that may be selectively manipulated to convert the shoe between a ladies court style with the heel fully extended as a high heel and another style of lesser height with the heel piece in a retracted positon down beneath the sole. The other style may be a wedge, loafer, mule or sandal. The heel assembly may include with a spring that biases the heel piece towards the fully extended high heel configuration, such that the retracted heel piece in the retracted configuration springs into the fully extended high heel configuration when a button of the bayonet latch is depressed.

A high heel footwear including a heel tip assembly and a heel assembly. The heel tip assembly includes a top lift abutting against the heel, a rigid shaft member having a threaded portion, and a first wedge-lock feature configured to prevent the top lift from rotating. The heel assembly includes a threaded insert, a spring, a hollow insert, and a second wedge-lock feature. The threaded insert is received inside an opening formed in the heel to receive the threaded portion of the rigid shaft member. The spring is also received inside the opening and abuts against the threaded insert. The hollow insert abuts against the spring. The rigid shaft member passes through the threaded insert, the spring, and the hollow insert. The second wedge-lock feature locks with the first wedge-lock feature to retain the top lift on the end of the heel.

A footwear article includes a hinged portion in a heel region that may be biased in various positions to increase or decrease a size of a foot-insertion opening. The hinged portion may be arranged in a first position, in which the hinged portion is more upright and is in position to cup a wearer's heel or Achilles region when the footwear article is worn. In addition, the hinged portion may be rotated downward or rearwardly (e.g., away from the foot-insertion opening) to a second position, which may increase a size of the foot-insertion opening and/or may change an angle along which a foot can pass through the foot-insertion opening when the footwear article is being donned or doffed. One or more elastic members may be attached to the hinged portion and to some other portion of the footwear article to bias the hinged portion.

A footwear article includes a hinged portion in a heel region that may be biased in various positions to increase or decrease a size of a foot-insertion opening. The hinged portion may be arranged in a first position, in which the hinged portion is more upright and is in position to cup a wearer's heel or Achilles region when the footwear article is worn. In addition, the hinged portion may be rotated downward or rearwardly (e.g., away from the foot-insertion opening) to a second position, which may increase a size of the foot-insertion opening and/or may change an angle along which a foot can pass through the foot-insertion opening when the footwear article is being donned or doffed. One or more elastic members may be attached to the hinged portion and to some other portion of the footwear article to bias the hinged portion.

A high heel footwear including a heel tip assembly and a heel assembly. The heel tip assembly includes a top lift abutting against the heel, a rigid shaft member having a threaded portion, and a first wedge-lock feature configured to prevent the top lift from rotating. The heel assembly includes a threaded insert, a spring, a hollow insert, and a second wedge-lock feature. The threaded insert is received inside an opening formed in the heel to receive the threaded portion of the rigid shaft member. The spring is also received inside the opening and abuts against the threaded insert. The hollow insert abuts against the spring. The rigid shaft member passes through the threaded insert, the spring, and the hollow insert. The second wedge-lock feature locks with the first wedge-lock feature to retain the top lift on the end of the heel.

The transformable shoe is an apparatus that allows a user to customize the height of the shoe. The apparatus includes a shoe body, a collapsible heel, and a lift-receiving bed. The shoe body surrounds and supports the foot against the ground. The collapsible heel uplifts the shoe body above the ground. More specifically, the collapsible heel uplifts a heel seat above the ground and defines an arch of the foot. The collapsible heel includes a plurality of anthropomorphic members. The height of the apparatus is dependent on the arrangement of the plurality of anthropomorphic members with each other, moreover the plurality of anthropomorphic members may be arranged into a high-heel configuration, a wedge configuration, and a flat configuration. In order to secure the configuration, a telescopic extrusion is integrated into a distal member of the collapsible heel. The telescopic extrusion connects the distal member to the lift-receiving bed.

A high heel footwear including a top lift having any one or more of a securing feature, an anti-rotation feature, an alignment feature, and a cushioning feature. The securing feature secures the top lift to the heel of the footwear so that during usage, the top lift remains securely in place against the heel stem. The anti-rotation feature prevents rotation of the top lift relative to the heel, particularly when a twisting force is applied to the top lift by the footwear wearer. The alignment feature co-aligns the top lift to the heel, a particularly useful feature when the heel has an irregular or non-regular cross-section. A cushioning feature is also provided, for example, in the form of a honeycomb structure composed of a tire tread material and/or a top composed of a tire tread material having a tire tread pattern for added grip and traction.

A convertible shoe assembly for converting a shoe between a flat soled shoe or a high heeled shoe includes a shoe that is wearable on a user's foot. The shoe has a sole that is comprised of a flexible material thereby facilitating the sole to be oriented in a planar position to define a sole of a flat soled shoe or an angled position to define a sole of a high heeled shoe. A hinge is integrated into the sole of the shoe such that the sole bends along the hinge when the sole is moved between the planar position and the angled position. A heel is pivotally attached to the sole and the heel is positionable in a stored position or a deployed position having the heel extending downwardly from the sole.

A convertible shoe assembly for converting a shoe between a flat soled shoe or a high heeled shoe includes a shoe that is wearable on a user's foot. The shoe has a sole that is comprised of a flexible material thereby facilitating the sole to be oriented in a planar position to define a sole of a flat soled shoe or an angled position to define a sole of a high heeled shoe. A hinge is integrated into the sole of the shoe such that the sole bends along the hinge when the sole is moved between the planar position and the angled position. A heel is pivotally attached to the sole and the heel is positionable in a stored position or a deployed position having the heel extending downwardly from the sole.