U.S. patent application number 14/160673 was filed with the patent office on 2014-07-24 for universal heeled shoe protector.
This patent application is currently assigned to KINDLE HILL, LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is KINDLE HILL, LLC. Invention is credited to Saly A. GLASSMAN.
Application Number | 20140202045 14/160673 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51206590 |
Filed Date | 2014-07-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140202045 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
GLASSMAN; Saly A. |
July 24, 2014 |
UNIVERSAL HEELED SHOE PROTECTOR
Abstract
A universal heeled shoe protector for mounting to a heeled shoe
to protect the heeled shoe from moisture and other potentially
damaging elements. The protector includes a relatively flexible
covering for surrounding the heeled shoe. The covering is water
resistant and defines an opening at a top end. A sole is secured to
a bottom end of the covering. The sole includes a top surface and a
gripping surface providing traction with a ground surface. The sole
includes a ball portion, an arch portion and a heel portion. A
memory material is mounted to the top surface in the heel portion
and at least partially in the arch portion. The memory material has
a relaxed height and a compressed height. The relaxed height is
greater than the compressed height. The memory material is
generally positioned at the relaxed height when the heeled shoe is
not positioned on the memory material.
Inventors: |
GLASSMAN; Saly A.; (Gwynedd
Valley, PA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
KINDLE HILL, LLC |
Gwynedd Valley |
PA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
KINDLE HILL, LLC
Gwynedd Valley
PA
|
Family ID: |
51206590 |
Appl. No.: |
14/160673 |
Filed: |
January 22, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61755185 |
Jan 22, 2013 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/72B |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 7/12 20130101; A43B
1/0081 20130101; A43B 21/00 20130101; A43B 3/16 20130101; A43B
1/0072 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
36/72.B |
International
Class: |
A43B 13/22 20060101
A43B013/22 |
Claims
1. A universal heeled shoe protector for mounting to a heeled shoe
to protect the heeled shoe from moisture and other potentially
damaging elements, the protector comprising: a relatively flexible
covering for surrounding the heeled shoe, the covering being water
resistant and defining an opening at a top end; a sole secured to a
bottom end of the covering, the sole including a top surface and a
gripping surface providing traction with a ground surface, the sole
including a ball portion, an arch portion and a heel portion; and a
memory material mounted to the top surface in the heel portion and
at least partially in the arch portion, the memory material having
a relaxed height and a compressed height, the relaxed height being
greater than the compressed height, the memory material is
generally positioned at the relaxed height when the heeled shoe is
not positioned on the memory material.
2. The universal heeled shoe protector of claim 1, further
comprising: a fastening mechanism mounted to the covering proximate
the opening, the fastening mechanism movable from a lock position
to a release position.
3. The universal heeled shoe protector of claim 1, wherein the
relaxed height is approximately five inches (5'').
4. The universal heeled shoe protector of claim 1, wherein the
memory material has a wedge-shaped portion and a block-shaped
portion, the block-shaped portion positioned adjacent the heel
portion.
5. The universal heeled shoe protector of claim 1, wherein the
memory material is comprised of a foam memory material.
6. The universal heeled shoe protector of claim 5, wherein the foam
memory material is constructed of a polyurethane material.
7. The universal heeled shoe protector of claim 1, wherein the arch
portion is separate from the heel portion, the arch portion being
secured to the heel portion by at least one of the memory material
and the covering.
8. The universal heeled shoe protector of claim 1, wherein the
opening is selectively expandable to an insertion configuration
wherein a user's foot may be inserted into the universal heeled
shoe protector and is contractible from the insertion configuration
to a mounted configuration to secure the user's foot in the
universal heeled shoe protector.
9. The universal heeled shoe protector of claim 8, further
comprising: a fastening mechanism mounted to the covering proximate
the opening, the fastening mechanism being in a release position to
facilitate expansion and contraction of the opening, the fastening
mechanism being in a lock position to secure the user's foot in the
universal heeled shoe protector.
10. The universal heeled shoe protector of claim 1, further
comprising: a fastening mechanism comprised of hook and loop
material mounted to the covering proximate the opening.
