When you come home or step into someone's house and your feet are all wet or snowy (northern climes), you take your shoes off as a courtesy. For your own home it is a practicality, not wanting to track water all around. It becomes a bit of a juggling act on the front mat, having to remove your shoes without stepping in a damp spot left before you and soaking your socks.

Imagine a pair of shoes where you could drop the sole and still have covered feet. My shoes would have snap-on soles that could be released with a press on the back of them (easily done by the other foot). There would be a soft, thin, but waterproof mini-sole on the remaining part of the shoe to keep the shoe on, and your feet dry. Just enough to keep the shoe from flopping loose, with a bit of non-skid traction, and enough water protection so that standing on a damp mat would not soak your interior sock. The nice thing is if your soles run out, you could purchase just extra soles.
-- trekbody, Dec 19 2005

U.S. Pat. #4103440 http://www.freepate...ne.com/4103440.html
Close. [Shz, Dec 20 2005, last modified Dec 21 2005]

Tingley Rubbers http://home.att.net...ewartjf/tyclog.html
Worth a look, just for the name. [jurist, Dec 20 2005]

VIVO http://www.kk.org/c...archives/000913.php
Designed by a guy I know [moomintroll, Dec 20 2005]

I'm thinking slippers with snow-tread soles for walking to the garage this time of year.
-- Shz, Dec 20 2005


When I used to live in a wetter clime we often wore rubber overshoes, which perform much the same function as described by this idea. Strangely, people thought they looked inappropriate during the dry seasons.[link, of sorts]
-- jurist, Dec 20 2005


I was thinking something different than "rubbers" or galoshes. Easier to remove and put back on. Never have to touch them and get your hands wet and grimey.
-- trekbody, Dec 21 2005


I couldn't get the patent link to work - like the VIVO shoes - imagine those with snap-on soles.
-- trekbody, Dec 21 2005


I fixed the link. :)
-- Shz, Dec 21 2005


I couldn't understand a thing on that patent application - but I'll take your word for it - still since it was not yet in the halfbakery is a really a valid patent?
-- trekbody, Dec 21 2005



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