GB2223157A

GB2223157A - Improvements in or relating to footwear

Info

Publication number: GB2223157A
Application number: GB8813324A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Elaine Mavis Robson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-06-06
Filing date: 1988-06-06
Publication date: 1990-04-04
Also published as: GB8813324D0

Abstract

It is well known that during driving the rear regions of the driver's footwear will contact the floor of the vehicle and can be scuffed thereby. Ladies' high-heel shoes are particularly susceptible to this type of unsightly damage. The present invention proposes a footwear guard 12 which snugly embraces the rear regions 15 of a shoe 11 or boot and preferably includes an integral sole part 13. The guard preferably provides a resilient surface 19, e.g. sponge rubber or plastics material, to the received footwear, to prevent scuffing between the guard and the footwear 11, and the guard 12 is retained with the footwear 11 by a strap or straps 16, 18, preferably including a quick attachment and/or quick release securement arrangement, conveniently velcro pads. The rear regions of guard 12 may present a double curvature, external configuration to the floor of the vehicle to allow the footwear guard to roll on the vehicle floor to facilitate control of the foot pedals when the vehicle is in motion. The guard 12 includes a heel-receiving recess. <IMAGE>

Description

"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO FOOTWEAR" This invention relates to footwear and, more particularly, to a footwear guard for protecting footwear against damage whilst the wearer is driving a vehicle.

It is well known that when a person is driving a vehicle, in particular a car when the legs and calves are forwardly inclined relative to the body, the rear parts of the footwear are in contact with the floor of the vehicle and, even when the vehicle floor is carpeted, the rear parts of the footwear and in particular the heelpart and the back of the footwear can be scuffed by contact with the vehicle floor as the driver manipulates the foot controls. Ladies shoes, in particular ladies fashion shoes, are particularly susceptible to such damage, such scuffing of the rear parts of the shoes is unsightly and in many cases can lead to the shoes being discarded, solely due to the damage inflicted whilst driving.

A further problem for ladies arises when driving with high-heel shoes, when the loading on the heel is inclined to the axis thereof, and the securement of the heel with the show can be damaged by the inclined loading, sometimes sufficient for the heel to break loose from the shoe.

An object of the present invention is to provide a footwear guard intended to prevent or at least reduce, damage to the footwear whilst the wearer is driving a vehicle.

According to the present invention there is provided a footwear guard comprising a heel section, arranged to receive and embrace the rear regions of a shoe or boot, and means for retaining the guard with the shoe.

Preferably the guard is arranged to snugly embrace the back of the shoe or boot and said means for retaining are arranged to maintain the snug fit of the guard with the rear section of the footwear to prevent relative displacement therebetween.

Preferably the guard presents a resilient surface to the footwear to assist in maintaining the guard relative to the footwear without relative displacement between the shoe-engaging surface of the guard and the footwear.

In one embodiment in accordance with the invention, particularly suitable for ladies high heel shoes, the guard includes a heelreceiving recess, which snugly receives the whole of the heel of the shoe, and a back portion which extends from the heel part upwardly to protect the back part of the shoe.

Preferably the guard includes a sole which extends forwardly from the heel part and means are provided for retaining the sole part of the guard with the sole of the footwear.

In one embodiment in accordance with the invention the guard is retained by strap means which pass over the instep of the wearer.

Preferably the strap means are adjustable and, more preferably, include a quick attachment and quick release securement arrangement.

In one preferred embodiment in accordance with the invention said strap adjustment and securing means comprise velcro pads.

The invention will now be described further by way of example with reference to the accompnnying drnwing.n in which Fig. 1 shows a side view of a guard in accordance with the invention for use with a low heel shoe.

Fig. 2 shows a side view of a guard in accordance with the invention for a ladies high-heel shoe and, Fig. 3 shows a side view of an alternative guard arrangement for a high-heel shoe.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1, intended for a low-heel shoe 11, a guard comprises a cup-like element 12 with an integral sole 13 extending forwardly therefrom. The cup-like element 12 and the sole 13 may be moulded from a substantially rigid plastics material.

The cup-like element 12 snugly receives the heel 14 and the greater part of the rear portions 15 of the shoe 11 and the guard 12, 13, is retained with the shoe 11 by a cross-strap 16 which passes over the wearer's instep, from one side to the other side.

The sole 13 of the guard is maintained with the sole 17 of the shoe 11 by a strap 18 which extends from the sole 13 to a location on the strap 16, there being a sole connecting strap 18 on each side of the guard 12, 13.

The securing strap 16 may conveniently comprise two strap lengths 16a, 16b one to each side of the guard with one end of each strap length 16a, 16b secured to the cup-like element 12 and with the free end regions of the strap lengths 16a, 16b provided with velcro pads 18a, 18b respectively, co-operable to allow the straps 16a, 16b to be secured together, tightly but comfortably for the wearer.

The cup-like element 12 may conveniently comprise a double curvature configuration, to facilitate rocking of the shoe and guard combination on the vehicle floor whilst the driver is manipulating the foot controls for the vehicle. With such an arrangement, and with the cup-like element 12 of substantially uniform thickness, a guard 12, 13 may be used for different show sizes, the heel 15 of a shoe 11 will make contact with the guard at different locations for different heel sizes but the securement of the guard 12, 13 with the shoe 11 will be firmly established by the contact of the cup-like element 15 with the rear parts of the shoes (A), the two location points of the heel 14 (B & C) and the contact of the sole 13 with the sole 17 of the shoe, all the points of contact being firmly maintained by the straps 16 and 18.