11. The universal heeled shoe protector of claim 1, wherein the
memory material has a block-shaped portion and a wedge-shaped
portion, the relaxed height and the compressed height being
measured in the block-shaped portion.
12. A universal heeled shoe protector for mounting to a heeled shoe
to protect the heeled shoe from moisture and other potentially
damaging elements, the protector comprising: a relatively flexible
covering for surrounding the heeled shoe, the covering being water
resistant and defining an opening at a top end, the opening having
a mounted configuration and an insertion configuration; a fastening
mechanism mounted to the covering proximate the opening, the
fastening mechanism movable from a lock position to a release
position, the fastening mechanism limiting expansion of the opening
in the lock position; a sole secured to a bottom end of the
covering, the sole including a top surface and a gripping surface
providing traction with a ground surface, the sole including a ball
portion, an arch portion and a heel portion; and a memory material
mounted to the top surface in the heel portion and at least
partially in the arch portion, the memory material including a
block-shaped portion proximate the heel portion and a wedge-shaped
portion proximate the arch portion, the memory material having a
relaxed height and a compressed height, the relaxed height being
greater than the compressed height, the memory material is
generally positioned at the relaxed height when the heeled shoe is
not positioned on the memory material.
13. The universal heeled shoe protector of claim 12, wherein the
memory material is comprised of a foam memory material.
14. The universal heeled shoe protector of claim 12, wherein the
memory material is comprised of a polyurethane material.
15. The universal heeled shoe protector of claim 12, wherein the
relaxed height is approximately five inches (5'').
16. The universal heeled shoe protector of claim 12, wherein the
fastener is comprised of hook and loop material.
17. The universal heeled shoe protector of claim 12, wherein the
fastener is comprised of a zipper.
18. The universal heeled shoe protector of claim 12, wherein the
covering is constructed of a substantially transparent polymeric
material.
19. A method of protecting a heeled shoe with a universal heeled
shoe protector having a relatively flexible covering with an
opening, a sole, a memory material having a relaxed height and a
compressed height and a fastening mechanism, the method comprising
the steps of: a) inserting a heeled shoe into the opening such that
a bottom of the shoe is positioned proximate a top surface of the
sole, the memory material moving from the relaxed height to the
compressed height when the bottom of the shoe is positioned
proximate the top surface; b) manipulating the covering to secure
the protector to the heeled shoe; c) moving the fastening mechanism
to a lock position; d) moving the fastening mechanism to a relaxed
position; e) moving the heeled shoe out of the opening, thereby
permitting the memory material to move from the compressed height
to the relaxed height.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein the relaxed height is greater
than the compressed height, the relaxed height being at least five
inches (5'').
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application claims priority to, and the benefit
of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/755,285, filed on
Jan. 22, 2013, and titled "Universal Heeled Shoe Protector," the
entire contents of each of which is incorporated herein by
reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Shoe protectors, such as galoshes or overshoes can be worn
over another pair of shoes to protect the shoes inside the galoshes
or overshoes. The shoe galoshes or overshoes are typically placed
over the top of a user's shoes to prevent the shoes from becoming
wet, dirty and/or scuffed/damaged. The galoshes or overshoes are
typically water-resistant and flexible such that they can be
mounted over a variety of different sized shoes.
[0003] Shoe protectors for women's shoes, including shoes having
relatively large heels, are used less frequently than galoshes or
overshoes. The women's shoe protectors and particularly protectors
for shoes having relatively large heels are not flexible or
adaptable for use with women's shoes having different sized heels.
That is, protectors for women's heeled shoes are typically sized
and shaped to be adaptable for a heel style, size and/or shape that
is specific and cannot be adapted for shoes having, for example, a
low heel or a relatively solid heel.
[0004] Women's shoe protectors are also typically not aesthetically
pleasing, taking away from the ornamental appearance of the heel.
The prior art protectors are relatively unsightly and may cause a
loss of footing when secured to the shoe as they are not adapted to
fit to the size of multiple shoes.
