Protector For Athletic Shoes

Abstract

A protector for athletic shoes having spikes projecting from the sole thereof. The protector is adapted to receive the shoe and includes an upper, a sole carried by said upper having an outer portion, an inner portion in which the spikes are adapted to be embedded, a hard toe plate and a hard heel plate which plates are positioned between the outer and inner sole portions.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally appertains to a protector for athletic shoes of all types having cleats or spikes projecting from the sole thereof. Said protector being adapted to receive the spiked shoe therein so that the spikes will be prevented from damaging floors or other surfaces needing protection when the wearer of the spiked shoe is walking elsewhere than on the playing field, such as a golf course or other athletic field.

2. State of the Prior Art

There are many and varied known types of such spiked shoe protectors but they suffer from various disadvantages in that in some instances the leading spike of the athletic shoe must be guided by groove or the like into position in the protector. Other known protectors require that sockets or depressions must be formed in the protector to accommodate the spikes of the athletic shoe in which event the protector could only be used for a particular arrangement of the spikes. Other known types of spiked shoe protectors are of such a construction that they interfere or hinder the natural walking of the wearer of such protectors since no provision is made for the flexing of the protector sole to accommodate the natural steps of the wearer thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a protector for athletic shoes such as golf shoes having various arrangements of the spikes or cleats and a protector into which the wearer of the spiked shoe can insert the spiked shoe into the protector without the necessity of a relative sliding movement of the spiked shoe into the protector.

In one of its broadest aspects, the present invention provides a protector for spiked shoes adapted to receive the athletic shoe therein and comprising an upper, a sole carried by said upper and including an outer portion, an inner portion adapted to have the spikes embedded therein, a hard toe portion plate and a hard heel portion plate, said plates constituting a middle portion of the sole and being positioned between the outer and inner sole portions.

More specifically the present invention contemplates the provision of a protector for athletic shoes wherein the upper includes toe and heel parts which are spaced apart at the middle or vamp part of the upper, the toe and heel plates are spaced apart at the middle or vamp part of the upper and the adjacent portions of the upper are connected on each side of the upper by an elastic member which cooperates with the space between the toe and heel plates to permit flexing of the protector to assist in the relative flexing of the toe and heel parts of the upper as well as the sole part of the protector.

Another advantage of the present invention is that the elastic member permits the heel part of the upper to be pulled rearwardly to facilitate the insertion of the spiked shoe into the protector and after the spiked shoe has been completely inserted in the protector the elastic member will automatically pull the heel portion of the upper into snug engagement with the heel portion of the athletic shoe.

The present invention further comtemplates a protector for use with an athletic shoe having spikes projecting from the sole thereof, the upper of the protector generally conforming to the shape of the athletic shoe and having a toe part provided with a forward portion adapted to have the forward portion of the athletic shoe abut against the inner face of the forward portion of the upper, said forward portion of the upper terminating below the forward portion of the toe part of the athletic shoe and said toe part of the upper being cut away so that the protector is adapted to receive athletic shoes having toe parts of varying widths and an adjustable fastening element is provided for bringing the toe part of the upper into snug engagement with the sides of the toe part of the shoe when the athletic shoe is fully inserted into the protector.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the protector constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the protector with the athletic shoe inserted therein and with parts broken away to show particularly the sole portion of the protector.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the protector with the athletic shoe inserted therein and showing the fastening element of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the shoe and protector looking in the direction of the arrow of FIG. 3, and

FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 2 but shows a modified form of the sole of the protector.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings and initially to FIG. 2 thereof, the reference numeral 10 generally designates the athletic shoe having an upper generally designated at 11 comprising a toe portion 12 and the heel portion 13. The toe portion 12 includes a toe part 14 and a sole generally indicated at 15. The shoe 10 has a sole 15 carried by the upper 11 and from which protrude downwardly spikes or cleats 16. The shoe 10 also has a heel 17 from which depends spikes or cleats 18. The shoe 10 may be an athletic shoe of any type having spikes but in the present instant it is illustrated as a shoe to be worn by golfers.

Turning now more particularly to FIG. 1 of the drawing, 19 generally indicates the protector constructed in accordance with the present invention. The protector comprises an upper having a toe part 20 and a heel part 21 which carries a sole 22. It will be noted from FIG. 1 particularly that the toe and heel parts are spaced apart from one another at the medium or vamp part of the upper and that the space therebetween defines a triangle having the apex thereof indicated at 23 adjacent the sole 22 of the protector and the base thereof 24 disposed adjacent the upper edges of the toe and heel parts of the protector.

The spacing of the toe and heel parts of the protector apart provides adjacent edges 25 and 26 respectively. The toe and heel parts of the protector are joined together by a triangularly shaped elastic member 27 which is secured in any appropriate manner to the adjacent edges 25 and 26 of the toe and heel parts of the protector. It will be noted from FIG. 1 of the drawings that the apex of the elastic member is received by the apex 23 of the space between the toe and heel parts of the protector and the base portion of the member 27 is received by the base 24 of the space between the toe and heel parts of the protector.

