PROTECTIVE FOOTWEAR FOR CLEATS

Abstract

A protective footwear is provided that selectively attaches to a cleat to at least partially cover the protrusions on the bottom of the cleat and allow an athlete or other person to safely traverse a hard surface like concrete. The protective footwear has a strap system that provides the selective attachment to the cleat, and a pliable inner sole of the protective footwear conforms to the protrusions on the cleat. As a result, the protrusions are protected and do not contact a hard surface like concrete. The athlete or other person is less likely to slip and fall by using the protective footwear among other benefits described herein.

Claims

1. A protective footwear, comprising: an outer sole and an inner sole affixed on the outer sole, wherein the inner sole is more pliable than the outer sole; and a strap system extending upwardly from the outer sole to selectively secure the protective footwear to one of a cleat or a foot.

2. The protective footwear of claim 1, wherein the strap system comprises: a first strap portion having a first fastener; and a second strap portion having a second fastener, wherein the first and second fasteners selectively join to secure the protective footwear to one of the cleat or the foot.

3. The protective footwear of claim 1, wherein the strap system is a continuous loop.

4. The protective footwear of claim 2, wherein the first fastener is a hook fastener and the second fastener is a loop fastener.

5. The protective footwear of claim 1, wherein the strap system comprises an expansion section operable to that stretch to an expanded size and compress back to an original size.

6. The protective footwear of claim 5, wherein the original size is between 5 and 25 mm.

7. The protective footwear of claim 1, wherein the inner sole comprises a foam material and the outer sole comprises a rubber material.

8. The protective footwear of claim 1, wherein the strap system comprises a distinguishing area to receive a distinguishing feature.

9. The protective footwear of claim 8, wherein the distinguishing feature is one of a number, a color, a letter, a word, a symbol, or a logo.

10. The protective footwear of claim 8, wherein the distinguishing area is rectangular and the distinguishing feature is card-shaped.

11. The protective footwear of claim 8, wherein the distinguishing feature and the distinguishing area are attached by a hook and loop fastener.

12. The protective footwear of claim 1, wherein the outer sole further comprises at least one compartment.

13. The protective footwear of claim 12, further comprising one of a weight, a heating feature, or a cooling feature positioned in the at least one compartment.

14. The protective footwear of claim 12, wherein the heating feature has a resistive heating element and a power supply.

15. The protective footwear of claim 12, wherein the cooling feature is a cooling gel.

16. The protective footwear of claim 12, wherein the at least one compartment is located in a forward portion of the outer sole.

17. The protective footwear of claim 1, wherein the inner sole extends above a top surface of the outer sole.

18. The protective footwear of claim 1, wherein a width of the outer sole at a back end is between 65% and 85% of a width of the outer sole at a front end.

19. The protective footwear of claim 18, wherein the width of the outer sole at the back end is 80% of the width of the outer sole at the front end.

20. The protective footwear of claim 1, wherein the outer sole comprises one or more slits operable to form traction with a surface.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0031] Those of skill in the art will recognize that the following description is merely illustrative of the principles of the disclosure, which may be applied in various ways to provide many different alternative embodiments. This description is made for illustrating the general principles of the teachings of this disclosure and is not meant to limit the inventive concepts disclosed herein.

[0032] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments and together with the general description of the invention given above and the detailed description of the drawings given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0033] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a protective footwear engaged with a cleat in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] FIG. 1B is a top plan view of the protective footwear in FIG. 1A in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] FIG. 1C is a perspective view of the protective footwear in FIG. 1A engaged with a foot in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0036] FIG. 2A is a side elevation view of a protective footwear in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0037] FIG. 2B is a further side elevation view of the protective footwear in FIG. 2A in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0038] FIG. 2C is a top plan view of the protective footwear in FIG. 2A in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0039] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a further protective footwear in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0040] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an inner sole of a protective footwear in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale, and various dimensions may be altered. In certain instances, details that are not necessary for an understanding of the invention or that render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted. It should be understood, of course, that the invention is not necessarily limited to the particular embodiments illustrated herein.

