PROTECTIVE FOOTWEAR COVERING

Field of Invention

The present disclosure relates to footwear adapted to be worn in cooperation with other footwear to protect the underlying footwear from the elements More specifically, the present invention relates to adaptable footwear covers configured to be worn over a dress shoe or other footwear Background of the Invention

Footwear serves several important functions in modern society In addition to its protective function, it is not uncommon for footwear purchases to be influenced by factors such as health concerns (e g , arch support, ankle support, etc ) and fashion concerns (e g , color, style, brand, materials, etc ) Shoes that are designed to specifically cater to the fashion conscious are generally even more expensive than shoes designed foi functional purposes Regardless of the style of the footwear, individuals often desire to keep the footwear attractive, paiticularly when the footwear is likely to be worn to events where the appearance of the footwear is important However, footwear is often the one piece of apparel that is most likely to become soiled, scuffed, or otherwise blemished, even during the most careful use It is even moie difficult to maintain the appearance of footwear when the individual is walking over difficult terrain Additionally, when the individual is walking on wet, snowy, muddy, or otherwise less than perfect ground, the footwear is significantly more likely to become blemished

Historically, individuals desiring to protect the appearance of their preferred footweai would carry the preferred footwear to the event at which the footwear is to be worn and would wear alternative footwear during the journey to the event For example, one might wear a pair of older shoes in the car or while walking through snow to get to the family holiday party Then, once safely mside the home, the oldei shoes would be traded for the preferred footwear for use during the party While this approach protected the preferred footwear, it often resulted in the individual appearing mismatched on the way to the event It is not uncommon for an individual to be concerned with the appearance ot the lootwear along the way to the event In

the circumstance of a woman being picked up for a social outing, she may desire to be wearing the preferred footwear at the door when she is picked up, in the car on the way to the event, and while at the event, but not while walking through snow and slush covered parking lots, sidewalks, and the like Several efforts have been made to create shoe covers that will protect the undeilying footwear However, these efforts have resulted in clumsy, unattractive, oi incomplete solutions Foi example, the conventional galosh often has the appearance of a work boot oi an industrial shoe More recent attempts at convenience have provided shoe covers that amount to mere toe coverings or sole coverings that are wrapped around portions of the wearer's shoe leaving a substantial poition of the underlying shoe unprotected Such implementations generally provided some safety function, such as piotecting the wearer's foot from falling objects or providing improved traction Other past implementations provided disposable slippers that could be worn over a shoe on a temporary basis However, these disposable shoe covers were designed to trap dirt from the shoe inside the slipper, such as to pieserve sanitary conditions, and are hardly suitable for outdoor use or for protecting a shoe from elements such as snow and slush

In U S Patent 5,787,607, a shoe cover was disclosed for being worn over the shoes The shoe cover disclosed in the '607 Patent consisted of a boot-like cover adapted to cover the shoe and a portion of the wearer's calf The shoe cover of the '607 Patent provided a fixing member at the upper portion portion of the shoe cover for tightening the shoe cover around the wearer's calf and provided a second fixing member at the wearer's ankle for tightening the boot material around the ankle As seen in the '607 Patent, prior attempts at a shoe cover for protecting the entire shoe consisted essentially of a bag with a couple of tie downs to form the bag to the wearer's leg The portion of the shoe cover m the '607 that surrounds the wearer's foot is essentially free to move relative to the wearer's foot, which may lead to instability, tripping, and/or blemishing the inner footwear due to friction with the material of the shoe cover Moreover, the shoe cover in the '607 Patent fails to piovide the user with an opportunity to adapt the cover to the particulai configurations ol an undeilying shoe For example, a wearer of the shoe cover may

desire to wear the cover with two different pairs of shoes having different lengths or sole configurations In such circumstances, the wearer would be likely to experience even more slippage and movement m the shoe cover when wearing the shoe of shorter length Summary of the Invention