The sole 22 of the protector comprises an outer portion 28 which may be made of leather, rubber or some hard material such as fiber glass or plexiglass which is pliable enough to permit easy walking and yet durable enough to hold the protector in shape. The outer portion 28 of the sole 22 is carried by the upper of the protector and may be secured thereto in any well known manner.

The sole 22 of the protector also includes two metal plates one of which is indicated at 29 and is located in the toe portion of the sole 22 and a second metal plate 30 located in the heel portion of the sole 22. The metal plates may be made of thin metal or some hard material, such as fiber glass or plexiglass so that the spikes of the athletic shoe 10 cannot penetrate the plates 29 and 30. It will be noted that the plates 29 and 30 are spaced apart as indicated at 31 at the medium or vamp portion of the protector and the space 31 is located adjacent the apex 23 of the space between the toe and heel parts of the protector and extends forwardly and rearwardly under the adjacent parts of the toe part 20 and the heel part 21 of the protector and beneath the elastic member 27. These plates 29 and 30 may be secured to the inner surface of the outer portion 28 of the sole 22 of the metal plates may be embedded in the outer portion 28 of the sole 22. The purpose in leaving the space 31 between the metal plates and having such space located at the medium or vamp portion of the protector and the elastic member 27 is that these parts cooperate to permit and augment the flexing of the outer portion 28 of the sole 22 and the relative flexing of the toe part 20 and the heel part 21 of the protector so that wearer of the device may walk in comfort.

The innermost portion of the sole 22 of the protector may be formed of fabric or cloth similar to carpet as indicated at 32 such as indoor-outdoor carpet or some other fibrous material so that the spikes 16 and 18 of the athletic shoe 10 will push the fibers apart and become embedded in the fabric 32 to prevent cutting of the fabric and so that the spikes will become embedded in the fabric when the athletic shoe is within the protector to prevent sliding or slipping of the athletic shoe within the protector to facilitate natural walking.

The carpet 32 may be removable from the protector so that when it becomes soiled or worn a fresh fabric 32 may be inserted in the protector or the fabric 32 may be permanently attached to the plates 29 and 30 in any appropriate manner such as by eproxy glue or other adhesive.

It will be noted from FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings particularly that the upper of the protector generally conforms to the shape of the athletic shoe 10 and the toe part 20 of the protector has a forward portion 33 of the toe part 20 of the protector against which the forward portion of the sole 15 of the shoe 10 abuts and that the forward portion 33 of the toe part 20 terminates below the forward portion of the toe 12 of the shoe 10. It will also be noted from FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings that each side of the toe part 20 of the protector is cut away as indicated at 35 and that rearwardly of cut away portion 35 the toe part 20 of the protector is provided with a fastening element 36. The provision of the forward portion of the toe part 20 and the cut away 35 of the part 20 of the protector will permit the protector to accommodate athletic shoe 10 of varying widths and the provision of the fastening element 36 will permit the wearer to pull the cut away portions 35 into snug engagement with the adjacent parts of the athletic shoe 10 so as to hold firmly the protector on the shoe 10.

The fastening element 36 comprises a substantially arcuate shaped plate 37 provided with a series of spaced apart slots or openings 38 adapted to selectively receive a tongue 39 which is carried by the strap 40 which in turn is secured to the upper edge of the toe portion 20 of the protector. The plate 37 is carried by a strap 41 which in turn is secured to the upper edge of the toe part 20 of the protector.

In FIG. 2 of the drawings the fastening element takes the form of a conventional buckle type 42 which is secured in any conventional manner to the toe part 20 of the protector.

A pull loop 43 is secured to the heel part 21 of the protector in any suitable manner for facilitating the stretching backwardly of the heel part 21 when the athletic shoe 10 is being inserted into the protector.

FIG. 5 of the drawing shows a modified form of the sole of the protector in which the toe and heel plates 29.sup.a and 30.sup.a are embedded in the sole 22.sup.a of the protector. The sole 22.sup.a includes an inner layer 22.sup.b which overlies the plates 29.sup.a and 30.sup.a. An inner sole 32.sup.a similar to inner sole 32 of FIG. 2 overlies the inner layer 22.sup.b of the outer sole 22.sup.a and may be secured to the inner layer 22.sup.b or removable therefrom.