[0042] The proportions and dimensions (either relative or absolute) of the various features and elements (and collections and groupings thereof) and the boundaries, separations, and positional relationships presented between them are provided in the accompanying figures merely to facilitate an understanding of the various embodiments described herein and, accordingly, may not necessarily be presented or illustrated to scale, and are not intended to indicate any preference or requirement for an illustrated embodiment to the exclusion of embodiments described with reference thereto.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] Although the following text sets forth a detailed description of numerous different embodiments, it should be understood that the legal scope of the description is defined by the words of the claims set forth at the end of this disclosure. The Detailed Description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment since describing every possible embodiment of the protective footwear would be impractical, if not impossible. Numerous alternative embodiments could be implemented, using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent, which would still fall within the scope of the claims. Additionally, any combination of features shown in the various figures can be used to create additional embodiments of the present disclosure. Thus, dimensions, aspects, and features of one embodiment of the protective footwear can be combined with dimensions, aspects, and features of another embodiment of the protective footwear to create the claimed embodiment.

[0044] FIGS. 1A-1C show various views of a protective footwear 2. FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the protective footwear 2 engaged with a cleat 10, FIG. 1B is a top plan view of the protective footwear 2, and FIG. 1C is a perspective view of the protective footwear 2 engaged with a foot 14. The protective footwear 2 generally comprises an inner sole 6 affixed to an outer sole 4 and a strap system 8 that secures the protective footwear 2 to the cleat 10. The inner sole 6 is made of a more pliable material than the outer sole 4, and, therefore, the inner sole 6 deforms to receive at least one protrusion 12 of the cleat 10 and the outer sole of the cleat 10 itself. As a result, the athlete can safely traverse solid and slippery surfaces and incur the benefits described herein. FIG. 1C shows that the protective footwear 2 can be used with a person's foot 14 without a cleat, like a slide type of footwear.

[0045] The outer sole 4 is crucial to be able to provide traction with the surface below the protective footwear 2. The outer sole 4 may be smooth or it may have one or more slits 5. The one or more slits 5 may function to provide increased traction on the surface below the protective footwear 2. The material of the outer sole 4 may be made of a rubber material, such as, natural or synthetic rubber. The synthetic rubber may be styrene-butadiene rubber, butyl rubber, nitrile rubber, neoprene, ethylene propylene diene rubber, silicone rubber, polyurethane rubber, fluoroelastomer, another synthetic rubber, or a combination of one or more rubbers.

[0046] The pliability of the inner sole 6 is crucial to be able to deform and receive one or more protrusions 12 from the cleat 10. The material of the inner sole 6 may be made of a foam material, or any pliable material capable of compressing from applied pressure and reforming to the original form such as polyurethane foam, memory foam, polyethylene foam, polystyrene foam, EVA foam, melamine foam, latex foam, reticulated foam, another foam, or a combination of one or more foams.

[0047] The strap system 8 is formable to secure a foot and/or a cleat within the protective footwear 2. In some embodiments, the strap system includes two strap portions that are capable of connecting to each other. In these embodiments, the connecting of the two strap portions may be through any fastener system such as, but not limited to, hook and loop fasteners, laces, zippers, buckles, and hook and eye fasteners. In other embodiments, the strap system may be a single strap. In even further embodiments, the strap system may include three or more strap portions.

[0048] FIGS. 2A-2C show various views of a protective footwear 2. FIGS. 2A and 2B are side elevation views of the protective footwear 2, and FIG. 2C is a top plan view of the protective footwear 2. In the example embodiments shown in FIGS. 2A-2C, the strap system 8 comprises a first strap portion 16 that selectively joins to a second strap portion 18 to secure the protective footwear 2 to a cleat or foot. The first strap portion 16 may comprise a first fastener and the second strap portion 18 may comprise a second fastener. For instance, the first and second fasteners can be hook and loop fasteners, respectively, so that an athlete can quickly place a cleat or foot on the inner sole 6 and then press the fasteners together to equip the protective footwear 2.

