The invention concerns cleat protective covers for cleated shoes, more particularly, a cleat protective cover for a cleated bicycling shoe.
Cleated bicycle shoes capable of being securely connected to pedals are widely used to provide a more efficient means for pedaling. A system of this type is desirable because it allows the user to generate force on the upstroke as well as the down stroke of the pedal cycle.
However, once a user dismounts the bicycle device the cleated shoes provide a disadvantage. The lift in the forefoot area associated with cleated bicycle shoes disturbs the normal gait pattern. This disturbance, accompanied with the slick nature of the cleat, makes walking difficult.
Furthermore, the friction caused by walking in cleated bicycle shoes causes damage to the cleat, and significantly reduces the life of said shoe. Adding to the expense of replacing cleated bicycle shoes, many cyclists also have bicycles custom aligned after each new cleat purchase.
One solution to this problem has been for users of a cleat pedal attachment system to carry an extra pair of shoes for walking. This however, is not a practical solution for many cyclists as it necessitates the use of the bag, such as a backpack, to carry said extra pair of shoes. This is cumbersome and increases the relative weight of a cyclist, thereby increasing the work needed to propel a bicycle.
Thus, a device is needed that enhances the traction of a cleated bicycle shoe and protects the cleat of said shoe, thereby improving the ease of walking and extending the life of the shoe. All the while said device must remain lightweight and easily transportable.
A protective cover for a bicyclist cleated shoe is provided, including a thin flexible body member arranged in a generally cylindrical shape having a hollow interior and an engagement area disposed at the interior of the body member configured to receive and retain a cleat extending from the bicyclist shoe such that the cleat is covered by the engagement area and/or the body member, where the body member is configured to be disposed on the shoe in a position of engagement in which the cleat is received and retained at the engagement area and a position of disengagement where the body member remains secured to the shoe while the cleat is free from contact with the engagement area and is exposed for attachment to a pedal of the bicycle.
Further provided herein is a protective cover for a bicyclist cleated shoe including a thin elongated flexible body member having an interior for receiving the shoe and exterior for contacting the ground and an engagement area disposed at the interior of the body member configured to receive and retain a cleat extending from the bicyclist shoe such that the cleat is covered by the engagement area and/or the body member, where the body member is configured to be disposed on the shoe in a position of engagement in which the cleat is received and retained at the engagement area.
The invention provides a protecting cleat cover that both enhances traction of a cleated shoe and protects a cleat area of said shoe from damage. The cleat cover of this invention, in some embodiments, is also capable of remaining attached to said shoe during engagement of the cleat and its mated pedal; this advantageously eliminates the need for storage of the cleat cover during cycling.
In
As mentioned, the ridges 12 define end portions of the cleat protector 11. However, these ridges 12 could be disposed at any position along a length of the protector 11. In any event, these ridges 12 are generally configured to engage opposing ends of the cleat system or other features of the shoe sole and to secure the protector 11 upon the shoe over the cleat system. For example, these ridges 12 may be areas of increased material thickness, areas of greater or lesser elasticity, areas protruding outward relative to the remainder of the protector 11, or areas protruding inward relative to the remainder of the protector 11, or a combination thereof.
As mentioned, the engagement area 13 of the cleat protector 11 is configured to engage the cleat system so as to protect the system when the wearer is walking and to provide traction to the wearer. The engagement area 13 may comprise a generally planar surface or may be contoured to receive and engage upon the shape of a particular cleat system. This engagement area 13 may comprise a feature on the interior or exterior of the protector 11 or at the interior of the material composing the protector 11.
In use, a cyclist inserts his/her toe into one of the open ends at either side of the cylindrical cleat protector 11 and inserts the forward portion of the foot into the hollow space within the protector 11 until the engagement area 13 of the protector 11 contacts and engages the cleat system at the bottom of the cyclist's shoe. Typically, in this position, one of the ridges 12 is disposed toward the toes in front of the cleat system while the other ridge 12 is disposed in the arch area of the foot at the rear of the cleat system. In this manner, the ridges 12 secure the cleat protector 11 over the cleat system and onto the shoe of the cyclist. With the cleat protector 11 in this disposition, the engagement area 13 is engaged with the cleat of the cyclist's shoe and is positioned between the shoe and the ground as the cyclist walks. Thus, in this position, the protector 11, prevents damages associated with the bare cleat striking the ground and also provides enhanced traction to the cyclist. To engage the cleat with the pedal, the cyclist can either fully remove the cleat protectors 11 or the cyclist can simply slide the protectors 11 rearward on the foot up the instep of the shoe so to expose the cleat. In this position, the elasticity of the protector 11 secures the retracted protector 11 around the instep and arch portions of the foot. The exposed cleat may be engaged by the cyclist with the pedal for riding. The forward ridge 12 is disposed rearward of the cleat system. This helps to ensure that the protector 11 remains retracted while the cleat is engaged with the pedal. When protection of the cleat is again desired, the cyclist simply disengages the cleat from the pedal and slides the protector 11 forward over the cleat until the forward ridge 12 is in front of the cleat and the engagement area 13 has fully contacted and engaged the cleat.
