The field of the invention is costume design as it relates specifically and exclusively to footwear, such as shoes.
Shoes serve several purposes. The first is utilitarian. Shoes protect ones feet. The second is style. Having shoes that match outfits, or at least complement one's daily wardrobe, is very much a part of looking stylish. Given our present-day style consciousness, women are buying more shoes than even before. It is estimated by the ECommerce fashion industry that both women's shoe sales and accessory sales will double between 2018 and 2022, indicating women are increasingly interested in having their feet fashionably dressed.
Every woman wants a pair of classic pumps for dress and ballerina slippers (otherwise known as ‘my flats’) for shopping and general comfort. These popular styles are commonly bought in beige and/or black in order to coordinate with most of the clothes in their closets.
Shoes come not only in every size, but also at every price. Serviceable shoes exist at $25.00 and $2,500, and at all prices there between. Women mostly buy the shoes they can afford, and, very often these days, skimp somewhere in the budget to purchase that extra pair to match a special outfit.
There have been some patents granted for changing the appearance of shoes.
Lin (U.S. Pat. No. 6,349,486) reveals a sandal comprised of a sole and two straps. The straps can be exchanged using a complex fastening device embedded in the sole. Difficulties attendant upon the device exist in addition to the limitation of this application: two-strap sandals.
Bauer (U.S. Pat. No. 4,377,042) reveals a complicated athletic shoe with a removable out-sole. The shoe includes an upper portion designed to fit an individual foot and ankle of a particular wearer, and is permanently attached to the insole. The outsole and insole are connected together by mating hook and pile members. Bauer does not attach the upper portion directly the sole base without an insole. Its purpose is to serve the athlete, not the fashion conscious woman.
Hartung (U.S. Pat. No. 5,983,528) uses a fastening device (a zipper), which attaches the upper to the sole, and extends at least partially around the peripheral region of the sole to form a barrier between the joining device and the interior space of the shoe. It is a complicated and unsightly device.
Bailey (U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,369) uses fasteners for attaching the shoe top to the shoe bottom. This again poses the introduction of a third element—as do the others—which is a system that can fail as well as an additional expense. Costly fastening systems diminish the value of utilizing the footwear.
All of the above-mentioned patents represent systems with third element attachments that are neither fail-safe nor cost effective.
The present disclosure is related to a shoe cover and methods of making and using a shoe cover. The shoe cover is configured to cover a specific shoe in a specific size, designated for use with one or more shoe covers. It is important to emphasize that the covers are shape and size specific. For example, the shoe cover may be configured to disguise a pump, a classic ballerina slipper, a flat-heeled boot, or a high-heeled boot. In effect, the shoe cover becomes an additional skin on a shoe, such that the shoe cover appears to be the shoe itself.
The shoe cover may have a simple construction and may be configured (e.g., designed) to satisfy one or more considerations, such as style and/or safety. To satisfy a style consideration, a material of a particular shoe cover may include a stretchable fabric that is able to cover and/or conform to a shoe. To satisfy a safety consideration, a shoe cover may be configured to fit a size of a specific shoe model, thereby eliminating “slack” and/or “wiggle room” between the shoe and the shoe cover. Additionally, or alternatively, the shoe cover may include a gripping insert to create stability and/or to reduce or prohibit movement of shoe cover with respect to the shoe during use. The shoe cover provides a strong, safe, and reliable exterior for a particular shoe and enables an affordable option to change the appearance of a shoe without having to own multiple pairs of shoes.
The shoe cover is specifically designed to alter the shoe's entire appearance thereby making the shoe appear to be a different shoe entirely. Accordingly, one or more shoe covers can create a wardrobe of changes for a specific shoe. Each time a different shoe cover is used on the shoe creates a wardrobe change, or disguise. Each shoe cover has everything necessary to complete the effect of a shoe change, including a sole of its own, allowing the wearer the same access to the street as comfortably as with any other commonplace retail shoe. Having slipped on the disguise, it appears to be the shoe itself, and nobody can discern a difference. By having a specific pair of shoes for use with one or more shoe covers, many disguises to cover or ‘costume’ the pair of shoes are available: a tiger striped shoe cover on Monday, a leopard-spotted shoe cover on Tuesday, a two-toned shoe cover on Wednesday, a purple suede shoe cover on Thursday, a polka-dotted shoe cover on Friday, and a red satin shoe cover for that special occasion on Saturday night. The covers or costumes are easily affordable and cost effectively produced.
Some implementations of the present embodiments include a shoe cover constructed from stretchable material having inside and outside portions including a toe, vamp, heel, and sole, and meant for use as the skin of a particular specified shoe in the size of that model shoe required by the consumer.
