Patent Application
20130192093
The present invention relates to garment accessories, namely, a hem and/or cuff protector that prevents hems of skirts and cuffs of pants from slipping between the heel of the foot and the insole of an open heeled shoe.
One style of women's shoes is called a “slingback”, typically a high-heeled shoe with no back heel support or open-heeled, but instead, a strap that wraps across the back of the heel in a horizontal position just below the ankle. The slingback style of shoe accounts for approximately fifty percent of the women's shoe market in North America.
Typically, in open heeled shoes, one can experience the problem of the hem or cuff slipping between the heel of the foot and the insole of the shoe. In closed heeled shoes, this problem is avoided by the closed heel material. When wearing open heeled shoes, such slipping action subjects the hem or cuff to excessive wear or fraying through repeated slipping between the heel of the foot and the insole of the shoe. This also causes discomfort to the wearer while walking or standing on a thick or hard hem or cuff. Such slippage of the hem or cuff may also cause trip or fall accidents and can also take away from the desired aesthetic effect of the open heeled shoe with the particular skirt or pants.
Professional women who wear slacks/pants or other clothing with a cuff/hem near the heel, are forced to wear non-slingback shoes in such instances, minimizing their fashion options every day they go to work (i.e., fifty percent of the shoes in their closet can't be worn). If slingback shoes are worn, pants will typically get caught under the heel when walking, causing discomfort, potential damage to fabric and a lack of aesthetic appeal. Women sometimes refer to this as a “heel wedgie”, where the fabric gets caught under the heel while walking.
A number of prior art devices address similar problems by providing a protector having a central body of flexible material that conforms to and covers the rear portion of the shoe upper. The central body is held in place by one or more lower loops that fit around the heel of the shoe and an open upper strap that can be wrapped around the ankle and fastened to the opposite side of the central body. Examples include Swiss Patent No. 675,193 and French Patent No. 2,642,278, both of which are primarily concerned with protecting the heel of high heeled shoes from wear that occurs when driving an automobile or engaging in similar activity.
Another prior art example includes U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0060230 for a cuff protector that comprises an upper loop to be releasably worn about the user's ankle and a lower loop for releasable attachment to the heel of the user's footwear. While this prior art device is intended to prevent a hem or cuff from slipping between the heel of the foot and the insole of the shoe, such suffers from the same drawbacks in that it is looped around the ankle of a user. Attaching such a device to the ankle of a user and the heel of a shoe presents additional hazards for trip or fall accidents where the device may get hooked on or otherwise separate from the heel of the shoe and cause pulling or tugging on the ankle of a user.
None of the above inventions or any other prior art, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Accordingly, there is a need for a hem protector for an open heeled shoe that prevents the hem or cuff from slipping between the heel of the foot and the rear of the shoe while not being secured to the ankle of the user. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.
The present invention is directed to a hem protector for an open heeled shoe. The hem protector comprises an elongated body having a first end and a second end. The first end includes a heel securement means for securing the first end to a heel on the shoe. The second end includes a strap attachment means for attaching the second end to a strap on the shoe proximate to the heel.
The strap attachment means preferably comprises a flap configured to fold around the strap and a flap securement means for securing the flap to the elongated body after being folded around the strap. The flap securement means preferably comprises mating fasteners disposed on the flap and the elongated body proximate to a midpoint thereof. Said mating fasteners preferably comprise hook and loop material, snaps, a button and a buttonhole, or magnets.
The heel securement means preferably comprises a slotted opening in the second end of the elongated body. The slotted opening is configured to fit around the heel of the shoe. The elongated body preferably has a solid color or decorative pattern thereon. The solid color or decorative pattern is preferably configured to match a color or decorative pattern of the shoe.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings:
As shown in the accompanying drawings for purposes of illustration, the present disclosure for the hem protector for an open heeled shoe is referred to generally by reference number 20. Turning now to representative figures,
As illustrated in
The hem protector 20 is preferably made from a clear, transparent or translucent, soft, non-slip rubber material, i.e., neoprene. The hem protector 20 is wide enough to prevent slippage of a hem/cuff as described, and has enough give to allow natural foot movement when walking, climbing stairs, dancing or moving in general. As illustrated in
The second end 26 is configured to engage the ankle strap 38. By this configuration, the flap 31 folds over the strap 38 and contacts the midpoint 32 of the elongated body 22. The attachment mechanism 30 is configured to hold the flap 31 in contact with the midpoint 32 of the elongated body 22.
In
Although several embodiments have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited, except as by the appended claims.
