US20050138846A1 - Shoe heel protector - Google Patents

Abstract

A shoe heel protector includes a middle portion, a first side portion and a second side portion. The semi-rigid middle portion substantially covers a rear heel portion of a shoe and is permanently attached to the shoe. The first side portion is integrally formed with the middle portion, and the first side portion partially covers a first side of the shoe. The second side portion is integrally formed with the middle portion, and the second side portion partially covers a second side of the shoe.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• 1. Field of the Invention
• The present invention relates generally to a guard for the heel of a shoe. In particular, the present invention relates to a workboot with a protective material wrapped around the heel of the boot and integrated therein.
• 2. Discussion of the Related Art
• Historically, heel protection devices have been developed to maintain the appearance of shoes against damage or scuffing (e.g., a person driving a vehicle for a living) or to assist patients after foot surgery with protecting the heel against strike or reducing weight bearing from the heel of the foot.
• In this regard, the devices that have been developed to maintain the appearance of shoes have primarily comprised a wrap around band of material that is removably applied to a shoe while driving. Other devices include a U-shaped frame that removably supports the heel of a shoe. All of these devices generally include a removable piece of material that is not integrated into the shoe, wherein the material is not configured to continually support the heel of a foot.
• Other devices that have been developed to protect the heel of a foot after surgery generally include post-operative surgical shoes with tapered wedges that distribute weight away from the heel of the foot. These shoes are designed for temporary use and are not constructed to withstand being used on a daily basis over a prolonged period of time. Therefore, the heel protection devices included in these surgical shoes are often not well-integrated into the layers of the sole's of the shoes and provide only minimal protection against heel strike.
• What is needed, therefore, is a heel protection device that withstands prolonged use and provides significant support for the heel of the foot by integrating the support into the other layers of the shoe or boot (e.g., the insole, etc.).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• It is an object of the present invention to provide a shoe heel protector including a middle portion, a first side portion and a second side portion. The semi-rigid middle portion substantially covers a rear heel portion of a shoe and is permanently attached to the shoe. The first side portion is integrally formed with the middle portion, and the first side portion partially covers a first side of the shoe. The second side portion is integrally formed with the middle portion, and the second side portion partially covers a second side of the shoe.
• It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a shoe heel protector including a middle portion, a first side portion and a second side portion. The semi-rigid middle portion substantially covers a rear heel portion of a shoe and is permanently attached to the shoe along a bottom edge of the middle portion. The first side portion is integrally formed with the middle portion and includes at least one aperture formed therein. The first side portion partially covers a first side of the shoe. The second side portion is integrally formed with the middle portion and includes at least one aperture formed therein. The second side portion partially covers a second side of the shoe. The aperture formed in the first side portion and the formed in the second side portion each align with a corresponding eyelet on the front of the shoe.
• Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a shoe heel protector including a semi-rigid middle portion, wherein the middle portion substantially covers a rear heel portion of a shoe and a bottom edge of the middle portion is secured to a welt in the shoe. A first side portion is integrally formed with the middle portion, and the first side portion partially covers a first side of the shoe. The second side portion is integrally formed with the middle portion, and the second side portion partially covers a second side of the shoe.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• A clear understanding of the various advantages and features of the present invention, as well as the construction and operation of conventional components and mechanisms associated with the present invention, will become more readily apparent by referring to the exemplary, and therefore non-limiting, embodiments illustrated in the following drawings which accompany and form a part of this patent specification.
• FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a workboot with a heel protection device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the heel protection device and the workboot according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of a workboot with a heel protection device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 4 is a planar view of the heel protection device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view along line5-5 ofFIG. 1 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view along line6-6 ofFIG. 1 with laces in the workboot according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view along line6-6 ofFIG. 1 without laces in the workboot according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view along line8-8 ofFIG. 3 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and
• FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view along line9-9 ofFIG. 1 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
• Referring toFIG. 1, aworkboot10 includes a semi-rigidsymmetrical heel protector12 that wraps around atop assembly14 ofboot10.Protector12 is integrated into the other material layers that compriseboot10.
• In addition totop assembly14,boot10 further includes aboot shell16, asole assembly18, and alace assembly20.Lace assembly20 includesconventional lace eyelets22, aboot lace24, and aboot tongue26. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, boot shell (upper)16 andtop assembly14 are constructed with high-quality leather, and in order to reduce manufacturing costs,protector12 forms part ofshell16 because leather is not placed underneathprotector12. Alternatively,protector12 is placed over the leather ofshell16 and secured with standard techniques well-known by one of ordinary skill in the art (e.g., adhesive bonding, stitching, etc.).
• As illustrated inFIGS. 1-2,protector12 is stitched intosole assembly18 alongline28. Protector12 includes a first pair ofapertures30 and a second pair ofapertures32.Apertures30,32 align witheyelets22 ofboot10 and are held in place bylace24. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention,protector12 is constructed from a semi-rigid material that includes abottom portion34, amiddle portion36 and atop portion38. A series ofridges40 are integrally formed withmiddle portion36.
• Turning toFIG. 3, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, abottom edge42 alongprotector12 is secured in place by stitching or stapling throughedge42 to secureprotector12 to all of the additional layers of material that compriseboot10.