Some implementations of the present embodiments include a shoe cover constructed from stretchable material having inside and outside portions including a toe, vamp, heel, and sole containing a gripping insert made of a non-slip material, such as rubber, glued with industrial adhesive or otherwise attached into the inside portion of the cover from the toe to heel for the express purpose of protection; that is, keeping the cover in place on the shoe to avoid slippage within the body of the cover thereby insuring the safety of the wearer.
Some implementations of the present embodiments include shoe covers constructed from stretchable material having inside and outside portions including a toe, vamp, heel, and a sole whose structure has been engineered to support the upper part of the cover allowing it to stay in place on the shoe without the need for any other means of support such as hooks, elastics, tapes or other fastening devices.
Some implementations of the present embodiments include a shoe cover comprising: an upper piece configured to cover an upper portion of a shoe of a wearer, the upper piece sized to cover the upper portion of the shoe without being attached to the shoe while the shoe is worn; a heel cover coupled to the upper piece and configured to receive and cover a heel of the shoe; a sole piece coupled to a bottom of the upper piece and configured to grip surfaces as the wearer uses the shoe cover; and a back counter piece coupled to a bottom of the heel cover and configured to grip the surfaces as the wearer uses the shoe cover.
In some such implementations, the shoe cover may further comprise a gripping insert with a cavity formed by the upper piece, the gripping insert configured to generate friction between the upper piece and the shoe such that the upper piece does not slip along the shoe. Additionally, or alternatively, the upper piece may include a seam along the sole of the shoe, the gripping insert extending from toe to heel configured to cover at least a portion of the seam. In a particular implementation, the gripping insert extends from toe to heel and is configured to cover the entire seam.
In some implementations of the present embodiment, the sole piece is coupled to the upper piece using an attachment means, the upper piece and the heel cover are of a shape and size according to the shoe, or both. Additionally, or alternatively, the upper piece and the heel cover are fabricated of a same material with a same pattern design.
Some details associated with the aspects of the present disclosure are described above, and others are described below. Other implementations, advantages, and features of the present disclosure will become apparent after review of the entire application, including the following sections: Brief Description of the Drawings, Detailed Description, and the Claims.
The following figures display the shoe cover and regarding them will help the viewer to understand the assembly and the outcome.
The shoe cover 100 can be of a specific design or pattern. For example, the shoe cover 100 can have a leopard print pattern. In various embodiments, the shoe cover 100 can be shaped to cover all or a portion of a shoe. For example, the shoe cover 100 can be shaped to cover the shoe 110 (as shown in
After taking measurements of the shoe last and the shoe itself, the template for a shoe cover is created. For example, the template for a shoe cover comprised of four separate pieces, including the upper piece, heel cover, sole and back counter piece. The template pieces are laid down onto the chosen fabric or material and an outline of the template is drawn onto the material. Once all pieces of the template have been drawn, they are cut out. Alternatively, the template for a shoe cover can be comprised of two or three pieces.
After the back left piece 202 and the right counter piece 204 are sewn together to form the upper piece 200, then the upper piece 200 is folded in half along its central axis 206. The fold is made where the left and right sides 640 of the upper meet. The idea mimics taking pieces of paper and folding them in half in the portrait or horizontal position. Once the left and right sides of the upper piece 200 meet they are pinned and sewn together with a ¼″ sewing seam along the edge of the upper piece 200. The upper piece 200 is sewn along the edge three quarters of the way around before stopping, in order to leave an un-pinned and unsewn hole (e.g., 690) for the heel of the shoe to pass through. For example, the hole can be 1″ in diameter. Then continue to sew up the back counter (e.g., the heel portion 604) of the upper piece 200 where the heel passes. Doing so leaves a seam on the bottom part of the upper such that it is not viewed when worn by a wearer. Additionally, the gripping insert 510 glued into the bottom part of the upper and designed to cover the entire bottom of the upper from toe to heel not only conceals the seam on the bottom part of the upper but also assures the wearer the cover will not move on the shoe thereby guaranteeing the wearer's safety.
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As shown, shoe cover 701 is fitted over a shoe 706, such as a raised-heel shoe. Shoe 706 may include or correspond to raised-heel shoe 610. Shoe 706 may include a heel lift piece 703. Heel lift piece 703 may include or correspond to heel lift piece 602.