[0005] It would be desirable to design, construct and employ a
universal heeled shoe protector that adapts to various styles of
heeled shoes, is aesthetically pleasing and provides stable footing
when worn over the heeled shoe. The preferred universal heeled shoe
protector described in the present application addresses certain of
these shortcomings of prior art shoe protectors.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Briefly stated, in a preferred embodiment, the present
application is directed to a universal heeled shoe protector for
mounting to a heeled shoe to protect the heeled shoe from moisture
and other potentially damaging elements. The protector includes a
relatively flexible cover for surrounding the heeled shoe. The
cover is water resistant and defines an opening at the top end. A
sole is secured to a bottom end of the covering. The sole includes
a top surface and a gripping surface providing traction with a
ground surface. The sole includes a ball portion, an arch portion
and a heel portion. A memory material is mounted to the top surface
in the heel portion and at least partially in the arch portion. The
memory material has a relaxed height and a compressed height. The
relaxed height is greater than the compressed height. The memory
material is generally positioned at the relaxed height when the
heeled shoe is not positioned on the memory material.
[0007] In another aspect, the present application is directed to a
universal heeled shoe protector for mounting to a heeled shoe to
protect the heeled shoe from moisture and other potentially
damaging elements. The universal heeled shoe protector includes a
relatively flexible covering for surrounding the heeled shoe, a
fastening mechanism mounted to the covering proximate the opening,
a sole secured to a bottom end of the covering and a memory
material mounted to the top surface in the heel portion and at
least partially in the arch portion. The covering is water
resistant and defines an opening at a top end. The opening has a
mounted configuration and an insertion configuration. The fastening
mechanism is movable from a lock position to a release position.
The fastening mechanism limits expansion of the opening in the lock
position. The sole includes a top surface and a gripping surface
providing traction with a ground surface. The sole includes a ball
portion, an arch portion and a heel portion The memory material
includes a block-shaped portion proximate the heel portion and a
wedge-shaped portion proximate the arch portion. The memory
material has a relaxed height and a compressed height. The relaxed
height is greater than the compressed height and the memory
material is generally positioned at the relaxed height when the
heeled shoe is not positioned on the memory material
[0008] In another aspect, the preferred embodiment of the present
application is directed to a method of protecting a heeled shoe
with a universal heeled shoe protector having a relatively flexible
covering with an opening, a sole, a memory material having a
relaxed height and a compressed height and a fastening mechanism.
The method includes the steps of inserting a heeled shoe into the
opening such that a bottom of the shoe is positioned proximate a
top surface of the sole, manipulating the covering to secure the
protector to the heeled shoe, moving the fastening mechanism to a
lock position, moving the fastening mechanism to a relaxed position
and moving the heel to out of the opening, thereby permitting the
memory material to move from the compressed height to the relaxed
height. The memory material moves from the relaxed height to the
compressed height when the bottom of the shoe is positioned
proximate the top surface.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed
description of the invention, will be better understood when read
in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of
illustrating the invention, there are shown in the drawings
embodiments which are presently preferred. It should be understood,
however, that the invention is not limited to the precise
arrangements and instrumentalities shown. In the drawings:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a left-side perspective view of a universal heeled
shoe protector in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of
the present application;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a left-side elevational view of the universal
heeled shoe protector of FIG. 1 with a flat heeled shoe and a foot
positioned therein;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a left-side elevational view of the universal
heeled shoe protector of FIG. 1 with a wedge heeled shoe and a foot
positioned therein;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a left-side elevational view of a universal heeled
shoe protector of FIG. 1 with an alternately designed wedge heeled
shoe and a foot positioned therein;
[0014] FIG. 5 is a left-side elevational view of a universal heeled
shoe protector in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of
the present application with a high heeled shoe positioned therein;
and
[0015] FIG. 6 is a left-side elevational view of the universal
heeled shoe protector of FIG. 5 with a medium heeled shoe
positioned therein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0016] Certain terminology is used in the following description for
convenience only and is not limiting. Unless specifically set forth
herein, the terms "a", "an" and "the" are not limited to one
element but instead should be read as meaning "at least one". The
words "right," "left," "lower," and "upper" designate directions in
the drawings to which reference is made. The words "inwardly" or
"distally" and "outwardly" or "proximally" refer to directions
toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center or
orientation of the device and related parts thereof. The
terminology includes the above-listed words, derivatives thereof
and words of similar import.