• For example, a series of stitches orstaples44secure edge42 ofprotector12 to at leastboot shell16.Stitches44 may additionally secureedge42 to other layers ofboot10 comprisingsole assembly18, including aninsole46 and amidsole48.
Welted Construction
• As illustrated inFIG. 3,boot10 is preferably manufactured with a welted sole. A welted sole is constructed by stitching a piece of leather to the shoe upper lining and insole. This allows a foot to flex and permits the shoe to be resoled.
• In the late Nineteenth century, a process for constructing footwear was developed by Charles Goodyear. “Goodyear welting” is a method of welting that is well-known by one of ordinary skill in the art and includes stitching on the bottom of the sole.
• Goodyear welting is generally a long and expensive process whereby sole ofboot10 is stitched to a strip of leather (a “welt”) which in turn is stitched to the upper part of the shoe and the inner sole. This process ensures strength, resistance to the elements, flexibility and comfort.
• As illustrated in the figures, thefinal boot10 that is welted includes the outsole, the midsole, the upper and the insole all stitched together through a leather welt.
• The general process of welting includes the following steps:
• 1. The leather insole is trimmed to meet the requirements of the shoe being constructed.
• 2. A channel is hand carved on the insole for the stitch to travel through.
• 3. The upper of the shoe or boot is “pulled over” and tacked down in place in preparation for welting.
• 4. Using an Awl, a channel is punched through the insole, the upper and the welt to allow for the stitch to be threaded.
• 5. Using a curved needle, the stitch is pulled through and locked.
• 6. Steps4 and5 are repeated until the entire shoe or boot is stitched.
• At this point, there are different additional steps that may be applied. A fine light dress shoe would have a light sole bonded to the welt and a leather or cork filler and then sewn to the welt. Alternatively, a midsole will be bonded to the welt and filler and then sewn to the welt. Thereafter, an outsole can be either bonded to the midsole without stitching or can be stitched to the welt as well. The style of footwear chosen will dictate which technique is applied.
General Manufacturing of Footwear
• There are typically four main departments connected with manufacturing within a footwear company and the components follow a progressive route through each of these departments to produce the finished shoes. The departments including: Clicking, Closing, Lasting/Making, Finishing/Shoe Room.
• CLICKING/CUTTING: In this department, upper14 ofshoe10 is manufactured. The clicking operative is issued with a number of skins of leather, mostly from cows, although leather can be made from almost all animal skins and with the use of metal strip knives, various shaped pieces are cut out that will eventually make up the upper. Leather will have varying amounts of flaws on the surface such as barbed wire scratches and these flaws need to be avoided, so that they are not used for the upper pieces.
• CLOSING/MACHINING: In this department, the component pieces ofshoe10 are sewn together by highly skilled machinists to produce the completed upper. In the early stages, the pieces are sewn together on what are called flat machines. In the latter stages, the upper becomes three-dimensional and the machine used is called a post machine. This is where the sewing surface of the machine is elevated on a post to enable the operative to sew the three dimensional upper. Various edge treatments to the leather are also completed to produce a more attractive look to the finished upper. The eyelets are also inserted at this stage to accommodate the laces in the finished shoes.
• LASTING/MAKING: The completed uppers are now molded into a foot shape using a last. A last is typically a plastic shape that simulates the foot shape which, when removed from the finished shoe, can be used continually to produce more shoes. The first operation is to attach the insole to the bottom of the last, but this is only a temporary attachment to allow the last to be removed at the end of the process.
• In a Goodyear welted shoe, the insole has a rib attached to its under edge. The upper is stretched and molded over the last and attached to the insole rib. When this is completed, the product is now a “lasted shoe”.
• The strip of leather (or alternatively plastic)—the welt—is sewn onto the shoe through the rib and upper and all the surplus material is trimmed off the seam. The sole is then attached to the welt and the two are stitched together. Thereafter, the heel is attached which completes the “making” ofboot10.
• FINISHING/SHOEROOM: At this stage, it depends on which materials have been used for the welt and sole to determine how it will be finished. In the case of a leather welt, the sole edge and heel are trimmed and buffed to give them a smooth finish. They are then stained, polished and waxed to give them an attractive finish and to ensure the edge is waterproof. The bottom of the sole is often lightly buffed, stained and polished and various types of patterns are marked on the surface to give it a craft finished look. Now boot10 is “finished” and the uppers are shoeroomed.
• In general, an internal sock is fitted into shoe which can be full, half or quarter and these will usually have the manufacturers' details or a brand name if applicable. Again, depending on the materials used for the uppers,boot10 is cleaned, polished and sprayed, plus laces and tags are attached (such as shoe care instructions).
• Boots10 then go on to be boxed and packaged ready for dispatching to the customer.
• In weltedboot10,FIG. 4 illustrated a plan view ofsupport12 includingupper portion38,middle portion36 andbottom portion34. Aligned with the heel, semi-rigidupper portion38 forms aconvex portion46 to fully support the heel. Apertures30 and32 furthersecure support12 toupper assembly14.
• As illustrated inFIGS. 6-7,protector12 is further secured to boot10 withlace22 inserted througheyelet22 andaperture30. Whenlace22 is not pulled througheyelet22 and aperture30 (FIG. 7),protector12 is not held adjacent to bootshell16.
• FIGS. 8-9 further illustrate the welted construction described above in relation toboot10. In particular, awelt50 that is approximately 60 cm long, 2 cm wide and 3 mm thick is stitched toinsole46 andmidsole48 using afirst stitch52, andwelt50 is also stitched to anoutsole54 using asecond stitch56. Afiller layer58 manufactured from polyurethane or EVA foam is cemented tooutsole56.Outsole56 is manufactured from a carbon rubber compound.
• The scope of the application is not to be limited by the description of the preferred embodiments described above, but is to be limited solely by the scope of the claims that follow. For example, instead ofboot10 being manufactured as a welted boot,boot10 may be constructed primarily by cementing or stapling the portions ofsole assembly18 together without the use of a welt orboot10 may be constructed primarily by cementing or stapling portions of the sole assembly directing to the welt (without stitching the sole to the welt) without departing from the scope of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (20)

