Self-adhering pedicure footwear

Abstract

A cushioned foot pad configured to adhere to the bottom surface of an individual's foot without the use of straps, ties, or other securing devices the might otherwise engage with the toes and toenails of the individual during use. The cushioned foot pad may be configured to accommodate a variety of different foot shapes and sizes in a unitary design through the use of detachable pad portions. The cushioned foot pad is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and may be stored in bulk without consuming undo space.

Description

PRIORITY INFORMATION [0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 574,664 filed May 26, 2004, the entire contents of which are hereby expressly incorporated by reference and should be considered a part of this specification.BACKGROUND [0002] 1. Field [0003] The present teachings relate generally to footwear and more particularly to a self-adhering cushion that protects the lower portion of the foot without the use of straps or ties. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] After the performance of a pedicure or similar beautification treatment, an individual normally must wait a predetermined length of time before putting on a conventional shoe, sandal or slipper to avoid marring or damaging recently applied nail polish or lacquer. The setting time for such treatments may be an hour or more and even after this time the polish can still be easily scratched by a shoe worn before the polish has completely dried. Consequently, an individua...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008] The aforementioned needs are satisfied by a self-adhering pedicure article according to the present teachings. The pedicure article comprises cushioned or foam footwear formed from a shaped pad that includes an upper adhesive surface used to secure the pad to the bottom portion or sole of a foot. The footwear does not require the use of straps, ties, or other securing devices that might interfere with an individual's toenails and therefore avoids damaging recently applied polish, coatings, or lacquer. The footwear may be worn before, during and after pedicure treatments and may be further used outdoors reducing or eliminating mobility constraints imposed upon the individual while waiting for the pedicure treatment to set and dry.

[0009] In one aspect, the footwear is formed in such a manner so as to accommodate a variety of different foot sizes and / or shapes in a singular configuration. Detachable portions of the shaped pad are used to tailor it to an individual's foot thereby providing improved fit and comfort. In certain embodiments, the detachable portions may be used to conform the footwear to a plurality of different shoe sizes. Additionally, the shaped pad may be configured individually for right / left feet or a universal design may be used with a single configuration conformable to both feet based on the shape of the pad or through the use of detachable side portions. In another aspect, the footwear may include toe separators formed from a portion of the shaped pad that may be used to provide a convenient means for spacing the individual's toes from one another.

[0010] The footwear of the present design may be manufactured relatively inexpensively to provide a disposable design amenable to temporary use both indoors and outdoors. Additionally, in certain embodiments, the footwear is configured to be manufactured and stored in bulk without taking up significant amounts of space thereby making it more convenient for salons to keep a large stock on hand to service incoming clients.

Problems solved by technology

The setting time for such treatments may be an hour or more and even after this time the polish can still be easily scratched by a shoe worn before the polish has completely dried.

Consequently, an individual's mobility may be undesirably hampered limiting what activities can be performed and may result in a long wait time in the salon after completion of the pedicure.

A limitation associated with these designs however, is that the sandals still employ straps, ties, or various securing assemblies that render the freshly polished nails of the individual's foot susceptible to damage when the sandals are put on or taken off.

Additionally, these securing assemblies may rub against toenails during use and undesirably affect the nail treatment.

In such instances, maintaining a sufficient quantity of sandals to accommodate a large number of customers represents an expensive undertaking.

Furthermore, providing sandals for customer use may be problematic as a result of the need to maintain a sufficient stock to accommodate a variety of different foot sizes.

Storage problems may also arise as a result of to the generally bulky nature of conventional sandals making them inconvenient to store in large quantities.

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