The present disclosure provides a footwear cover adapted to be worn over any style of footwear, including men's shoes, women's shoes, high-heeled shoes, flats, etc In some implementations of the present footwear cover, a substantially rigid outsole is coupled with a substantially flexible upper portion to provide a boot-like footwear cover The outsole is rigid as compared to the upper portion but may still provide sufficient flexibility to facilitate walking, etc Similarly, the upper poition may be iefened to as flexible as compared to the outsole, but may be provided with sufficient rigidity to define the contours of the upper portion

The outsole may be provided with gripping elements designed to improve the traction of the footweai cover with the ground The upper portion may be constructed of a single material or of multiple materials In some implementations, the upper portion may include water-resistant and/or water-proof materials Additionally, some implementations may include a lmer material adapted to protect the weaier's shoe from blemishes caused by rubbing against the inside of the footwear covei

Additionally, the footwear cover of the present disclosure may include a plurality of securing or cinching elements adapted to customize the fit of the footwear cover to the wearer's foot and shoe by securing, supporting, cinching, molding, conforming, and/or otherwise fitting the footwear cover to the wearer's foot and/or shoe For example, cinching elements may be provided around the forefoot, aiound the arch region of the foot, aiound the ankle/heel legion of the foot, and around the wearer's calf The cinchmg elements may be adapted to secure the wearer's foot within the footwear cover to reduce risk of the wearer's foot moving around inside the footwear cover Additionally or alternatively, the cinchmg elements may be adapted to form the footwear cover to the wearer's underlying shoe to pi esent a more aesthetically pleasing footweai cover

In some implementations of the present footwear covers, the insole of the footwear cover may be provided with gripping elements. The gripping elements on the insole of the footwear cover may be adapted to help reduce the movement of the weaier's shoe within the footwear cover Additionally or alternatively, an insert may be provided that can be placed within the footwear cover to form or substitute for the insole of the footwear cover The insert may be removable for cleaning and also may provide gripping elements to help stabilize the wearer's foot within the footwear cover during use In some implementations, the insert may also provide customization implements. For example, an insert may include a toe stop and/or auxiliary support adapted to customize a footwear cover to a particular shoe size For example, a given insert may be adapted to cooperate with a medium-size footwear cover to configure the msole of the footwear to a size eight, or any other suitable shoe size Additionally or alternatively, an adjustable insert may be provided that allows the user to customize the contours and size of the msole to suit the particular shoe to be worn on a given occasion For example, although a user may wear a size eight shoe, different shoes may have different overall lengths while still being a size eight shoe. Accordingly, a user may find it advantageous to be able to remove the insert, customize it to the shoe to be worn, replace the insert into the footwear cover, and then insert the foot into the footwear cover The customizable insert may be provided in a variety of configurations, at least some of which are described in the present disclosure

These and other features and advantages of the present description will become more fully apparent from the following description or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter. Brief Description of the Drawings

In order that the manner in which the above-recited and other features and advantages of the present disclosure are obtained will be readily understood, a more particular description of the present systems and methods briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the systems and methods and aie not theiefore to be consideied to be

limiting of its scope, the present technology will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings m which

Fig 1 is a side view of an exemplary footwear cover within the scope of the present disclosure;

Fig 2 is a side view of an exemplary embodiment of a footwear cover of the present invention;

Fig 3 is a perspective view of the footwear cover shown m Fig 1,

Fig 4 is a side view of an exemplary insert adapted to be used m cooperation with a footwear cover within the scope of the present disclosure,

Fig 5 is a top view of the insert shown in Fig. 3; and

Fig 6 is a side view of another exemplary insert adapted to be used in cooperation with a footwear cover within the scope of the present disclosure. Detailed Description The presently preferred embodiments will be best understood by reference to the drawings. It will be readily understood that the components, as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein, could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the following more detailed description of footwear covers, as represented in the Figures, is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, but is merely representative of presently preferred embodiments

That being said, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a footwear cover provided. A footwear cover in accordance with various exemplary embodiments is any structure capable of protecting footwear enclosed within from the elements while the footwear is being worn by a user A footweai cover may comprise an upper portion having a foot portion and a leg portion, and an outsole