1. A shoe heel protector comprising:

a semi-rigid middle portion, wherein the middle portion substantially covers a rear heel portion of a shoe and is permanently attached to the shoe;

a first side portion integrally formed with the middle portion, wherein the first side portion partially covers a first side of the shoe; and

a second side portion integrally formed with the middle portion, wherein the second side portion partially covers a second side of the shoe.

2. The shoe heel protector according toclaim 1, wherein the first side portion further comprises a first aperture and the second side portion further comprises a second aperture, wherein the first aperture aligns with a first eyelet on a front of the shoe and the second aperture aligns with a second eyelet on the front of the shoe.

3. The shoe heel protector according toclaim 2, wherein a shoelace is laced through the first aperture and the first eyelet, and the second aperture and the second eyelet.

4. The shoe heel protector according toclaim 1, wherein the middle portion includes at least one horizontal ridge integrally formed in the middle portion.

5. The shoe heel protector according toclaim 1, further comprising a bottom edge, wherein the bottom edge of the protector is secured to a welt in the shoe.

6. The shoe heel protector according toclaim 5, wherein the bottom edge of the protector is stitched to the welt.

7. The shoe heel protector according toclaim 5, wherein the bottom edge of the protector is adhesively bonded to the welt.

8. The shoe heel protector according toclaim 1, wherein the shoe is an athletic shoe.

9. The shoe heel protector according toclaim 1, wherein the shoe is a workboot.

10. The shoe heel protector according toclaim 1, wherein the shoe is a dress shoe.

11. A shoe heel protector comprising:

a semi-rigid middle portion, wherein the middle portion substantially covers a rear heel portion of a shoe and is permanently attached to the shoe along a bottom edge of the middle portion;

a first side portion integrally formed with the middle portion having at least one aperture formed therein, wherein the first side portion partially covers a first side of the shoe;

a second side portion integrally formed with the middle portion having at least one aperture formed therein, wherein the second side portion partially covers a second side of the shoe; and

wherein the at least one aperture formed in the first side portion and the at least one aperture formed in the second side portion each align with a corresponding eyelet on a front of the shoe.

12. The shoe heel protector according toclaim 11, wherein a shoelace is laced through the at least one aperture formed in the first side portion and the corresponding eyelet, and the at least one aperture formed in the second side portion and the corresponding eyelet.

13. The shoe heel protector according toclaim 11, wherein the middle portion includes at least one horizontal ridge integrally formed in the middle portion.

14. The shoe heel protector according toclaim 1, wherein the bottom edge is secured to a welt in the shoe.

15. The shoe heel protector according toclaim 14, wherein the bottom edge of the protector is stitched to the welt.

16. The shoe heel protector according toclaim 14, wherein the bottom edge of the protector is adhesively bonded to the welt.

17. The shoe heel protector according toclaim 11, wherein the shoe is an athletic shoe.

18. The shoe heel protector according toclaim 11, wherein the shoe is a workboot.

19. The shoe heel protector according toclaim 11, wherein the shoe is a dress shoe.

20. A shoe heel protector comprising:

a semi-rigid middle portion, wherein the middle portion substantially covers a rear heel portion of a shoe and a bottom edge of the middle portion is secured to a welt in the shoe;

a first side portion integrally formed with the middle portion, wherein the first side portion partially covers a first side of the shoe;

a second side portion integrally formed with the middle portion, wherein the second side portion partially covers a second side of the shoe.

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