USE OF THE DEVICE

Assuming that the wearer of a spiked athletic shoe wishes to enter the clubhouse where it would be necessary for him to walk on a wooden floor or the like, he would unfasten the fastening element 36 or 42 of the protector and insert his spiked shoe into the protector by a substantially wholly vertical downward movement of his foot and by pulling on the loop 43 against the force of the elastic member 27 to move the heel portion 21 of the protector rearwardly to facilitate the entrance of the shoe into the protector. The sole 15 of the shoe will engage the inner face of the forward portion of the toe part 20 of the protector and the cut away part 35 of the upper of the protector will accommodate shoes having toe portions of varying widths. The fastening element 36 or 42 will then be secured to bring the cut away parts 35 of the protector upper into snug engagement with the adjacent parts of the shoe while the release of the pulling force on the pull loop 43 will permit the elastic member 27 to bring the heel portion 21 of the protector into snug engagement with the adjacent parts of the heel part 13 of the shoe. At the same time the spikes will embed themselves in the inner sole 32 of the protector by forcing the fibers of 32 apart without cutting the fibers of the inner sole 32 or 32.sup.a so that slipping or sliding of the shoe in the protector will be prevented.

The space between the metal plates 29 and 30 will cooperate with the elastic 27 to permit flexing of the sole of the protector and relative flexing movement of the toe part 20 and the heel part 21 of the protector to permit the wearer to walk naturally without any hindrance.

Of course, while the best known forms of the present invention have been described herein and shown in the drawings, it is obvious that changes can be made therein so that the inventive concept is only restricted by the spirit and terms of the appended claims.

Claims

What I claim is:

1. A protector for athletic shoes having cleats or spikes projecting from the sole thereof adapted to receive said shoe therein comprising an upper, a sole carried by said upper and including an outer portion, an inner portion adapted to have the spikes embedded therein, a hard toe portion plate and a hard heel portion plate, said plates constituting a middle portion of the sole and being positioned between the outer and inner sole portions, said plates being spaced apart at the vamp portion of the protector to permit flexing of the upper and the sole of the protector.

2. A protector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outer portion of the sole comprises toe and heel portions and is secured to said upper, said toe portion plate is secured to the inner surface of the toe portion of the outer sole portion, said heel portion plate is secured to the inner surface of the heel portion of the outer sole portion and the inner portion of the sole is secured to said plates.

3. A protector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plates are embedded in the outer sole portion.

4. A protector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said outer portion of the sole of the protector comprises an outer and an inner layer and the toe and heel portion plates are embedded between the two layers.

5. A protector for athletic shoes having cleats or spikes projecting from the sole thereof adapted to receive said shoe therein comprising an upper, a sole carried by said upper and including an outer portion, an inner portion adapted to have the spikes embedded therein, a hard toe portion plate and a hard heel portion plate, said plates constituting a middle portion of the sole and being positioned between the outer and inner sole portions, said inner portion of the sole being removable.

6. A protector for athletic shoes having cleats or spikes projecting from the sole thereof adapted to receive said shoe therein comprising an upper, a sole carried by said upper and including an outer portion, an inner portion adapted to have the spikes embedded therein, a hard toe portion plate and a hard heel portion plate, said plates constituting a middle portion of the sole and being positioned between the outer and inner sole portions, said upper including toe and heel parts, said toe and heel plates being spaced apart at the middle or vamp part of the upper to permit relative flexing of the toe and heel parts of the upper to allow the wearer of the athletic shoe and protector to walk naturally.

7. A protector as claimed in claim 6, wherein the toe and heel parts of the upper are spaced apart at the middle or vamp part of the upper and the adjacent portions of the spaced apart toe and heel parts are connected on each side of the upper by an elastic member which cooperates with the space between the toe and heel plates to assist in the relative flexing of the toe and heel parts of the upper.

8. A protector as claimed in claim 7, wherein said elastic member is of substantially triangular shape with the apex of the triangle being located adjacent the space between the toe and heel plates and the base of the triangle is disposed at the upper edges of the toe and heel parts of the upper to permit stretching of the heel part of the upper rearwardly to facilitate the insertion of the athletic shoe into the protector and to automatically cause the heel part of the upper to fit snugly against the heel portion of the shoe when the shoe has been fully inserted into the protector.

9. A protector as claimed in claim 7, wherein the heel part of the upper has a looped element secured thereto to facilitate the stretching of the heel part of the upper when the wearer is inserting the shoe into the protector.

10. For use with an athletic shoe having a sole and an upper spaced above the sole and spikes projection from the sole thereof, a protector adapted to receive said shoe comprising an upper generally conforming to the shape of said shoe, said upper having a toe part provided with a forward portion adapted to have the forward portion of the sole of the shoe abut against the inner face of the forward portion of the upper, said forward portion of the upper terminating below the forward portion of the toe part of the upper of the shoe and said toe part of the upper being cut away so that the protector is adapted to receive shoes having toe parts of varying widths, and an adjustable fastening element for bringing the toe part of the upper into snug engagement with the sides of the toe part of the shoe when the shoe is fully inserted into the protector.