Open toe boot with removable toe cover

Abstract

An open toe boot is provided in which an upper defines a toe opening at the front. A toe cover may be provided for detachably attaching to the sole and/or the upper to cover the open toe portion. The toe cover may be attached using a zipper, a Velcro.TM. fastener or a number of buttons. Also described is a matching sock for use with the open toe boot. The sock has two parts, where the toe portion is made of or covered with the same material as the upper of the boots or a material similar to the upper in color and texture.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] This invention relates to footwear, and in particular, it relates to an open toe boot with a removable toe cover.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] Open-toe shoes are widely used and desirable for many reason, including style, comfort, light weight, etc. Shoe caps or covers for covering the open toe portions of open toe shoes have been described. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,419,390 describes a shoe tip protector adapted to temporarily close the opening in the open toe in changed weather conditions. U.S. Pat. No. 2,327,043 describes a show having a toe construction that may be opened or closed to conform to the open toe and closed toe styles of shoes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] Open toe constructions have not been used in boots. Boots are typically worn in colder weather conditions, but they are also worn for reasons of style and appearance.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an open toe boot that is comfortable to wear.

[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a removable toe cover for an open toe boot to make the boot more adaptable to changing weather conditions.

[0008] Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the descriptions that follow and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims thereof as well as the appended drawings.

[0009] To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the present invention provides a boot which includes a sole, an upper which defines an open toe portion at the front of the boot, and a leg portion extending from the upper. The boot may also include a toe cover detachably attached to the sole or the upper, the toe cover covering the open toe portion of the boot.

[0010] Also provided is a sock for use with the boot, the sock comprising a body portion and a toe portion made of a material that is the same or similar to a material of the upper of the boot.

[0011] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] FIG. 1 shows a boot with an open toe portion.

[0013] FIG. 2 shows the boot with a toe cover that covers the open toe portion.

[0014] FIGS. 3a-b show various shapes of the open toe portion.

[0015] FIG. 4 shows a matching sock for an open toe boot.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the boot 10 has a sole 11 and an upper 12, where the upper 12 defines an open toe portion 13 at the front of the boot. A leg portion 14 extends from the upper 12. The open toe portion 13 may have a variety of shapes, as shown in FIGS. 4a-b. The opening may have any suitable size, either exposing all toes or exposing some but not all toes. Different shapes of the open portion may be suitable for wearers with different foot problems. For example, the open portion shown in FIG. 3b exposes more of the big toe and may be suitable for wearers with a bunion problem.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, a toe cover 15 may be detachably attached to the upper 12 and/or the sole 11 to cover the open portion 13. The toe cover 15 may be attached to the upper 12 and/or the sole 11 by a zipper, a Velcro.TM. fastener, or a number of buttons or snaps. If a zipper is used, it preferably extends around the entire periphery of the toe cover 15. The zipper is preferably located on the inside of the toe cover 15 and at a distance from its edge so that the zipper is hidden under the toe cover when the cover is attached.

[0018] Ad advantage of the open toe boot is that it is comfortable to wear for people with a variety of foot shapes and sizes. It is especially suitable for wearers having certain foot problems such as bunions. The boot may be normally worn in the open toe configuration without the toe cover, and the toe cover may be attached in unfavorable weather conditions or when desired by the wearer. For example, the boot may be worn outside with the toe cover attached, and worn in doors without the toe cover during extended wearing time. The boot may also be worn with or without the toe cover to suit different styles.

[0019] Optionally, matching socks may be provided for use with the open toe boots. As shown in FIG. 4, the sock 30 has two parts, where the toe portion 31 is made of, or covered with, the same material as the upper 12 of the boots or a material similar to the upper in color and texture. The size of the toe portion 31 of the socks are sufficiently large so that when the matching socks are worn with the open toe boots, only the toe portion of the socks are exposed through the open toe portion 13 of the boots. The remaining portion (the body portion) 32 of the sock 30 is made of any suitable material typically used for socks.

[0020] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modification and variations can be made in the open toe boot of the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations that come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A boot comprising: a sole; an upper which defines an open toe portion at the front of the boot; and a leg portion extending from the upper.

2. The boot of claim 1, further comprising: a toe cover detachably attached to the sole or the upper, the toe cover covering the open toe portion of the boot.

3. The boot of claim 1, wherein the toe cover is attached to the sole or the upper by a zipper.

4. The boot of claim 1, wherein the toe cover is attached to the sole or the upper by a Velcro.TM. fastener.

5. The boot of claim 1, wherein the toe cover is attached to the sole or the upper by a plurality of buttons or snaps.

6. A sock for use with the boot of claim 1, the sock comprising: a body portion; and a toe portion made of a material that is the same or similar to a material of the upper of the boot.