Fig. 1 presents a side view of an illustrative footwear cover 10 withm the scope of the present disclosure comprising an upper portion 20 having a foot portion 12 and a leg portion 14 The foot portion 12 and the leg portion 14 cooperate to form the footwear cover 10 into a substantially boot-like cover The footwear cover 10

may be referred to herein as a shoe cover 10 or a cover 10, which are each intended to be synonymous with the others

An upper portion 20 of footwear cover 10 may comprise any mateiial suitable protecting enclosed footwear from the elements and other adverse conditions In some implementations, the materials and construction methods selected for the uppei portion 20 may include lightweight and flexible materials, such as the neoprene and nylon materials However, other materials suitable for protecting footwear, such as lubber and plastic materials, may be used Moreover, as discussed m further detail below, a footweai covet may comprise one or more layers In accordance with the exemplary embodiment of Fig 1, footweai cover 10 comprises an outsole 18. As is conventional, an outsole refers to the portion of the footwear cover that is adapted to contact the ground during normal use. As one example, some implementations may provide an outsole of a material that is puncture-resistant and/or substantially rigid, such as to protect the foot or to provide a stable platform for the wearer's internal shoe However, a substantially rigid material that is non-pliable and/or non-elastic is generally poorly suited for providing traction Accordingly, as discussed in more detail below, the outsole may comprise gripping elements configured to provide additional traction. A multitude of configurations and combinations of materials may be suitable for providing an outsole for footwear covers of the piesent disclosure

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, outsole 18 is operatively coupled to the bottom of an upper portion 20 The outsole may be coupled to the upper portion in any conventional manner, such as by adhesives, stitching, or some combination of these or other methods. The manner of coupling the upper portion to the outsole may depend at least in part on the materials selected for each component and on the configuration of the upper portion.

In accordance with the exemplary embodiment depicted in Fig 1 , footwear covering 10 may comprise a substantially flat outsole 18. Such an embodiment may serve as a platform which increases the user's stability. As shown in the exemplary embodiment in Fig 2, footwear covering 10 may comprise an outsole 18 having an

arching portion 19 winch substantially conforms to the arching contour of the bottom of a shoe

As discussed briefly above, an exemplary outsole of the footwear cover may comprise a plurality of gripping elements A gripping element may comprise any structure capable of increasing traction of the footwear cover with the ground.

With further reference to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in Fig 1, the footwear cover 10 is provided with a plurality of gripping elements 16 disposed on the foot portion 12 at least in the region of the outsole 18 of footwear cover 10 The gripping elements 16 may be configured or arranged in any suitable manner, having any suitable pattern, density, etc The gripping elements 16 may be made of a rubber or plastic material, or any other suitable material, to improve the traction of the footwear cover 10 relative to the ground over which the wearer walks. In some implementations, the gripping elements 16 may be made of the same material as the remainder of the outsole, such that the outsole may be formed in a single step molding process Gripping elements 16 may be provided of a softer, more pliable, and/or more elastic material than the outsole to improve the oveiall traction of the outsole Additionally or alternatively, some implementations may include gripping elements 16 made of materials different from the remainder of the outsole 18 or may be of the same material but applied to the outsole in multiple steps In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a footwear cover may further comprise one or more cinching elements A cinching element may be any structure capable of tightening a footwear cover around an underlying shoe to prevent unwanted movement of the shoe relative to the footwear cover. In some embodiments, a cinching element is further capable of substantially conforming the footwear cover to the shape of the underlying shoe For example, a cinching element may compi ise a strap, a cable, a hook and loop fastener, and/or a bias cord and clamp However, it will be appreciated that any structure known in the art that is suitable for cinching all or any portion of a foot cover to all or any portion of a shoe may be used As illustrated m Fig. 1, one or more cinching elements 22 may be incorporated into the present footwear cover 10 As illustrated, two cinching elements 22 are

provided in cooperation with the leg portion 14 of the footwear cover 10 and two cinching elements 22 aie provided in cooperation with the foot portion 12 of the footweai covei Additionally oi alternatively, moie oi less cinching elements 22 may be pi ovided in cooperation with either or both poitions of the footweai covei 10 The function of the cinching elements 22 will be described at greater length below

