Protective Boot

Abstract

A protective boot designed especially for wear by motorcycle riders, particularly in off-the-road or trail riding, and in racing. The boat includes a protective front tongue extending from a hinged attachment near the toe, in covering relation to the boot laces and the wearer's shin. The tongue includes, between two layers of leather, a rigid shin protector. Similar rigid lower leg protectors are provided on both sides of the wearer's legs above the ankle, between two layers of the boots. The tongue is held in place by straps at the top and bottom which pass through loops attached in pairs to the back strap of the boot. The lower pair of loops also serves as an anchoring means for straps holding a "steel shoe" in place over the sole and toe of the left boot which is dragged when rounding corners.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to protective footwear and, more particularly to a safety boot construction especially adapted for wear by motorcyclists to prevent injuries to the feet or lower legs.

Motorcycles are often ridden over rough terrain and in surroundings where the rider's lower legs, in particular, are subjected to being struck by branches, rocks and other objects on or near the ground. This frequently results in serious injury or broken bones, and protective boots are sometimes worn to prevent such injuries. The boots are normally of substantially the same design and construction as any other work or sports boot, being made of heavy material and covering a substantial part of the wearer's lower leg, but having few other features specifically applicable to motorcycle riding.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a protective boot especially useful to off-the-road motorcycle riders.

A further object is to provide a boot which is attractive and stylish while offering superior safety features, protecting the wearer's foot and lower legs against injury by items by which they may be struck as, for example, when the wearer is riding a motorcycle.

Other objects will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The motorcycle boot of the present invention includes the same basic sole and upper design as other boots, lacing up the front and extending to near knee height. In addition, an outer tongue is hingedly movable about an attachment near the toe into and away from closely covering relation to the front of the boot, including the laces. The tongue carries between two layers thereof a rigid strip of material such as high-impact plastic to protect the wearer's shin. Similar protective, rigid strips are provided in the sides of the boots. A protective or reinforcing strip is also provided in the sole of the boot, below the wearer's arch.

A pair of loops are affixed to the upper rear of the boot, preferably on each side of the back strap. A second pair of such loops are affixed to the lower rear of the boot. These loops serve as anchors and/or guides for straps attached to and extending from each side of the protective tongue. The lower pair of loops serves the same purpose for straps connected to a "steel shoe" of the type worn over the sole and heel of one boot to be dragged on the ground while rounding corners.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment, shown without laces and with the protective tongue away from the boot front;

FIG. 2 is a similar perspective view, showing the boot in phantom and the protective, rigid portions in solid lines;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the boot;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the sole; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, side elevational view showing the lower portion of a boot with a steel shoe in place thereon.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The boot is designated generally by reference numeral 10, and comprises sole 12 and upper 14, the latter including toe 16, heel 18, sides 20 and back strap 22. Eyelets 24 are provided in two rows down the spaced front edges of sides 20 to accommodate laces (not shown). The front of sides 20 are connected rearwardly of eyelets 24 by a continuous gusset 26. Boot 10 is preferably of waterproof construction and gusset 26 contributes to the watertight integrity. Pull strap 28 is provided to assist in putting on the boots.

Protective tongue 30 is hingedly attached to boot 10 near toe 16. An extending portion of tongue 30 is covered by triangular metal plate 32 and secured to the boot by rivets 34. Tongue 30 may be moved about its hinged connection into and away from closely covering relation to the entire front of the boot, covering entirely the laces and eyelets 24. Straps 36 extend from each side of tongue 30 to secure the latter in its covering position. Preferably, the upper and lower straps are each a single piece of leather, extending between two layers of tongue 30.

Turning now to FIG. 2, the protective or reinforcing portions of the boot are shown. Steel strip 38 is embedded in sole 12 below the wearer's arch, thus serving to protect the foot when the arch of the boot is rested on the motorcycle foot peg. Steel toe 39 is provided in the usual manner of safety boots. Steel plate 41 is embedded in the forward part of sole 12, flush with the front surface thereof. Solid, rigid strip 40 is secured between two layers of material which make up tongue 30. Similar rigid strips 42 and 43 are secured between two layers of sides 20. These strips may be of metal, or other suitable material, but are preferably of high-impact type plastic. The strips are contoured slightly to conform generally to that portion of the wearer's leg which they cover. Strip 40 thus forms an effective shield for the wearer's shin, and strip 42 does likewise for the outside of the lower leg, for a substantial portion of the distance between the ankle and knee. The lower edge of strip 42 preferably is just above the wearer's ankle to allow freedom of movement. Strip 43 corresponding in size, shape and position to strip 42, is provided on the opposite side 20 of boot 10, to lie along the inside of the wearer's leg. Although the inside of the leg is not as exposed, and therefore generally not as susceptible to injury by striking objects, a protective strip on the inside side of the boot is effective in preventing injuries due to the wearer's leg being forced against portions of the motorcycle.

