2. Description of the Prior Art When babies are dressed up with socks and shoes, it is common for their shoes to fall off their feet, as the babies'feet are too short to hold easily in place. If the shoelaces are tied up so as to be tight enough to prevent, or least hinder, the shoes from falling off, the shoes may well be much too tight around the baby's feet. The angle at the top of the baby's feet, i. e. forwardly of the ankles, is also relatively steep thereby encouraging the unwanted removal of the baby shoes from the baby.

This is especially a problem for very young babies, for instance of under one year of age, and typically for babies who are under six months old.

At those ages, babies do not walk yet and thereby are thus often in suspension from a baby car seat, from their parents'arms, from a high chair, from strollers, etc., whereby the baby's feet are not supported and are more prone to falling off.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide a novel baby sock that prevents, or at least hinders, shoes from falling off babies.

It is a also an aim of the present invention to provide a novel baby sock and shoe combination that prevents, or at least hinders, the baby's shoes from falling off his/her socks.

It is a further aim of the present invention to provide a kit for use on baby socks and shoes for preventing, or at least hindering, baby shoes from falling babies.

It is a still further aim of the present invention to provide a novel method for preventing, or at least hindering, baby shoes from falling off babies.

Therefore, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a baby garment kit, comprising a pair of socks each including a sock body, and an attachment system for each said sock, said attachment system being provided with co- operating elements provided on said body of said sock and on a shoe adapted to receive a baby's foot having said sock thereon, whereby when said sock is in the shoe, said attachment system attaches said sock to the shoe thereby hindering an unwanted removal of the baby's foot from the shoe.

Also in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a baby garment kit, comprising a pair of socks each including a sock body, a pair of shoes and an attachment system for each said sock and said shoe combination, said attachment system being provided with co-operating elements provided on said body of said sock and on an inside of said shoe, said co-operating elements are attached together when said sock is in said shoe, thereby hindering an unwanted removal of the baby's foot from said shoe.

Further in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method of securing a baby sock to a baby shoe, comprising the steps of: providing an attachment system comprising first and second elements adapted to be detachably secured together, attaching said first and second pieces respectively on the outside of a sock and on the inside of a shoe at positions such that when a baby's foot having the sock thereon is positioned in the shoe, said first and second pieces are connected, whereby said attachment system attaches the sock to the shoe thereby hindering an unwanted removal of the baby's foot from the shoe.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Having thus generally described the nature of the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, showing by way of illustration a preferred embodiment thereof, and in which: Fig. 1 is a bottom perspective view of a baby sock in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a baby shoe in accordance with the present invention for use with the baby sock of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view, fragmented and partly in cross-section, showing the sock of Fig. 1 (although only partly shown herein) just before it is introduced in the shoe of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a side elevational view, fragmented and partly in cross-section, of the sock of Fig. 1 in position in the shoe of Fig. 2, wherein the baby sock and shoe are in an attached position thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Fig. 1 shows a baby sock B in accordance with the present invention and comprising a standard sock body 10 including a lower foot receiving section 12 and a dependent upper ankle section 14. The foot receiving section 12 includes a rear heel portion 16.

Also as per the present invention, a baby shoe S is provided, which as seen in Figs. 2 and 3 comprises a conventional shoe upper 18 and a shoe sole 20 that define a foot receiving cavity 22 adapted to accommodate a baby's foot in a conventional manner.

The baby sock B and baby shoe S of the present invention comprise an attachment system A (see Fig. 3) adapted, when the sock B is lodged in the shoe S, for providing added retention to the standard holding capability of a conventional shoe which depends basically on the configuration of the enclosure provided by the shoe upper and sole around the foot and on the lacing, or other adjustable shoe upper closing mechanism (such as the straps shown in Figs. 2 and 4).

The attachment system A of the present invention basically comprises a means to detachably secure the baby sock B to the baby shoe S when the former is in the latter, and preferably takes the form of co-operating male and female Velcro pieces 26 and 28, respectively, which are also generically called hook-and-loop fasteners, wherein the male Velcro piece 26 constitutes the"hook"portion, whereas the female Velcro piece 28 is the"loop" portion.

The male Velcro piece 26 is mounted, inside the cavity 22 of the shoe S, on the sole 20 and more particularly at the rear thereof, that is where the heel of the foot rests, as seen in Figs. 2 and 4. The male VelcroTM piece 26 typically includes an adhesive backing covered by a peel-off sheet (not shown) which can be removed from the adhesive backing when one is ready to install the male Velcro piece 26 in the baby shoe S.

The female Velcro piece 28 is mounted to the underside of the heel portion 16 of the baby sock B, as shown in Fig. 1. The female Velcro piece 28 is typically sewn to the sock B, although as for the male Velcro piece 26, it can instead include an adhesive backing covered by a peel-off sheet which can be removed from the adhesive backing when one is ready to install the female VelcroTM piece 28 on the baby sock B. When the female Velcro piece 28 is stitched to the baby sock B, as opposed to being glued thereto, it tends to better resist repeated washings and thus remain attached to the baby sock B.

Therefore, in a preferred mode of the present invention, the baby sock B is sold with its female Velcro piece 28 already sewn thereon, whereas the male VelcroTM piece 26 is provided with the baby sock B, but as a separate part and thus in the form of a kit, such that the male Velcro piece 26 is adhesively mounted to any of the baby's conventional shoes S by his/her parents. Such a kit would thus include a pair of baby socks B each provided with its own sewn-on female Velcro piece 28, and a pair of male Velcro pieces 26 to be mounted, after purchase, to a pair of baby shoes S.

With both the male and female VelcroTM pieces 26 and 28 in secure position respectively on the baby shoe S and on the baby sock B, the baby's foot with the sock B thereon can be introduced in a conventional manner in the baby shoe S, as per along arrows 30 in Fig. 3, such that when the baby's foot in lodged in the shoe S (see Fig. 4), the male and female Velcro pieces 26 and 28 become attached together thereby hindering the unwanted removal of the baby shoe S from the baby sock B, and thus from the baby's foot.

Typically, the male and female Velcro pieces 26 and 28 are circular as shown in the drawings, but are preferably smaller than herein relatively illustrated, having for instance a diameter of about 1.25 to 2.0 centimetres. Obviously, the male and female Velcro pieces 26 and 28 can be of other dimensions and shapes, and can also be attached to the baby shoe S and sock B w--h means other than the aforementioned adhesive and s~tching.

The attachment system A can also be provided at other corresponding locations of Ehe baby sock B and shoe S. For instance, the par_ of the attachment system A provided on the baby sock B could be positioned thereon so as to be under or above the toe portion of the foot, or adjacent thereto ; so as to be on the upper part of the foot, rearward of the toes, and generally opposite a tongue 32 of the shoe S (see Fig. 2) such that the male Velcro piece 26 is secured under the tongue 32; so as to be behind the foot, that is at the level and opposite the Achilles tendon. But, as the baby shoe S is generally lost from the baby's foot because of baby's heel portion first separating from the shoe S as it is looser thereat, the attachment system A seems best suited to be installed at the rear of the foot, such as at the heel, as illustrated herein, or at the Achilles tendon. Furthermore, in view on how the foot in inserted in the shoe, there is less resistance and a quasi certitude of a secure connection, at least when the attachment system A consists of the male and female Velcro pieces 26 and 28, by positioning the attachment system A at the heel, that is as per Figs.

1 to 4.

It is noted that the attachment system A does not represent a comfort problem for the baby as the concept of the present invention is generally only for use on babies that cannot yet walk so that do not as yet apply a great load on their heels. also, the male and female Velcro pieces 26 and 28 are substantially thin.