1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to footwear such as mules, scuffs and sandals.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
There are usually provided mules and scuffs for common use in hotels, restaurants, hospitals and meeting places, so that anyone may use. Since the mules and scuffs provided in such public facilities are used by all sorts and conditions of people, it is necessary to maintain good hygiene of the footwear.
There has been proposed an idea of keeping the footwear clean, in which a cover sheet is removably attached onto an insole by use of a flat fastener, so that the cover sheet can be replaced when soiled (Japanese Utility Model Public Disclosures Nos. SHO 57-186504(A); SHO 59-132504(A); and HEI 1-169103(A)).
Although this prior art measure may maintain hygiene of the insole of the footwear, it has a disadvantage such that the inside of an instep member or vamp cannot be kept clean even if the cover sheet is replaced.
Another measure in which an inner cover attached detachably to a part of a mule, at which the wearer""s foot touches, the mule is replaced when soiled (Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3008071(B)).
This second measure may possibly overcome the shortcoming of the former measure noted above, but the work disadvantageously becomes onerous where the inner cover is replaced.
This invention is made to eliminate the drawbacks suffered by the conventional footwear as described above and has an object to provide convenient footwear capable of being always kept clean.
Another object of the invention is to provide hygienic footwear such as mules, scuffs and sandals, which is easy to handle and especially convenient for use in public facilities such as hotels, restaurants, hospitals and meeting places.
Still another object of the invention is to provide footwear such as mules, scuffs and sandals, which can be continuously kept clean over a long period of time and used economically and rationally.
To attain the object described above according to this invention, there is provided footwear comprising an inner footwear body detachably laid on an outer footwear body. The inner footwear body includes a sole pad and an instep member. The sole pad is provided on its lower surface with a first inner joining means. The instep member is provided on its outer surface with a second inner joining means.
The aforesaid outer footwear body includes a sole pad rest having an adjustable retaining member. The sole pad rest is provided on its upper surface with a first outer joining means capable of separably engaging with the aforesaid first inner joining means of the sole pad of the inner footwear body. The adjustable retaining member includes a first fastening means, and a second fastening means, which engages with the first fastening means through a fastener means. The adjustable retaining member is provided on its inner side with a second outer joining means capable of separably engaging with the aforesaid second inner joining means on the instep member of the inner footwear body.
The sole pad of the inner footwear body is joined onto the sole pad rest and secured with the first inner and outer joining means. The adjustable retaining member of the outer footwear body is securely joined to the outer surface of the instep member of the inner footwear body by the second inner and outer joining means.
As the first and second fastening means, a flat fastener may be used, so as to separably engage the flat fastener, the respective counterparts of the first inner and outer joining means and the second inner and outer joining means with ease.
The whole bottom surface of the inner footwear body and the whole upper surface of the outer footwear body may be joined respectively with the flat fastener so as to make the sole pad flat.
To hold the inner footwear body in place on the outer footwear body, there may be formed an anti-slippage rib along the peripheral portion of the sole pad of the outer footwear body. With this anti-slippage rib, the inner footwear body is prevented from slipping out of place in use.
The instep member of the inner footwear body may be formed of an arch-shaped instep member with front and rear swelling rims astride the first inner joining means so as to be soft to the touch. The instep member of the inner footwear body may be made of a composition of cloth and foam material. In this case, the part which the instep of a wearer touches may be lined with the cloth, and the swelling rims of the instep member may be formed by folding back the both end parts of the cloth inwardly so as to make a double-ply foam softly swelling form of foam material. The double-ply rim of the swelling rim has moderate elasticity to be soft to the touch, thus to prevent the foot of the wearer from being grazed.
The first adjustable retaining member may be formed in a strap longer than that of the second retaining member to be placed over the greater part of instep of the wearer. With this structure, the footwear can be worn stably and improved in appearance.
Other and further objects of this invention will become obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiments about to be described or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.