[0017] Referring to FIGS. 1-6, preferred embodiments of the present
application are directed to a universal heeled shoe protector 10,
10' for mounting to a heeled shoe 12 to protect the heeled shoe 12
from moisture and other potentially damaging elements. The
universal heeled shoe protector 10, 10' is generally water
resistant and preferably waterproof to limit exposure of the heeled
shoe 12 to water. In addition, the universal heeled shoe protector
10, 10' preferably covers the shoe 12 in a mounted configuration to
limit scuffs, dirt or other damage from impacting the ornamental
appearance of the shoe 12. Like reference numerals are utilized to
identify like elements of first and second preferred embodiments of
the universal heeled shoe protector 10, 10' with the prime symbol
(') utilized to distinguish the elements of the second preferred
embodiment from the elements of the first preferred embodiment.
[0018] Referring to FIG. 1, the universal heeled shoe protector 10
of the first preferred embodiment includes a relatively flexible
covering 14 for surrounding the heeled shoe 12 in a mounted
position. The covering 14 defines an opening 16 at a top end 14a
through which the shoe 12 is inserted into the protector 10. The
covering 14 is flexible to expand and/or contract the opening 16
for inserting the shoe 12 and/or the user's leg and/or ankle 28 and
drawing the covering 14 about the user's leg or ankle 28 to secure
the protector 10 to the user's leg and/or ankle 28. The covering 14
is preferably constructed of a water resistant or water repellant
polymeric material and is also preferably generally transparent.
The covering 14 is not limited to being constructed of polymeric
materials or to being transparent and may be constructed of fabric
or any other material that is able to take on the general size and
shape of the covering 14 and withstand the normal operating
conditions of the covering 14. In addition, the covering 14 is not
limited to being transparent and may be opaque, semi-transparent or
otherwise configured, but the covering 14 is preferably transparent
to expose the ornamental appearance of the shoe 12 during use.
[0019] The universal heeled shoe protector 10 of the first
preferred embodiment also includes a sole 18 secured to a bottom
end 14b of the covering 14. The sole 18 includes a top surface 18a
and a gripping surface 18b that provides traction with a ground
surface 30 upon which the user walks. The gripping surface 18b is
preferably constructed of a polymeric material that is strong,
durable and somewhat flexible to provide gripping with the ground
surface 30. The added grip provided by the gripping surface 18b
promotes stability when a user is walking and wearing the universal
heeled shoe protector 10 with high-heeled shoes 12 (FIGS. 3-5).
Such added grip also promotes stable footing and safety for the
user. The gripping surface 18b is not limited to any specific
configuration or material and may be comprised of nearly any
variety of material or surface that is able to support the
protector 10 on the ground surface 30. The top surface 18a is
preferably constructed of a partially elastic, comfortable surface
for the user to place their shoe 12 upon during use. The top
surface 18b is not limited to any specific material or
configuration but is preferably configured to receive the bottom of
the shoe 12 in the mounted configuration (FIGS. 2-4).
[0020] The sole 18 of the first preferred embodiment preferably
includes a ball portion 20, an arch portion 22 and a heel portion
24. The ball portion 20 is generally located proximate the ball of
the user's foot or shoe 12, the arch portion 22 is generally
located proximate the user's arch or arch portion of the shoe 12
and the heel portion 24 is generally located proximate the heel of
the foot or shoe 12 in the mounted configuration. The sole 18 is
preferably sized and shaped to receive various sized and configured
heeled shoes 12 thereon to support the heeled shoe 12 in the
mounted configuration.