Shoe cover 701 includes one or more pieces of material, such as a first piece ‘A’ (having a first shape) and a second piece ‘B’ (having a second shape), and a sole 702 (e.g., an outsole). The first shape and the second shape may be the same shape or may be different shapes. An illustrative, non-limiting example first piece A and second piece B is described further herein at least with reference to
The sole piece 702 may have a ground contact portion 727 configured to contact the ground and grip a surface as the wearer uses the shoe cover 701 and have a non-ground contact portion 728 configured not to contact the ground as the wearer uses the shoe cover 701. The contouring and construction of a non-contact portion is specifically designed to hold the upper in place securely, disallowing any movement of the upper on the shoe it covers. Additionally, or alternatively, the shoe cover 701 may include an optional elastic band (not shown). The elastic band may be positioned around a top of the shoe cover 701 and configured to prevent the shoe cover 701 from slipping relative to the raised heel shoe. The elastic band may include or correspond to the elastic band 402 or may be unnecessary.
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Each of first piece A and second piece B may have an inseam portion (e.g., 710) and/or may have a counter portion 780. The two inseam portions may be configured to be sewn together to form inseam 710 of shoe cover 701. The two counter portions (e.g., 780), may be configured to be sewn together to form back seam 704. Additionally, or alternatively, one or more portions of first piece A and/or one or more portions of second piece B may be sewn together to from a bottom seam, as described further herein at least with reference to
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Thus, the present disclosure describes a shoe cover 701, such as a removable shoe cover, can be configured to be removably coupled to a shoe 706 (specific in both style and size) such as a raised heel shoe. For example, a first shoe cover (of one of
The removable shoe cover 701, for the raised heel shoe (e.g., 706), may include a material 779, a bottom part 724, an unsewn hole 722, a sole piece (e.g., 7002), and a gripping insert 708. The material 779 may include a stretchable material configured to removably wrap entirely around the raised heel shoe of a wearer and sized and shaped to conform to the specific measurements of the raised heel shoe. For example, the material 779 may lay flat against an outer surface of the raised heel shoe while the raised heel shoe is worn (by a wearer). The bottom part 724 may be configured to cover an underside of the raised heel shoe. The underside of the raised heel shoe 706 may include including a sole, a shank, and a heel breast. In some implementations, the underside of the raised heel shoe 706 may include an entirety of each of a sole, a shank, and a heel breast. In a particular implementation, the underside of the raised heel shoe 706 does not include a bottom of the heel (e.g., a bottom of the heel lift piece 703) of the raised heel shoe 706. The bottom part may having an outer surface facing away from the underside of the raised heel shoe and an inner surface facing toward the underside of the raised heel shoe.
The unsewn hole 722 may be configured for a lift of a heel of the raised heel shoe to pass through. The sole piece 706 may be coupled to the outer surface of the shoe cover 701 and extend to cover the entire outer surface of the bottom part 724 continuously to an edge of the unsewn hole 722 so as not to cover the unsewn hole 722, and to follow the contour of the underside of the raised heel shoe, including the contour of the sole, the shank, and the heel breast of the raised heel shoe. The sole piece 702 may have a ground contact portion configured to contact the ground and grip a surface as the wearer uses the shoe cover 701 and have a non-ground contact portion configured not to contact the ground as the wearer uses the shoe cover 701.
The gripping insert 708 may include a rubber, non-slip, gripping insert configured to be positioned between the sole of the raised heel shoe and the inner surface of the shoe cover 701 when the shoe cover 701 is worn so as to lie against and contact the sole of the raised heel shoe.
The shoe cover 701 may include one or more seams (e.g., bottom seam 711) on the bottom part 724. The sole piece 702 may be configured to cover at least a portion of the one or more seams (e.g., the bottom seam 711).
The sole piece 702 may be coupled to the shoe cover 701 using an attachment means, such as the attachment means 108. For example, the attachment means may include glue and/or an adhesive. Additionally, or alternatively, the sole piece 702 may include rubber. In some implementations, the shoe cover 701 comprises a seam (e.g., 704) along a back counter (e.g., 709) of the shoe cover 701.
In some implementations, the shoe cover 701 comprises an upper portion (e.g., 200) and a heel cover portion. The upper portion and the heel cover portion may be fabricated of a same material (e.g., 779). Additionally, or alternatively, the gripping insert 708 may be configured to be positioned along the sole of the raised heel shoe that is configured for contact with the ground when worn.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/102,975 filed Nov. 24, 2020, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/152,539 filed Oct. 5, 2018 (now U.S. Pat. No. 10,959,482), which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/615,998 filed Feb. 6, 2015 (now abandoned), each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 17102975 | Nov 2020 | US |
Child | 18243846 | US | |
Parent | 16152539 | Oct 2018 | US |
Child | 17102975 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 14615998 | Feb 2015 | US |
Child | 16152539 | US |