[0049] As shown in FIGS. 2A-2C, the first strap portion 16 also comprises an expansion section 20 in this embodiment. This expansion section 20 can be an elastic or other similar material that allows the first strap portion 16 and the strap system 8 generally to expand in size in a circumferential dimension 21. The expansion section 20 may be made of any elastic material capable of expanding from applied pressure and reforming to its original form, such as but not limited to, natural rubber, synthetic rubber, spandex, silicone rubber, latex, polyurethane elastomers, thermoplastic elastomers, fabric elastics, or a combination of one or more elastic materials. Without being engaged to any other object, the circumferential dimension 21 of the expansion section 20 has an original size. The original size of the expansion section 20 may be between 1 and 100 mm, or 1 and 50 mm, or 1 and 30 mm, or 5 and 25 mm, or 15 and 25 mm. In one specific, non-limiting example, the original size of the expansion section is 20 mm. When the protective footwear 2 is engaged to a foot, as shown in FIG. 1C, the circumferential dimension 21 has a size larger than the original size. The size of the expansion section when the protective footwear 2 is engaged with a foot may be dependent on the size of the foot occupying the protective footwear 2. Finally, when the protective footwear 2 is engaged to a cleat, as shown in FIGS. 1A-1B, the circumferential dimension 21 has an even larger size than the one shown in FIG. 1C. The size of the expansion section when the protective footwear 2 is engaged with a cleat may be dependent on the size of the cleat occupying the protective footwear 2. The expansion section may be able to stretch to a circumferential dimension 21 of up to 100 mm while still being capable of compressing back to its original size. It will be appreciated that the present disclosure encompasses embodiments that have an expansion section 20 on one strap portion, multiple strap portions, or no expansion section 20 at all.

[0050] The outer sole 4 has a height dimension 22 at a front end of the protective footwear 2 and a height dimension 24 at a back end of the protective footwear 2. The height dimension 22 may be between 5 and 50 mm, or 5 and 40 mm, or 5 and 30 mm, or 10 and 20 mm. In certain, specific embodiments, the height dimension 22 at the front end is approximately 17 mm. The height dimension 24 may be between 5 and 50 mm, or 10 and 50 mm, or 10 and 40 mm, or 20 and 30 mm. In certain specific embodiments, the height dimension 24 at the back end is approximately 23 mm. The inner sole 6 likewise has a height dimension 26 at the front end and a height dimension 28 at the back end. The height dimension 26 may be between 1 and 40 mm, or 1 and 30 mm, or 1 and 20 mm, or 1 and 10 mm, or 1 and 5 mm. The height dimension 28 may be between 1 and 40 mm, or 1 and 30 mm, or 1 and 20 mm, or 1 and 10 mm, or 1 and 5 mm. In some embodiments, these dimensions 26, 28 are such that at least a portion of the inner sole 6 extends above the outer sole 4. This feature may help the protective footwear 2 receive the protrusions from a cleat of an athlete.

[0051] FIG. 2C shows the outer sole 4 having a width 30 at a front end and a width 32 at a back end that are different. In some embodiments, the front end is wider which may benefit the protective footwear 2 in engaging another footwear such as a cleat. The width 30 at the front end and the width 32 at the back end may be dependent on the size of the protective footwear (i.e., the size of the foot and/or cleat of the individual using the protective footwear). In some embodiments, the width 32 at the back end is be between 50% and 99%, or 50% and 90%, or 60% and 90%, or 65% and 85% of the width 30 of the front end. In some, specific embodiments, the width 32 at the back end is approximately 80% of the width 30 of the front end. In other embodiments, the front end and back end may be the same width, or the back end may be wider than the front end.

[0052] FIG. 2C also shows a distinguishing area 34 that is configured to receive a distinguishing feature. The distinguishing area 34 may be able to display distinguishing features, such as, but not limited to a number, a logo, a symbol, a color, a letter, a word, etc. The distinguishing feature may be referred to as a patch, where the distinguishing area is a landing pad for the patch. Thus, the patch and the landing pad may be operatively connected so that different patches which display different features may be placed on the landing pad. In some embodiments, the distinguishing area 34 has one of a hook and loop fastener, and the distinguishing feature comprises the other of the hook and loop fastener such that an athlete can quickly affix the distinguishing feature to the distinguishing area 34.