[0021] Referring to FIG. 1, the universal heeled shoe protector 10
also includes a memory material 26 mounted to the top surface 18a
in the heeled portion 24 and at least partially in the arch portion
22. The memory material 26 has a relaxed height H.sub.R when load
is not applied to the memory material 26 or when the shoe 12 is not
in the protector 10 in the mounted configuration. Referring to
FIGS. 1-4, the memory material 26 also has a compressed height
H.sub.C when the shoe 12 is in the mounted configuration and
applies load to the memory material 26. The relaxed height H.sub.R
is greater than the compressed height H.sub.C. The memory material
26 is generally positioned at the relaxed height H.sub.R when the
heeled shoe 12 is not positioned on the memory material 26 or other
load is not applied to the memory material 26. The compressed
height H.sub.C is measured at the location where the heeled shoe 12
compresses the memory material 26 toward the sole 18.
[0022] The memory material 26 is preferably constructed of a foam
memory material and, most preferably of a polyurethane material.
The memory material 26 permits repeated loading and the memory
material 26 is able to spring back at least close to its original
shape, including the relaxed height H.sub.R, after multiple uses.
The memory material 26 may not spring completely back to its exact
original shape or to the same relaxed height H.sub.R when not
loaded, but preferably returns to a shape close to the original,
shape and to a height relatively close to the relaxed height
H.sub.R after several uses. In addition, the memory material 26 is
preferably secured, bonded or positioned on the top surface 18a of
the sole 18 such that the memory material 26 does not substantially
move or has limited movement at its interface with the sole 18. The
memory material 26 is, however, preferably not fixed to the
covering 14. The memory material 26 is preferably slidably
positioned in proximity to the covering 14, such that the foam
memory material 26 is able to move relative to the covering 14 to
and from the relaxed height H.sub.R and the compressed height
H.sub.C. The memory material 26 is not so limited and may be bonded
or partially secured to the covering 14 for securing the foam
memory material 26 relative to the covering 14. Further, in an
alternative preferred embodiment the memory material 26 may be
secured to the covering 14, such that the covering 14 takes on a
flexible form or bellows-like configuration proximate the memory
material 26 to facilitate movement of the memory material 26 to and
between the relaxed height H.sub.R and the compressed height
H.sub.C. The memory material 26 is also shown in FIGS. 1-6 as being
constructed of a substantially solid material, however, the memory
material 26 may be constructed of a strip of material secured to
the sole 18 and the covering 14, a honeycomb-type material, a
porous material or nearly any material having substantially any
configuration that is able to perform the functions of the memory
material 26, as is described herein.
[0023] The ability of the memory material 26 to be compressed in
the mounted configuration and to spring back substantially to its
original shape when unloaded permits the protector 10 to be
utilized with multiple varieties of heeled shoes 12 and to provide
support to the user regardless of the variety of heeled shoe 12
that is worn. For example, referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a relatively
high heeled wedge heeled shoe 12 may be utilized with the universal
heeled shoe protector 10 wherein the foam 26 provides support to
the shoe 12 along the arch portion 22, sides and the heeled portion
24. After use with such a relatively high heeled shoe 12, lower
heeled shoes for 12 or even flat or very low heeled shoes 12 (FIG.
2) may be used in the same universal heeled shoe protector 10 to
provide protection for these lower heeled shoes 12 and support to
the user with the same memory material 26. Accordingly, a user is
not required to purchase different shoe protectors for each shoe
style in their closet. The memory material 26 is particularly
useful for support of the relatively high heeled shoes 12 (FIGS. 3
and 4) as the memory material 26 contacts the underside and/or size
of the relatively high heeled shoe 12 that may not even be provided
by the shoe 12 itself during normal use, thereby providing the user
with additional stability when wearing the universal heeled shoe
protector 10.
[0024] In the first preferred embodiment, the relaxed height
H.sub.R is approximately at least five inches (5''). The relaxed
height H.sub.R is not limited to being at least five inches (5'')
and may have nearly any height desired by the designer or user of
the protector 10. However, the memory material 26 may have the
preferred relaxed height H.sub.R of approximately five inches (5'')
to accommodate the typical greatest height of the spiked or high
heeled shoe 12 or heel that may be typically encountered. The
preferred relaxed height H.sub.R may also have lower heights,
particularly if the protector 10 is targeted to lower heeled shoes
12 (FIG. 2).