The engagement area 108 is essentially a section of the under foot portion 104 which is configured to engage the cleat system of the wearer's shoe, to be secured thereupon, to protect the cleat from damage associated with the cleat contacting the ground during walking, and is further configured to provided traction to the wearer. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the area 108 is generally planar and is disposed at an opening of the under foot portion 104 and is secured thereto such that a first side 108a of the engagement area 108 is exposed at an outer surface of the protector 100, as seen in
The cleat protector 100 includes a forward edge 111 and an opposing rear edge 113, as illustrated. The forward edge 111 is disposed such that it is positioned proximate to the toes when the cleat protector is worn. The rear edge 113 is positioned proximate to the arch and instep when the protector 100 is worn. The forward edge 111 includes a ridge 112 similar to the ridge 12 discussed hereinabove. Both of the forward edges 111 and 112 have a curved profile when viewed as, for example, in
The use of cleat protectors 100, 101, and 150 will now be discussed. As discussed in detail, these protectors 100, 101, and 150 are configured to fit on a shoe of a user, preferably on a cyclist shoe. The protectors 100, 101, and 150 each include an under foot portion 104 and an over foot portion 106. These portions 104 and 106 are essentially configured to wrap the forefoot area of the shoe of the cyclist. That is, when worn, the cleat protectors cover a region of the shoe corresponding to the ball of the foot as well as a portion of the instep and the adjacent sides of the foot. To don the cleat protectors 100, 101, and 150, the cyclist places the under foot portion 104 beneath the shoe and adjacent with the cleat system at the bottom of the shoe. The over shoe portion 106 is then positioned across the instep and secured there on by way of any of the exemplary various techniques mentioned above. For example, the over foot portion 106 of the protector 100 is threaded through the ring 110 and folded back upon itself to engage the hook and loop securement means, thus fastening the protector 100 firmly upon the foot. The cleat system of the particular shoe is fully engaged with the protector 100 at the engagement area 108 and thus the cleat is fully covered by the under foot portion 104. In this way, the cleat is protected from contact with the ground during walking and, further, traction is provided to the cyclist. When the cyclist desires to mount the bicycle and engage the cleats of the shoes with the respective pedals, the cyclist may simply detach the over shoe potion 106 and remove each cleat protector 100, 101, and 150. The protectors may then be stored during cycling and donned again when the cyclist dismounts. Alternatively, the cleat protector 100, 101, and 150 may remain on the cyclists shoes during cycling. Similarly to the protector 11, the current protectors 100, 101, and 150 may simply be maneuvered rearwardly toward the heel of the cyclist so as to expose the cleat system at the forward edge 111 of the protectors 100, 101, 150 to thus enable attachment of the cleat to the respective pedals, while the protector 100, 101, and 150 remain on the shoe. To further facilitate this, the cyclist may choose to loosen the securement of the over foot portion 106 upon the shoe to ease the rearward displacement of the protector 100, 101, 150. For example, with the protector 100, the cyclist may temporarily detach the hook and loop arrangement, loosen the fit of the protector 100 upon the shoe, and then slide the protector rearward into the storage position. When retracted as such, the cyclist may choose to tighten the over foot portion 106 by the method described above.
In use, a cleated shoe, and particularly a cleated cyclist shoe, is inserted preferably toe first into the forward end 202 of the protector 200. The toe portion of the shoe is engaged and partially encased at the front end. This disposition aligns the cleat system on the bottom of the shoe with the contouring at the interior of the bottom 206 and engages therewith. The rear end 204 of the protector 200 is then stretched backward until it is disposed around the heel of the shoe. The elastic, stretchable nature of the protector 200 ensures a snug fit of the protector 200 on the shoe. Once donned, the protector 200 provides protection to the cleat system during ground contact and also yields traction to the cyclist during walking. To remove the protector 200, the cyclist simply pulls downwardly on the front or rear 202, 204 to disengage the protector from the foot.
In use, the front end 252 is pulled over the toe area of the cyclist shoe and then the rear portion 254 is stretched and extended rearwardly into a secure position over the high-heel/Achilles area of the foot. The protector 250 is removed simply by disengaging either the front or rear end 252 or 254 and then sliding the remaining end off of the cyclist shoe.
Construction of the features described above can be accomplished through various configurations. For example, as alluded to above, the ridge like feature could possibly comprise a thicker portion of material, a less malleable portion of material, a doubled over portion, or anything of the like. Also, the cleat engagement area could possibly comprise a thicker section of material, a plate or weave inserted in the material, or anything of the like.
The cleat protecting device discussed herein can be constructed in various thicknesses and of any desired material capable of producing the stated results. The protecting device need not be made of a single type of material. The device may comprise a plurality of different materials. For example, the body member may be composed of a neoprene material and the engagement area may be composed of a rubber. The device need not be one cylindrical piece or one flat piece. The device could comprise any number of pieces and configurations allowing the device as a whole to function as intended.
The illustrated exemplary embodiments have been directed thus far toward cyclist cleated shoes having a large dominant cleat on the bottom of the shoe toward the forefoot area. Of course, the broad scope of the invention contemplates applying the disclosed cleat protector to other types of cleated shoes such as, for example, football cleats, baseball cleats, golf shoes, etc.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, while exemplary embodiments have been shown and described, various modifications and variations can be made to the present apparatus disclosed herein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the various embodiments have been described by way of illustration and not limitation.
This application is related to and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/101,636 filed on 30 Sep. 2008, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
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