The cinching elements 22 may comprise one or more suitable straps, cables, or ties that cooperate with the upper portion 20 to allow the uppei poition 20 to be ti ansitioned from an open configuration, such as shown in Fig 3, and a closed configuration, such as shown in Fig 1 For example, as shown aiound the leg poition 14 of the footwear covei 10 m Figs 1 3 the cinching elements 22 may include stiaps 24 including conventional hook and loop fastening features 26 configured in any suitable manner to allow the straps to be suitably tightened around the weaier during use of the footwear cover Additionally or alternatively, and as shown in the foot portion 12 of the footwear cover 10 in Figs 1-3, the cinching elements 22 may include one or more bias cords 28, which may be adapted to provide greater or lesser biasing force As illustrated, clamps 30 may be adapted to cooperate with the bias cords 28 to allow the functional length of the bias cords 28 to be shortened to tighten around the wearer's foot The straps 24, the hook and loop fastening features 26, the bias cords 28 and the clamps 30 are representative of the large diversity of cinching elements 22 that may be used or combined to allow the usei to move the uppei portion 20 into a closed configuiation suitable foi weai ing by a user

The uppei poition 20 and the cinching elements 22 aie adapted to allow the footwear cover 10 to be in an open configuration when the cinching elements 22 aie relaxed or disengaged In the open configuration, the leg portion 14 of the footwear covei and the foot portion 12 of the footwear cover may be sufficiently large or sufficiently spacious to allow a user to conveniently and easily slip a foot into the footwear cover Moie specifically, the footwear covei may provide sufficient space for a user to move a shoed foot into the footwear cover when the footwear is in the open configuration The cinching elements 22 may also be adapted to be tightened

around the wearer's leg and the wearer's foot and shoe to position the footwear cover 10 in a closed configuration, such as shown in Fig. 1

The cinching elements 22 may be coupled to the upper portion 20 in a variety of suitable manners For example, the stiaps 24 may be sewn or otherwise coupled to the upper portion 20 at one or more locations, such as at the rear of the leg portion, along the sides of the rear portion, etc Additionally or alternatively, one or more of the cinching elements 22 may have at least a portion thereof integrated with the uppei portion The cinching elements 22 may have a portion integrated with the upper portion in a number of manners For example, the upper portion 20 may include one oi more sleeve elements through which the cinching element may be threaded

Additionally or alternatively, the upper portion 20 may comprise two or more layei s of material and at least a portion of one or more of the cinching elements 22 may be disposed between two of the layers

Figs 1-3 provide exemplary implementations of a cinching element disposed external of the upper portion 20 and of a cmching element at least partially integrated within the upper portion For example, the cinching elements 22 around the leg portion 14 of the footwear cover 10 include straps 24 having hook and loop fastening features 26 thereon. As illustrated best in Fig. 3, one end of the strap (not shown) is coupled to the upper portion and the strap 24 wraps around the leg portion 14 to a free end 32 of the strap 24 The free end 32 is adapted to overlap over the coupled end of the strap and to secure thereto by way of hook and loop fasteners or other suitable fastenci s Variations on the implementation shown in Figs 1 -3 may include a strap that is adapted to pass through a loop on one side of the cover 10 and told back onto itself, a strap that does not completely surround the leg portion but merely extends from one side of the cover to the other side of the cover, and other suitable variations

The cmching elements 22 illustrated in connection with the foot portion 12 are representative of methods of integrating a cmching element 22 with the upper portion 20 As illustrated, a bias cord 28 is disposed between an outer layer of the upper portion and an inner layer of the upper portion The outer layer and the innei layer

may be sewn together along the edges of the bias cord 28 creating a sleeve 34 within which the bias cord 28 is disposed.