[0025] The memory material 26 of the first preferred embodiment has
a wedge-shaped portion 26b and a block-shaped portion 26a. The
block-shaped portion 26a is generally positioned over the heel
portion 24 and the wedge-shaped portion 26b is generally positioned
at least partially over the arch portion 22. The block portion 26a
generally defines the relaxed height H.sub.R and supports a heel
12a of the shoe 12. Accordingly, the block portion 26a has a
generally significant height, specifically to accommodate the high
heeled shoes 12. The wedge-shaped portion 26b generally supports an
arch 12b of the shoe 12 in the mounted configuration.
[0026] Following use, the block-shaped portion 26a and wedge-shaped
portion 26b preferably spring back to their or close to their
original size and shape (FIG. 1). The block-shaped portion 26a and
wedge-shaped portion 26b may be constructed of different materials
to accommodate the different amounts of compression and spring back
that the sections of the memory material 26 are subjected to. For
example, the block-shaped portion 26a may be constructed of a
material that is able to accommodate greater deformations than the
material of the wedge-shaped portion 26b, because the block-shaped
portion 26a is generally subjected to greater deformations than the
wedge-shaped portion 26b.
[0027] The memory material 26 is also able to distribute the user's
weight onto the sole 18 to promote stability and safety for the
user. The ability of the memory foam 26 to more evenly distribute
the user's weight to the sole 18, particularly when compared to the
weight distribution of a high heeled shoe 12 (FIGS. 3-6), provides
a relatively stable base for the user. The relatively stable base
may be particularly important for the user when walking on
slippery, wet, icy and/or rough surfaces that may be
encountered.
[0028] Referring to FIGS. 1-4, in the first preferred embodiment,
the protector 10 includes a fastening mechanism 32 mounted to the
covering 14 proximate the opening 16. The fastening mechanism 32 is
movable from a locked position to a release position. In the lock
position, the covering 14 is preferably secured around the user's
leg or ankle 28 in the mounted configuration FIGS. 2-4. In a
release position, the opening 16 is able to be expanded for
insertion of the shoe 12 and user's foot into the protector 10. The
fastening mechanism 32 may be comprised of nearly any device or
implement that is able to secure the cover 14 around user's leg or
ankle 28 in the mounted configuration and release the cover 14 to
the release position to permit in the insertion of the shoe 12 and
foot or removal of the shoe 12 and foot from the protector 10. For
example, the fastening mechanism 32 may be comprised of a hook and
loop material, button and hole, zipper, shoe lace, adhesive
material, elastic material or nearly any mechanism or element that
is able to move the covering 14 to and from the lock and release
positions. In a preferred embodiment, the fastening mechanism 32
may be comprised of a substantially ring-shaped elastic element or
a series of elastic elements positioned proximate the top end 14a
of the covering and at least partially secured to the covering 14.
The opening 16 may be moved to the release position by applying an
outward force to the elastic fastening mechanism 32 to expand the
opening 16 and permit insertion of the user's foot and the shoe
into the covering 14. The outward force is subsequently released
from the preferred elastic fastening mechanism 32 such that the
fastening mechanism automatically moves to the locked position
around the users leg or angle 28. The preferred elastic fastening
mechanism 32 may be comprised of a substantially ring-shaped
elastic material secured to the covering 14 proximate the opening
16 that is configured to expand by application of an outward force
and automatically contract when the force is released for
positioning around the users leg or ankle 28. The elastic fastening
mechanism 32 may be utilized in combination with any of the
above-described additional fastening mechanisms 32, such as the
hook and loop material, button and hole, zipper, shoe lace,
adhesive material and other related mechanisms and materials to
secure or lock the covering 14 relative to the users leg or ankle
28. In such a combination configuration, the hook and loop material
fastening mechanism 32, for example, is disengaged and force is
applied to the elastic fastening mechanism to open or expand the
opening 16 of the covering. However, the fastening mechanism 32 is
not limited to combinations of the described individual fastening
mechanisms and may include nearly any fastening mechanism 32 that
is able to perform the functions of the fastening mechanism 32 and
withstand the normal operating conditions of the protector 10.
