Patent Application
20080235989
Embodiments of the present invention pertain generally to women's shoes, and more particularly pertain to shoes that have no backing.
Particular women's shoes, especially those without a backing, generally referred to as a mule, a slide, or a strapless sandal. The backless shoe typically has a sole for the foot to rest upon and a front portion that cover's the woman's foot. The shoe usually does not have a back and therefore does not provide support for the wearer. Thus, the lack of a back support may cause backless shoe to be unstable and resulting in the wearer to possibly slip and stumble.
In addition, backless shoes cause long skirts, jeans, or pants to become caught or entangled between a wearer's heel and the sole of the shoe as a woman moves, walks or runs. Typically, the wearer has to remove the material caught between her heel and the shoe before continuing to move, walk or run.
Therefore, a need exists for an apparatus to be configured to be attached to a backless shoe to provide the wearer support as well as to prevent the material from becoming caught or entangled between the heel of a foot and the sole of a backless shoe and a method to stabilize a foot when wearing a backless shoe.
An apparatus for a backless shoe having a sole and a heel, such as a mule or slide is provided. The apparatus includes a concave backing having a heel strap and an ankle strap. The heel strap is configured to fit around the heel of the backless shoe and the ankle strap is configured to fit around an ankle of a foot. The apparatus is configured to prevent material from becoming caught or entangled between the sole of the backless shoe and the heel of the foot. Alternatively, the concave backing is configured to provide support to the wearer of the backless shoe and prevent the foot from slipping out of the backless shoe.
In addition, a method for limiting motion of a foot is provided. The method includes attaching a shoe apparatus having an ankle strap, a heel strap and a concave backing to a backless shoe. The method also provides limiting the motion of an ankle and preventing a material from becoming entangled between a heel of the foot and a sole of the backless shoe
In the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, like numerals describe substantially similar components throughout the several views. Like numerals having different letter suffixes represent different instances of substantially similar components. The drawings illustrate generally, by way of example, but not by way of limitation, various embodiments discussed in the present document.
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the present invention may be practiced. These embodiments, which are also referred to herein as “examples,” are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that the embodiments may be combined, or that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural, logical and electrical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, embodiments may be used with a pacemaker, a cardioverter, a defibrillator, and the like. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. In this document, the terms “a” or “an” are used, as is common in patent documents, to include one or more than one. In this document, the term “or” is used to refer to a nonexclusive or, unless otherwise indicated.
The description that follows is for a shoe apparatus 20 configured for a left shoe 10. A shoe apparatus 20 for a right shoe (not shown) may also be manufactured, however the sizes of the right ankle strap 24, left ankle strap 26, right heel strap 28, and left heel strap 30 may vary based on the shoe apparatus 20 being configured for a right shoe instead of a left shoe 10 as described below.
As shown in
The first end of straps 24, 26, 28 and 30 may be attached to the concave backing 22 by stitching the first end of the straps 24, 2628 and 30 onto the concave backing 22. Alternatively, the first end of the straps 24, 26, 28 and 30 may be removably attached to the concave backing 22. Optionally, the first end of straps 24, 26, 28 and 30 may be integral to the body of the concave backing 22. The second end of each strap 24, 26, 28 and 30 is the free end. The second end of each strap 24, 26, 28 and 30 may include a connection mechanism 29, for example, a clasp fastener, a buckle fastener, a hook and an eye type fastener, a snap fastener, a spring fastener, a latch fastener, and a Velcro® fastener, a knot and the like.
In order to attach the shoe apparatus 20 to the backless shoe 10 and to a wearer's foot, the second end of strap 24 is configured to attach to the second end of strap 26, and the second end of strap 28 is configured to attach to the second end of strap 30. For instance, the right ankle strap 24 and the left ankle strap 26 are configured to be wrapped around the wearer's ankle and attached together (e.g., the second end of the right ankle strap 24 is configured to be attached with the second end of the left ankle strap 26). Optionally, the right ankle strap 24 (e.g., for a left shoe 10) may be configured to wrap about the wearer's calf to for esthetic reasons prior to being attached to the left ankle strap 26. Furthermore, the right heel strap 28 and left heel strap 30 are placed in front of the heel 14 on the lower side 13 of the backless shoe 10 and configured to be attached together to secure the shoe apparatus 20 to the lower side 13 of backless shoe 10.
