Creating skeletal componets for a modular pawn.

Hello every one…

Currently I am working on a modular system. Being a programmer I am not sure about what kinds of skeletal meshes does a modular character need. How much bones should it contain to be exact.

As for now, I have fully rigged character model. Suppose say I need the feet of the character. I want my character to ave different boots. So for the I make another skeletal mesh just having the mesh of the boots and attach it to my character.

But does that skeletal mesh used for boots need to contain all the bones of the main skeletal structure or can we just use bone up to the hierarchy need for the feet(from root to the feet) and leave everything else out.