As shown m the exemplary embodiment in Fig 2, one or more cinching elements 22 may be configured to extend around some or all of the outsole 18, such as around the arching portion 19, to allow the user to tighten cover 10 to conform to the arching contour of the footwear within

That said, m an exemplary embodiment, a footwear cover may comprise one or more inner cinches adapted between various layers of the upper portion 20, and/or one or more outer cinches adapted for use around a portion of the exterior of the uppei portion 20

Fig 3 further illustrates that the bias cord 28 may be secured at its ends by being stitched to the upper portion, such as at stitchmgs 36, or by being secured to the outsole 18 When the cinching element includes a bias cord 28 as illustrated, the cord 28 may have its ends 38 secured at the lower portion of the upper portion and may have a middle region 40 extending from the upper portion through the outermost layer of the upper portion 20 to allow user adjustment of the bias cord As illustrated, the middle region 40 of the bias cord 28 cooperates with a clamp 30 that allows the user to conveniently pull a portion of the bias cord 28 through the clamp 30 to furthci tighten the upper portion 20 around the user's foot and shoe. While the cinching elements 22 shown in Figs. 1-3 include some element of usei adjustability, suitable cmchmg elements and/or upper portion materials may provide sufficient elasticity to allow the user to expand the footwear cover when putting it on and to contract around the wearer's foot and shoe during use While the cinching elements illustrated are exemplaiy cinching elements foi use with footweai covers according to the present disclosure, any suitable cmchmg element may be used, including conventional laces if desired

As indicated above, the upper portion of the present invention may be made of a single material or of layers of material In some implementations, at least one of the layers may provide improved weather-resistance, such as being substantially watei -proof An exemplary material may include neoprene, which may provide an outer skin to the footwear cover 10 Additionally or alternatively, a neoprene or

other waterproof material may provide a protective layer for the footwear cover 10 and a decorative material may provide an outer layer for the footwear cover. For example, the footwear cover may be made more fashionable by using nylon or another suitable material as an outermost layer that is coupled to the waterproof materials.

The footwear cover of the present invention may be any desired color or decorative pattern. In an exemplary embodiment, the footwear cover may comprise substantially the same color as the footwear located within. In another exemplary embodiment, the footwear cover may be substantially transparent so as to minimize the visibility of the footwear cover and allow the footwear located within to be visible.

Depending on factors such as the types of the cinching elements used and the materials used in the upper portion, the upper portion may be provided with one or more fold points 42 (illustrated in Fig. 3), adapted to allow the upper portion 20 to be configured in both an open configuration and a closed configuration, as discussed above. Suitable fold points 42 may be provided by including stitching or other features along lines that should be folded. Additionally or alternatively, a fold point 42 may be provided by utilizing different materials m the desired fold region. For example, one or more fold points 42 may be provided by incorporating an integrated tongue 44, such as shown schematically in Fig. 3, into the footwear cover 10 that is coupled at its edges to the remainder of the footwear cover 10 but is made of a thinner and more flexible material. In some implementations, the integrated tongue 44 may be able to omit the weatherproofing layer discussed above because the remainder of the footwear cover 10 is designed to completely overlap the tongue 44 For example, the medial side (inside of the foot/leg) of the footwear cover may be adapted to be pulled over the top of the tongue 44 and over the edge of the distal side (outside of the foot/leg) of the footwear cover.

The tongue 44 and/or the fold points 42 may be adapted to extend from the top of the footwear cover 10 to the ankle region or may extend into the foot portion 12. Additionally or alternatively, footwear covers 10 within the scope of the present disclosure may include multiple tongues or fold points configured to cooperate with

each other. Additionally or alternatively, footwear covers 10 may include a tongue that is only coupled along one edge rather than along the side edges as discussed above, such tongues may resemble conventional tongues used in footwear

The upper portion 20 of the footwear covers may include any one or more of the features described above to provide a protective footwear cover that is fashionable and easy to put on over another pan of shoes, which may be flats, dress shoes, high heels, or other shoe configurations. Additionally, it is noted that the upper portion may be designed to provide a storage configuration m addition to the open and closed configurations described above In the storage configuration (not shown), the upper portion 20 may be folded or collapsed to provide a small form factor to the footwear cover for more convenient storage, whether at home when not in use or during an event when it is not convenient to store a full-size boot at the facilities