[0029] Referring to FIGS. 2-4, the protector 10' is preferably able
to accommodate various types and sizes of shoes 12. For example,
the protector 10 is preferably able to accommodate platform,
chunky, kitten, stiletto, cone, spool, wedge, flat, low, spike,
pumps, court shoes, platform wedge, wedge heeled and other
varieties of shoes 12. Accordingly, the protector 10 is adaptable
to many varieties of shoes 12 and a user may purchase a single
protector 10 for use with every variety of shoe 12 in their closet
in the preferred embodiments.
[0030] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, in the second preferred
embodiment, the protector 10' is adapted for use with relatively
high heels 12a on shoes 12. In the second preferred embodiment, the
sole 18' is split into a front portion 34 and a rear portion 36
with the memory material 26' extending between the heel portion 24'
and arch portion 22' without consistently contacting the top
surface 18a'. This second preferred embodiment of the protector 10'
with the split sole 18' reduces the amount of required material for
the sole 18' and memory material 26' and potentially the stress on
the memory material 18' to spring back over great distances to its
original shape. However, the protector 10' is not limited to having
a split sole 18' for high heeled shoes 12 and the first preferred
protector 10 is also able to accommodate high heeled shoes 12.
[0031] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the protector 10 of the first
preferred embodiment may be employed for use with platform wedge or
wedge heeled-type shoes 12. These wedge-type shoes 12 include a
wedge-shaped heel 12a that is accommodated by the memory material
26 extending along the top surface 18a from the heel portion 24 at
least partially into the arch portion 22. The protector 10
accommodates the platform wedge and wedge heel-type shoes 12
wherein certain prior art protectors were unable to accommodate
such shoes 12. The memory material 26 is able to deform in the heel
portion 24 and arch portion 22 to accommodate such platform wedge
and wedge heel-type shoes 12. Following use, the memory material 26
is able to spring back at least close to its original size and
shape and subsequently also accommodate flat or low-heeled shoes 12
(FIG. 2) and medium or high heel-type shoes 12 (FIG. 2).
Accordingly, the preferred protector 10 is able to accommodate
multiple sized heels 12a and sized or shaped heels 12a.
[0032] Referring to FIGS. 1-6, in use, a user configures the
protector 10, 10' such that the fastening mechanism 32, 32' is in
the release position and the opening 16, 16' is relatively large.
The shoe 12, preferably with the user's foot therein is inserted
through the opening 16, 16' and onto the top surface 18a, 18a' of
the sole 18, 18'. The memory material 26, 26' is compressed from
its original configuration (FIG. 1) to a compressed configuration
(FIGS. 2-6) wherein the memory material 26, 26' conforms to the
shoe 12. When the user stands on the shoe 12, which is positioned
within the protector 10, 10' the block-shaped portion 26a, 26a' is
compressed from the relaxed height H.sub.R to the compressed height
H.sub.C, H.sub.C'. The compressed memory material 26, 26' conforms
to the shoe 12 to provide support to the shoe 12 and various
varieties of shoes 12. The covering 14, 14' is preferably tightened
around the user's leg or ankle 28 and the fastener 32, 32' is moved
to the lock configuration. Accordingly, the covering 14, 14'
secures maintains the shoe 12 with the user's foot therein to the
protector 10, 10'. The covering 14, 14' preferably allows the
ornamental appearance of the shoe 12 to be seen therethrough and
generally protects the shoe 12 from the outside elements.
[0033] Once the user has walked through an environment where they
believe the protector 10, 10' should be used, the fastening
mechanism 32, 32' may be moved from the locked to the release
position, thereby increasing the size of the opening 16, 16'. The
user's foot and shoe 12 may be removed from the protector 10, 10'
and the memory material 26, 26' preferably springs back generally
to its original size and shape. The protector 10, 10' may
subsequently be utilized for the same shoe 12 or for other
varieties of shoes 12.
[0034] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that
changes could be made to the embodiments described above without
departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is
understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the
particular embodiments disclosed, but it is intended to cover
modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention
as defined by the appended claims.
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