An article of footwear comprises a sole, and an upper that has a medial side portion extending from the medial side of the sole with a first distal end remote from the medial side. The upper has a lateral side portion extending from the lateral side of the sole with a second distal end remote from the lateral side. The upper may include a support member extending at least partially across the foot-receiving surface with a first end remote from the medial side. The medial and lateral side portions wrap at least partially around a foot with the first distal end securable proximal to the lateral side, and the second distal end separately securable proximal to the medial side. An article of footwear has cables with proximal ends fixed to one side of the upper and that extend through looped cables on an opposite side of the upper.

The present invention relates to an article of footwear for walking on sand and other surfaces. The outsole of the footwear includes a lugged tread pattern like that of a tractor tire for traction while walking on sand and other like surfaces. Cushioning on the insole moderates the impact when a wearer walks on a hard surface. The footwear has an upper section to cover a portion of the foot of a user and provides a semi-closed design, wherein the upper section has a pair of inter-woven flaps and is sewn or glued to the insole of the footwear. The footwear is available in various sizes, styles, and designs to accommodate all adults and children. The footwear can be worn in any outdoor setting to maintain stability on sand, gravel, grass, dirt, and other like surfaces, while the footwear is also suitable to wear in other outdoor and indoor settings.

A sandal has a sole with a front hole and a pair of rear holes, a toe thong that includes a center portion and a pair of side straps, the center portion having an oversized front plug, and each of the side straps having a rear plug.

A fastening element configured for attachment to a wearable clothing or accessory substrate whereby ornamental elements are configured for removable fastening thereto for changeable decorative appearance of the clothing or accessory wherein the fastening element is ornamental in appearance whereby it is aesthetically viewable with or without ornamental elements fastened thereto and whereby the fastener is able to be integrated with appearance of the ornamental element or completely hidden by the ornamental elements.

The self-anchoring sole structure of the present invention offers the consumer the ability to construct a variety of style, color, material, and design options by means of a customizable sandal system, comprising a sole having a top surface, a bottom surface, a toe portion and a heel portion, a channel around an exterior perimeter of the sole, and a plurality of bridges spaced around the exterior perimeter of the sole which extend across the channel, wherein the channel and the plurality of bridges are dimensioned to allow a length of material to be passed through.

A shoe that grows comprises a sole having a toe, medial side, lateral side, and heel. The toe of the sole extends outwardly to form a toe cap. A vamp member is adjustably connected to a free end of the toe cap. At least one medial strap connects the vamp member to the medial side of the sole. At least one lateral strap connects the vamp member to the lateral side of the sole. An adjustable heel strap connects to the medial and lateral sides of the sole and extends around the heel of the sole.

An apparatus for sandals with interchangeable upper section consists of an upper portion, a sole, and a securing system. The upper portion is the only interchangeable component, and users can interchange different upper portions with one specific sole. The securing system consists of a plurality of male connectors and a plurality of female connectors. The plurality of male connectors is connected with the sole, and the plurality of female connectors is connected with the upper portion. The upper portion can be attached to the sole, when the plurality of female connectors is traversed into the plurality of male connectors. The apparatus for sandals with interchangeable upper section consists of many different colors and styles in order to complement a wide variety of customers.

A method of manufacturing articles of footwear that includes steps of providing articles to a customer, receiving evaluations of one or more structural characteristics of the articles and making new customized articles for the customer based on the evaluations of one or more structural characteristics. The method can be conducted as a cycle that is repeated each time the customer buys a new pair of footwear.

A shoe fastening system designed to engage the eyelet holes of a shoe, comprising, an anchor, wherein the anchor has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end has means to detachably engage with an eyelet of a shoe and the second end has a connection means, an attachment member having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is designed to securely fit within the connection means of the anchor and the second has a closed loop, a strap, wherein the strap is sized to fit through the closed loop of the attachment member and is a predetermined length and width, and a locking mechanism fitted to receive the strap and engage the strap to keep the strap at a specific length.

Methods and apparatuses are provided for closure of footwear. According to an example embodiment, an article of footwear that automatically secures to a user's foot includes a sole and a closure mechanism with a first portion and a second portion. The first portion of the closure mechanism is attached to the sole. The second portion extends away from the sole. Deformation of a surface of the closure mechanism actuates the closure mechanism such that it automatically moves from a first stable position to a second stable position. In the second stable position, the closure mechanism conforms to and applies a force to at least one of an upper surface of the article of footwear and an upper surface of a foot of a user of the article of footwear.