The fitting of the heel 14 and rear part 15 of the shoe 11 in the cup-like element 12 may be further facilitated by a lining 19 of a resilient material, such as a sponge rubber or plastics material.

Such a lining 19 can serve to reduce relative displacement between the shoe 11 and the guard 12, 13, thus preserving the shoe against scuffing.

The guard embodiment illustrated in Fig. 2 is intended for use with a ladies high heel-show 21 including a high heel 22, a back part 23 and a sole 24. The heel 22 includes a conventional heel tip 22a, which may comprise a metal plate or a rubber or rubber substitute material, and which tip 22a is generally not susceptible to unsightly scuffing.

In this embodiment the guard comprises a cup-like element 25 with an integral sole element 26 extending forwardly therefrom and the cup-like element 25 and sole element 26 are moulded from a substantially rigid plastics material. The guard 25, 26 is retained with the shoe 21 by a securing strap 27 and sole connecting straps 28, arranged in identical manner to the securing straps 16 and sole connecting straps 18 illustrated in Fig. 1.

Apart from the height dimensions the cup-like element 25 differs from the cup-like element in the Fig. 1 embodiment in that the lower regions of the cup-like element 25 include an internal recess 25a for receiving the heel tip 25a of the shoe, thus to assist in locating the shoe 21 within the guard 26. In like manner to the Fig. 1 embodiment the cup-like element 25 may be lined with a resilient material and, in fact, those parts of the cup-like element 25 not occupied by the heel 22 may be fully charged with a resilient material 29, such as a sponge of foam material, to assist in the retention of the shoe 21 within the guard 25, 26.

It will thus be seen with this embodiment the guard snugly receives the back part 23 of the shoe 21, the heel 22 and the sole 26 of the guard contacts the sole 24 of the shoe 21, the guard 25, 26 is firmly retained with the shoe 21 by the securement strap 27 and the sole connecting straps 28 and relative displacement of the guard 25, 26 relative to the shoe 21 is thereby avoided.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 3, intended for a ladies high heel shoe 31, the guard follows more closely the configuration of the heel part 32 of the shoe 31. Thus, in this embodiment, the guard comprises a cup-like element 33, shaped to conform generally with the configuration of the heel 32 and, with an upwardly extending part 34 intended to embrace the rear part 35 of the shoe 31, with an integral sole 36 extending forwardly from the element 33. The cup-like element 33 is lined with a resilient material to snugly receive the heel and the said resilient material to snugly receive the heel and the said resilient material may comprise an insert 37, removable from the element 33, for cleaning. The said resilient insert may be interchangeable with other inserts so that the guard 33, 36 may be used for shoes with differently shaped high heels.

As in the former embodiments the guard 33, 36 is retained with the shoe 31 by a securing strap 38, which may be arranged in identical manner to the securing strap 16 illustrated in Fig. 1, and the sole 36 may be retained with the sole 39 of the shoe by a toe strap 40, which may be simply a loop into which the forward regions of the shoe 31 can be inserted or the said toe strap 40 may be arranged in identical manner to the securement strap 38 and comprises two strap lengths, adjustably connectable by velcro pads (not shown).

As most ladies shoe in so far as the shape of the heel and the rear part of the shoe are concerned are substantially independent of the shoe size, which is generally determined by the length of the shoe and the width fitting of the forward regions of the shoe, the guard proposed by the present invention can be used for a wide range of shoe sizes and, with interchangeable insets 37, with a wide range of heel shapes and configurations.

Whilst the invention has been described by way of example with reference to specific embodiments the invention is not restricted thereto and many modifications and variations will be apparent to persons skilled in the art.

Claims

WHAT I CLAIM IS;

1/ A footwear guard comprising a heel section, arranged to receive and embrace the rear regions of a boot or shoe, and means for retaining said heel section with the received footwear.

2/ A footwear guard as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that said footwear guard provides a recess for receiving the heel of the received footwear therein.

3/ A footwear guard as claimed in claim 2 characterised in that said heel-receiving recess presents an arcuate external surface of the undersurface of the guard.

4/ A footwear guard as claimed in claim 2 and 3 characterised in that said heel-receiving recess presents a double curvature configuration at the undersurface and rear regions of the guard.

5/ A footwear guard as claimed in claim 2, 3 or 4 characterised in that said heel-receiving recess is formed to be close fitting on the heel of the footwear received therein.

6/ A footwear guard as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that at least that part of the heel section embracing the received footwear above the heel presents a resilient surface to the received footwear to assist in reducing relative displacement between the said heel section and the received footwear.

7/ A footwear guard as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that said guard includes a sole section extending forwardly from said heel section.

8/ A footwear guard as claimed in claim 7 in which the sole section is formed integral with said heel section.

9/ A footwear guard according to any preceding claim characterised in that the guard is formed by a moulding process.

10/ A footwear guard according to any preceding claim characterised in that said means for retaining comprise a strap which passes over the instep of the wearer.

11/ A footwear guard according to claim 10, when dependant upon claim 7 and any claim dependant thereon, characterised in that said means for retaining include a strap extending from forward regions of said sole to said strap passing over the instep of the wearer.

12/ A footwear guard as claimed in claim 10 when dependant on claim 7 or any claim dependent thereon, characterised in that said retaining means include a strap which extends from a forward region of the sole over the forward region of the received footwear.

13/ A footwear guard as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that said means for retaining include a quick attachment and/or quick release securement arrangement.

14/ A- footwear guard as claimed in claim 13 characterised in that said securement arrangement includes cooperating velcro pads.

15/ A footwear guard, substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 or 3 of the accompanying drawings.