Additionally, the upper portion 20 may be configured to be folded oi collapsed in one or more predetermined manners to result in predetermined, compact, stoi age configuiation For example, the construction and pattern of the uppei portion 20 may lead to a particular collapsed configuration Additionally or alternatively, the upper portion 20 may be provided with stitching or other structural elements that encourage folding along particular lines and/or in particular orders. In implementations where the footwear cover is adapted to be disposed in a storage configuration, the footwear covers 10 may also be adapted to cooperate with a storage bag when in the storage configuration For example, a storage bag (not shown) may be provided in which the collapsed footwear covers 10 can be disposed during the party to keep the dirt or snow from the footwear cover contained during the party and/or to facilitate storage of the footwear covers The footwear covers 10 may also be adapted to fold or invert withm themselves, forming their own storage bags In this example, the outsoles 18 of the footwear covers 10, and the entire footwear covers 10, may be malleable and collapsible and/or foldable, capable of folding on themselves and/or in conjunction with the remaining exterior portion of the footwear covers such that any dirt or elements on the outside of the footwear

covers does not come into contact with the interior portions of the footweai covers dm ing folding or collapsing

Turning now to the interior of the footwear covers, it should be understood from the foregoing that the upper portion 20 in cooperation with the outsole 18 piovides an innei chambei into which the user inserts a foot and shoe As shown in Fig 3, the inner chamber 46 may have a fixed maximum size and may be reduced in size by the operation of the cinching elements 22 and/or by elasticity that is otheiwise built into the upper portion 20 As described above, the upper portion 20 may include multiple layers of materials and may include different materials in one or moie of the layers In some implementations, it may be desirable to include a soft matenal as the innermost layer forming the inner chamber 46, such as cotton, velvet, neopiene, THINSULATE(TM) insulation by 3M, and/oi leathei Foi example, some users may desire to wear the footwear covers 10 with high heeled shoes and may have their calves exposed to the environment In such uses, the user may prefei to have the innermost layer made of a softer material that will be moie comfortable foi the usei 's skin Additionally or alternatively, some implementations of the footweai coveis may be adapted for use in cold weathei environments and the innermost layei may provide additional insulating properties

In some implementations, footwear covers 10 withm the scope of the piesent disclosuie may include a piotective, soft, non-abiasive, non-colorable matenal as the inneimost layer m the foot portion 12 Such material may serve to maintain its piotective, soft, non-abrasive, non-co lot able characteiistics even in the piesence of water oi other elements which may enter the foot portion 12 Many individuals are concerned about the appearance and finish of their shoes, as evidenced by the continuing shoe polish market and by the demand for designer shoes It is not uncommon for leather shoes or shoes made from other mateiials to become scuffed upon contact with other materials, particularly rough or friction inducing materials Accoi dingly, some implementations of the piesent disclosure may include a fnction- reducmg material, as the innermost layer of the upper portion Additionally or alternatively, the innermost layei of the upper portion may provide a buffing effect on the shoes worn mside the footwear covers For example, the material may be

adapted to buff the shoes to a higher shine while the user is walking in the footwear cover.

The present footwear cover may further comprise an insole. An insole may comprise a structure on which the wearer's foot and shoe rest during use. Because the piesent footwear covers 10 are intended to be worn in cooperation with another article of footwear, the msole 48 may be a substantially flat surface providing no contours for arch support or otherwise (as shown in Fig. 1). The substantially flat msole 48 may enable the footwear covers 10 to be used in cooperation with shoes of different styles and sizes. In accordance with the exemplary embodiment shown in Fig 2, msole 48 may be configured with an arching center portion so as to provide arch support for the user.

In an exemplary embodiment, a portion or the entire msole may be reinforced to prevent the shoe from wearing through the outsole. For example, the heel area of the msole may be reinforced. Such an embodiment may be preferred when, for example, the user is wearing high heels which can create concentrated pressure in one area of the sole

Additionally or alternatively, the insole 48 may be provided with gripping elements (not shown) to help maintain the wearer's foot m a fixed location relative to the footwear cover. Simple ridges, bumps, or patterns of ridges and/or bumps may provide suitable traction so that the user doesn't feel like the user's foot is slipping inside the footwear cover

It w ill be appieciated that the insole may be made of any suitable material For example, the insole may be made of the same material as the outsole, such that the outsole may be formed in a single step molding process. Additionally or alternatively, some implementations may comprise materials different from the outsole, such as a gel material or other material capable of diminishing shock impact.