In FIG. 3 the rear of boot 10 is shown, with the aforementioned pairs of loops attached thereto. Upper loops 44 are attached by rivets 46 to each side of back strap 22 near the top of boot 10. Lower loops 50 are similarly secured by rivets 52 roughly adjacent the lower edge of strip 42. The loops are preferably of non-corrosive metal, hinged to the base through which the rivets pass. The upper and lower straps 36 may be passed through the respective adjacent loops 44 and 50 to be tied either at the rear (FIG. 3) or the front (FIG. 5) of boot 10 to maintain tongue 30 in closely covering relation to the front of the boot. Straps 36 each pass through tongue 30 on the forward side of strip 40, whereby the protective strip is urged into close engagement with the front of the boot when straps 36 are tightened.

FIG. 4 shows in plan view the position of reinforcing strip 38 in sole 12.

FIG. 5, a lower fragment of boot 10 is shown with so-called steel shoe 52 attached thereto. Steel shoe 52 is of a type commonly worn by motorcycle riders since one foot is dragged on the ground when making sharp turns in order to stabilize the cycle. Steel shoe 52 as shown in FIG. 5 comprises a hollow forward portion 54 into which toe 16 of boot 10 may be inserted, and a flat base 56 having a peripheral, upturned flange 58 conforming generally to the external periphery of boot sole 12. Two straps 60 are affixed to each side of flange 58 and carry spring clips 62 on the free ends thereof. Straps 60 are of such length that the forward strap on each side may be clipped to the rear loop 48 on the same side, and the rear strap on each side passed around the front of the boot and clipped to the rear loop 48 on the opposite side to secure steel shoe 52 in place. Straps 60 may be somewhat shorter than the distance between their connections with the steel shoe and the loop to which they are to be attached and made of an elastic material so as to maintain the steel shoe more firmly in place. Alternatively, spring clips 62 may be omitted and the straps made somewhat longer so that they may pass through loops 48 and be tied in the same manner as straps 36.

The foregoing disclosure has set forth a protective boot construction which is uniquely adapted to minimize the danger of injury to the wearer's feet and lower legs. Although the boot is not intended for wear when walking for substantial distances, it nevertheless allows sufficient freedom of movement and flexure so as not to be unduly restrictive or uncomfortable for limited periods. The protective tongue not only provides means for guarding the front of the wearer's leg, but insures that no external objects can become caught on the boot laces. This is especially important when the boots are worn in motorcycle trail riding where brush, and the like, is often striking the cyclist's legs. The cooperative strap and loop structure provides sturdy and convenient means for securing elements of the boot and/or a cooperative steel shoe.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A protective boot for use in motorcycle riding, and the like, comprising in combination:

a. a sole portion;

b. an upper portion enclosing the wearer's foot and leg at least half the distance to the knee;

c. said upper portion completely encircling the wearer's leg over the entire height thereof, and including a frontal gusset allowing circumferential expansion and closure means for tightening said upper portion around the wearer's leg;

d. a protective frontal cover member attached to said upper portion along a transverse line between the toe and instep below said closure means and hingedly movable into closely covering relation to the front of the boot from said transverse line to the top of the boot;

e. two tie straps attached to said cover member with one strap from opposite sides thereof near the top and the other intermediate of said one pair and said transverse line;

f. two pairs of loops attached to said upper portion rearwardly adjacent the position of attachment of said straps to said cover member;

g. said upper portion and cover member each having two superposed layers of material;

h. first and second elongated strips of rigid material secured between said layers of said upper portion on the sides thereof adjacent the inside and outside of the wearer's legs and extending from near the top to at least the position adjacent the top of the wearer's ankle; and

i. a third elongated strip of rigid material secured between said layers of said frontal cover member and extending from near the top thereof to a position adjacent the wearer's instep.

2. The combination according to claim 1 and further including a reinforcing strip of rigid material embedded in said sole portion and extending longitudinally thereof in the portion adjacent the arch of the wearer's foot.

3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said frontal cover member is in the nature of a tongue secured to the outer surface of the boot by a plate arranged in covering relation to a portion of said cover member extending below said transverse line.

4. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said upper portion includes two sides joined at the back of the boot by a back strap extending vertically up the back, said loops being secured to said back strap.

5. The combination according to claim 1 and further including a steel shoe arranged in covering relation to at least said sole portion and having attached thereto a plurality of straps adapted for engagement through said loops.

6. The combination according to claim 5 wherein said steel shoe straps carry clips on the free ends thereof, each of said straps being of such length that engagement of said clips with selected ones of said loops is effective to secure said steel shoe to said boot.

7. The invention according to claim 6 wherein said straps are of elastic material and of such length that they are stretched when secured to said loops, thereby biasing said steel shoe into close engagement with said boot.

8. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said tie straps each extend between two layers of said frontal cover member forwardly of said third strip.