[0053] In further examples, the distinguishing area 34 is a recess or slot that extends into the strap system 8, such as a top surface of the first strap portion 16, and the distinguishing feature is a structure that fits into the recess. In some embodiments, the distinguishing area 34 has a rectangular shape, and the distinguishing feature is a card-shaped structure that has a number, logo, etc. In these examples, the distinguishing feature is pressed into the recessed distinguishing area 34 to create an interference fit and secure the distinguishing feature to the strap system 8. In some embodiments, the recessed distinguishing area 34 has a channel extending into the lateral sidewalls of the recess or slot below a lip. Therefore, when the card-shaped distinguishing feature is pressed into the recessed distinguishing area 34, one or both of the distinguishing feature and the lip deform, and then the distinguishing feature pops into place into the channel where the distinguishing feature is retained by the lip. In further embodiments, a cover made of a transparent or translucent material can be secured to the strap system 8 to form the distinguishing area 34, and the distinguishing feature can be inserted between the cover and the strap system 8 for display. Even further still, a slot may join the recessed distinguishing area 34 to another part of the strap system 8, and the distinguishing feature may have a surface area that is larger than the recessed distinguishing area 34. Then, the distinguishing feature is inserted into the slot and into the recessed distinguishing area 34 such that any third party can see into the recessed distinguishing area 34 and see number, logo, etc. on the distinguishing feature. In this example, the distinguishing feature is held in place due to its surface area being larger than the recessed distinguishing area 34. It will be appreciated that the distinguishing feature can be made of rubber material and/or other materials such that the distinguishing feature serves as a weight, incurring benefits as described elsewhere herein. In further embodiments, the distinguishing area may be any other shape, such as, but not limited to, circular, ovular, star-shaped, triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal, or octagonal.

[0054] FIG. 3 shows another example of a protective footwear 2. Here, the protective footwear 2 comprises an outer sole 4, an inner sole 6, and a strap system 8. The protective footwear 2 also has a compartment 36 positioned between the soles 4, 6. In this embodiment, a weight 38 is positioned in the compartment 36. However, other objects, including those described herein, can also be place in the compartment 36 and/or in other compartments in the protective footwear 2. Other objects that may be positioned in compartment 36 include, but are not limited to, a heating feature and a cooling feature. In some embodiments, the heating feature may have a resistive heating element and a power supply. In some embodiments, the cooling feature may be a cooling gel. It will be appreciated that the present disclosure encompasses embodiments where a compartment is positioned in the outer sole 4 or the inner sole 6. In some embodiments, there is an attachment between the inner sole 6 and the outer sole 4 to access the compartment 36. The attachment may be a snap fastener, a hook and loop fastener, an adhesive, or a buckle.

[0055] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the strap system 8 in the protective footwear 2 is a single structure that is joined to the outer sole 4, and then the inner sole 6 is joined to the strap system 8 and to the outer sole 4. One end of the single structure can be described as the first strap portion 16 and the opposing end can be described as the second strap portion 18 where each strap portion 16, 18 has a fastener, as described herein. In yet further embodiments, the strap system 8 comprises a structure that is a continuous loop where a cleat enters the protective footwear 2 from a lateral direction rather than from a vertical direction.

[0056] FIG. 4 shows an example of an inner sole 6. A compartment 36 is located in a back end of the inner sole 6. As described herein, a variety of objects can be placed in the compartment 36. It will be appreciated that the present disclosure encompasses embodiments where the compartment 36 is located at a front end of the inner sole 6 or at any other located of the inner sole.

[0057] While various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail, it is apparent that modifications and alterations of those embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be understood that such modifications and alterations are within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure, as set forth in the following claims. Further, the invention(s) described herein is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. It is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.