Versatile footwear covers and methods relating to same

Abstract

A footwear cover made of an elastic material is provided. The footwear cover defines a first opening and is moveable between a first expanded or stretched position for installing the cover on footwear and a second compressed position to form fit the cover to the footwear the cover is installed on. The cover may include a plurality of biasing mechanisms for form fitting the cover to the footwear disposed within the cover including one or more of the elastic cover material itself, a flat elastic band, elastic thread used to stitch one or more pieces of the cover together and a heel securing mechanism.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 840,439, filed Jun. 27, 2013, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]This invention relates generally to footwear covers, and more specifically, a flexible, stable and versatile footwear cover and related methods.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Shoes are an important part of the wardrobe, providing both functional and aesthetic benefits. Consumers may be quick to change their tastes, and often wish to have footwear having an assortment of colors and patterns to complement the rest of their attire. Consumers may simply build a large collection of footwear, but this may be very expensive and require considerable storage space. Further, it may be inconvenient if one wishes to change the look or appearance of their shoes throughout the course of a given time period (e.g., day, week, year, season, trip, etc.), for exampl...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This patent describes a flexible footwear cover that can be easily fitted over different types of footwear without causing any damage or discomfort. The cover has a flat elastic band that allows the cover to fit snugly without showing any signs of wear. The elastic band can be secured in different ways, such as by hemming it into the opening of the footwear cover or stitching it into a specific position. The cover also has a heel securing mechanism that prevents the cover from moving or sliding while the footwear is being worn. This mechanism allows the user to intentionally move the cover but prevents unintentional movement. Overall, this patent offers a convenient and comfortable way to protect and cover footwear.

Problems solved by technology

Consumers may simply build a large collection of footwear, but this may be very expensive and require considerable storage space.

Further, it may be inconvenient if one wishes to change the look or appearance of their shoes throughout the course of a given time period (e.g., day, week, year, season, trip, etc.), for example, as they may be away from their shoe closet.

Additionally, over time, the appearance of a shoe may decline or degrade to an unwearable state due to exposure to the elements such as sun, rain or puddles, dirt, and salt.

Conventional galoshes are made of stretchable rubber materials that are generally less adaptable to a variety of different shoe designs and sizes, non-breathable, and require numerous different shapes and sized to be provided in order to accommodate different styles of footwear.

Due to the friction created between the shoe and rubber of the galosh, these types of overshoes are not very easy to put on over a shoe and / or remove from a shoe.

To address the latter problem, some overshoes or galoshes include a zipper or other external fastener in order to make the galoshes easier to install over the shoe, however, the fasteners may in turn scratch, mar, or damage a surface of the shoe or the user's other clothing (e.g., sock, stockings, pants, leggings, etc.).

Not only does such a configuration leave a portion of the sole exposed to damage and / or the elements, thus reducing the wearable life of the shoe, the portion of the cover extending onto or under the sole of the footwear may also create discomfort when walking due to the protruding nature of this portion relative to the exposed sole area and exposes the cover to wear and tear due to the positioning of this portion of the cover below the sole.

While these materials are stretchable, the covers described in the '510 patent have limits to their elasticity.

Further, the components of the cover in the '510 patent are stitched together using standard thread, which further limits the elasticity of the cover.

Further still, the '510 patent uses a rope elastic band near the shoe opening, which can damage the shoe due to the strength of rope elastic and / or make the shoe uncomfortable to wear.

Such a cover may need to be removed from the shoe for extended periods of time due to the risk of damage.

Thus, the features of the '510 patent combine to make a complicated cover that may be difficult to apply and is not usable for a variety of different shoes having specific sizes and shapes.

The cover's frame may also create discomfort when walking due to the protruding nature of the frame relative to the exposed sole area.

With this configuration, a barrier is created between the user's foot and the inner surface of the shoe which can cause the user's foot to move or slide within the shoe in an uncomfortable manner due to the lack of direct contact between the user's foot (e.g., skin, stocking / hosiery, etc.) and the inner surface of the shoe.

In addition, the creation of an additional sock type construction reduces the amount of circulation provided to the user's foot prohibiting the foot to breathe as intended in the shoe and thereby may cause the user's foot to sweat or make the shoe uncomfortable to wear for longer periods of time.

Further, by constantly being in contact with the user's foot during use, the elasticity of the cover may reduce over time which may result in a non-uniform cover appearance.

Additionally, the cover may rip or tear when the user inserts their foot into the shoe's opening due to regular wear and tear from repetitively inserting of the user's foot into the sock-type structure of the cover.

Existing covers also may create stability and alignment issues when the shoe cover is attached to the footwear.

For example, existing shoe covers may slip or slide relative to the footwear during wear and / or walking, and thus may provide an uncomfortable and potentially hazardous experience.

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