The length of the straps 2426, 28, and 30 may range from about 0.5 inches to twelve inches. In one example, a right ankle strap 24 may be eight inches, a left ankle strap 26 and the left heel strap may be about 0.5 inches, and the right heel strap 30 may be about 3 inches. The right ankle strap 24 has to be long enough to wrap around the wearer's ankle and up and around the calf and then attach to the left ankle strap 26 for a snug fit. The length of the right heel strap 28 has to be long enough to extend from the upper side 11 of backless shoe 10, across the width of the sole 12 on the underside 13 of backless shoe 10 and attach to the left heel strap 30. Alternatively, the left ankle strap 26 may be configured to be long enough to wrap around the wearer's ankle and up and around the calf and then attach to the right ankle strap 24 for a snug fit; and the length of the left heel strap 30 may be long enough to extend from the upper side 11 of backless shoe 10, across the width of the sole 12 on the underside 13 of backless shoe 10, and attach to the right heel strap 28. The width of the straps may be ⅛ inch, ¼ inch, ½ inch, ¾ inch, 1 inch, 1.25 inches, 1.5 inches and the like.
In an alternative embodiment, the right heel strap 28 and the left heel strap 40 may be replaced by a single heel strap (not shown) having a first end and a second end. The first end and the second end of the single heel strap may be stitched to the concave backing 22, removably attached to the concave backing 22, may be integral to the concave backing 22 or any combination thereof. The single heel strap may be manufactured from an elastic type material to stretch over (e.g., loop over) the front of the heel 14 so that the single heel strap tightly secures the shoe apparatus 20 to the lower side 13 of backless shoe 10. The length of the single heel strap may be smaller than the width of the sole 12 of the backless shoe 10 to provide a tight, snug fit against the heel 14 of shoe 10. Alternatively, the single heel strap may be equal to the width of the sole 12 of the backless shoe 10. Optionally, the single heel strap may have to be longer than the width of the sole 12, especially where the sole 12 is thicker near the heel 14. Alternatively the single heel strap may be manufactured from leather, smooth leather, lacquered leather, nubuck, bottom leather, natural hides, cloth, canvas, rubber, vinyl, leatherette, synthetic materials, natural hides, polymers, polyvinylchloride (PVC), textile type materials and the like.
In another embodiment, the backless shoe 10 may not include a heel 14. In such an embodiment, the shoe apparatus 20 may be used by the wearer to provide support to the ankle. Although no heel 14 is present, the right heel strap 28 may be configured to transverse the underside 13 of the backless shoe 10 and attach to the left heel strap 30 on the left side of the backless shoe 10. Alternatively, the left heel strap 30 may be configured to transverse the underside 13 of the backless shoe 10 to attach to the right heel strap 28 on the right side of the backless shoe 10. Optionally, a single heel strap may wrap around the underside 13 of the backless shoe 10.
The shoe apparatus 20 serves to stabilize the foot and provides support to the wearer. For instance, the concave backing 22 is configured to mold to the shape of the heel of the foot and thereby provides support to the ankle area. Thus, the shoe apparatus 20 also may prevent the foot from sliding out of the sole 12 of the backless shoe 10. In addition the shoe apparatus 20 by providing ankle support may prevent the ankle from twisting.
The shoe apparatus 20 is configured to be interchangeable between backless shoes 10 with minimum effort. Thus, the wearer may use one shoe apparatus 20 for many different backless shoes 10.
The shoe apparatus 20 may be made from a variety and combinations of materials. Examples of the types of materials include: smooth leather, lacquered leather, nubuck, bottom leather, polymers, rubber, waterproof materials, cloth, canvas, rubber, vinyl, leatherette, synthetic materials, natural hides, polymers, synthetic materials, polyvinylchloride (PVC), various textile type materials and the like. In an embodiment, the materials may be both lightweight and strong enough to provide sufficient support to a wearer's foot.
It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. For example, the above-described embodiments (and/or aspects thereof) may be used in combination with each other. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from its scope. While the dimensions, types of materials and coatings described herein are intended to define the parameters of the invention, they are by no means limiting and are exemplary embodiments. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. In the appended claims, the terms “including” and “in which” are used as the plain-English equivalents of the respective terms “comprising” and “wherein.” Moreover, in the following claims, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third,” etc. are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects. Further, the limitations of the following claims are not written in means—plus-function format and are not intended to be interpreted based on 35 U.S.C. § 112, sixth paragraph, unless and until such claim limitations expressly use the phrase “means for” followed by a statement of function void of further structure.
