Patent Application
20220354210
The technical field of the disclosed embodiments relate to shoe protection apparatus.
Persons working in professions that involve the frequent use of products including chemicals that may damage fabric or other clothing materials may on occasion spill such products on their clothes and footwear, thereby possibly staining or damaging the clothing item.
One such profession is cosmetology, as a variety of products may be used to treat the hair, nails, and/or skin of a client. For example, hair coloring, perming, straightening, smoothing, washing, cutting, styling all involve the use of a variety of products, many of which include ingredients that may permanently deface and/or damage non-hair surfaces, like fabric or leather.
While working, a cosmetologist may be constantly reaching back and forth between the clients' hair and the service tray for a product filled-bowl, or squeezing contents of a bottle of a product. In close quarters, product splashes from nearby co-workers' work may also present a hazard. As such, there are many opportunities for accidents to happen.
Not only do cosmetologists manage the distractions of said sprays, drips, and splashes in cosmetology activities, they are inundated with the hair clippings from cutting hair, and the dander from combing and brushing the hair, all of which may rain upon and contact their feet, including their bare skin.
Disclosed are various embodiments of a shoe protection apparatus, or “shoe apron”. The shoe apron may include a shoe apron body that covers the top of the wearer's shoe. The shoe apron may be made from a variety of materials, including, for example, fabric, polyphenylene ether (PPE), leather, synthetic leather, etc. The shoe apron body may be a single layered material or multiple layers of different materials.
An arch fastener, such as a band of elastic, may be attached to the shoe apron body at a position approximating the arch of the wearer's shoe. An ankle fastener may be provided at the back of the shoe apron body to further secure the shoe apron to the shoe. Various types of fasteners may be employed, such as hook and loop fasteners, or strips of material to tie and tighten the shoe apron to the shoe.
A toe piece may be attached to the front of the shoe apron body to provide a sock-like enclosure for the toe of the shoe to further secure the shoe apron body. The toe piece may include a skid-resistance material to provide improved traction. Some considerations in selecting the material and design of the the toe piece is that it should not be so tacky as to cause tripping, or too weighty as to throw off the posture or gait of the wearer.
Cosmetologists work with a wide variety of products in, for example, hair coloring, perming, straightening, smoothing, washing, cutting, styling, etc. Many of these products include ingredients which could permanently deface and/or damage non-hair surfaces, like for example, the cosmetologist's shoes.
Cosmetologists may wear aprons to protect their clothes while working to avoid damage from the many drips and sprays and splatters of the likes of hair color, bleaches and oils, and all the various chemicals used to execute the wide variety of the hair beautifying services that they perform. However, their shoes may be even more vulnerable as horizontal surfaces below the work area, vulnerable to the drips and sprays and splatters which may leave ruinous smudges and stains on those favorite, expensive, and/or designer shoes.
Furthermore, sandals or open toed shoes leave the exposed skin of the top of the foot and toes vulnerable to germs and debris from potentially many sources carried by dander and hairs. Also, these skin surfaces are vulnerable to tiny clipped hairs that embed themselves into the bottom of the toes and feet, which can feel like a really bad splinter, and are difficult to resolve.
In fact, in any craft or trade in the arts dealing with materials, people face potential spills and splatters, whether as a cosmetologist, a culinary chef from airborne grease and sauce splatters, a food server from splashes from accidental food and drink spills, a painter from oil paint drips, or a medical workers in a lab or hospital environment. The potential damage from inevitable splatters and debris to good work shoes may be frustrating, since fashionable or not, shoes built to stand in and walk in for long periods of time are hard to replace, and can be expensive. Protecting their longevity by using protection such as a shoe apron makes fashionable and fiscal sense.
The shoe apron body 104 may be one or more pieces of fabric and/or other protective material shaped to cover the upper of a particular type of shoe, in this case a low heeled boot-type shoe with a full or open-toed upper. The toe piece 106 may be stitched or otherwise connected to the front of shoe apron body 104 to provide a sock-like toe portion. The toe piece 106 may help secure the shoe apron 100 to the shoe as the fabric of the shoe apron body 104 may slip without it. The material of the toe piece 106 may be made from a skid-resistant material to prevent slipping while moving. Various materials, such as textured fabrics, silicone or rubber with textured or tread patterns may be used.
The arch fastener 108, for example, a band made from an elastic material, may be connected to the shoe apron body 104 at its two ends at a position designed to be behind the toe piece 106 but in front of the heel of the shoe, e.g., approximating the position of the arch of the shoe style. The sole faster 108 further secures the shoe apron 100 to the shoe 102.
The ankle fastener 110 may be a strip of fabric of the same type used in the shoe apron body 104. The ankle fastener 110 may be contiguous with the shoe apron body 104, or may be stitched or otherwise connected to the shoe apron body. One end of the ankle fastener may include a mating portion 112 on its outer surface. This mating portion 112 may be positioned to be secured to a corresponding mating portion 112 on the inner surface of the shoe apron body 104. The mating portions 112 may be a corresponding pair of hook and loop fasteners, e.g., Velcro®. Once the mating portions 112 are connected, the ankle fastener 110 further secures the shoe apron 100 to the shoe 102.
In use, the wearer's shoe may be slid through the top opening of the shoe apron, toes first. Once the shoe is through the arch fastener 108, it is slid into the toe piece 106, as if it were a toe-sock. Once the shoe apron is pulled over the shoe as described above, the end of the arch fastener 110 may be wrapped around the back of the ankle, and the mating portions 112 connected, thereby securing the shoe apron 100 to the shoe 102.
The shoe aprons described may offer different levels of protection, sanitation, and style, have an easy on easy off design, and yet are secure while wearing them. They may serve to hug the wearer's shoe while they work, as well as providing ventilation. Wearing shoe aprons while working also relieves the wearer's subconscious mind of concerns of accidental splashes, etc., hence removing the anxiety of potential disasters from disrupting their creative and time sensitive work.
The materials and designs used for the shoe aprons are preferably attractive, lightweight, and easy for the feet to breathe. Different styles, colors, and patterns may be provided to fit the user's style and mood.
In an embodiment, the materials used for the shoe apron body 104 may be single-layered or multi-layered. For example, the shoe apron body 104 may include a bottom layer made from a breathable, water-resistant material such as polyphenylene ether (PPE). The shoe apron body 104 may also include an upper layer made from a washable/cleanable fabric, lined or unlined, which may be customizable in terms of colors, patterns, logos, etc.
The above-described embodiments of the present invention are intended to be examples only. Alterations, modifications and variations may be effected to the particular embodiments by those of skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined solely by the claims appended hereto.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/186,040, filed May 7, 2021 and entitled, “K-Booties Shoe Aprons”, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63186040 | May 2021 | US |