In accordance with some exemplary embodiments, a footwear cover of the pi esent invention may comprise an inseit poition An inseit portion is any structure that may be removably inserted into a footwear cover to allow the user to customize the fit and/or feel. In some embodiments, an insert portion may further serve to

protect the footwear within and/or allow the user to conveniently remove the insert for cleaning at least a portion of the inner chamber

In accordance with various exemplary embodiments, an insert portion may comprise various customization implements A customization implement is any structure that may be added to or removed from an insert portion to allow a user to customize the fit of the footwear cover For example, a customization implement may comprise a toe stop and/or an auxiliary support portion.

For example, Figs 4-5 illustrate a removable insert 50 comprising a substantially flat top surface 52 and bottom surface 54 and a toe stop 56 In accordance with various exemplary embodiments, top surface 52 and bottom surface 54 may be configured in any suitable manner to suitably cooperate with the contours of the insole For example, the top surface 52 and bottom surface 54 may be substantially flat, as illustrated, for the reasons discussed above with the insole 48, namely because the user's shoe will be providing the customary foot support and the top surface 52 is merely providing a platform on which the inner shoe can rest In othei exemplary embodiments, top surface 52 and bottom surface 54 may compiise an arching configuration, such as when the outsole comprises an arching portion, as illustrated in Fig 2

As illustrated, the top surface 52 may also include gripping elements 58 adapted to provide traction between the outsole of the user's shoe and the top surface of the insert 50 Additionally or alternatively, the top surface 52 may be adapted to provide a cushioned suiface to inciease the comfort of the wearer For example, an insert portion of the present invention may compiise a foam or gel pad to decrease shock impact. Moreover, the customization implements may comprise a gel or other cushioning material to increase comfort

The toe stop of the present invention may be any structure and configuration suitable for providing support for a shoe in the forward portion of the interior compaitment of a foot coveπng As illustrated in Fig 4, the toe stop 56 includes a contoured forward region 60 and a contoured upper portion region 62 along with a planar rear region 64 The uppei portion iegion 62 and the forward region 60 may be configured in a manner to cooperate with the footwear cover m which the insert will

be used. For example, some footwear covers 10 may be designed with pointy toes while others may be designed with rounded toes. Accordingly, the toe stop 56 may be adapted to cooperate with particular footwear covers. Additionally or alternatively, the toe stops 56 may be adapted to enable the inserts 50 to be used in footwear covers 10 of a variety of configurations.

The rear region 64 may be planar as illustrated in Figs. 4-6. However, the rear region 64 may additionally or alternatively be adapted to receive the toes of the user's shoes. For example, the toe stop 56 may be configured with a rear region 64 including a concave recess 75 to cradle or receive the toes of the user's shoes. Additionally or alternatively, the rear region 64 may be provided with a cushioning material to cushion the impacts between the toes of the shoes and the toe stop 64. Similarly, as discussed above, the toe stop 56, including the rear region 64, may be provided with materials that reduce friction between the user's shoes and the toe stop to avoid scuffing the shoes during use and/or to help buff the user's shoes during use. In one exemplary application of the inserts 50, a user may purchase a pair of footwear covers 10 and a set of inserts with each insert having toe stops of different configurations. For example, one insert may have a toe stop adapted to configure the inner chamber 46 to accommodate a shoe with an overall length of one size and another insert may have a toe stop adapted to configure the inner chamber, such as 9 inches, to accommodate a shoe with an overall length of a different size, such as 8 inches. Similarly, one insert may be adapted to receive a shoe having pointed toes while another insert may be adapted to receive a shoe having more rounded toes. As discussed above, an insert of a foot cover of the present invention may comprise an auxiliary support, alone or in combination with another customization implement, such as a toe stop. An auxiliary support may be any structure configured to provide additional support to rearward or side portion of the interior compartment of the footwear covering.

As illustrated in Fig. 6, an insert 50 may include a toe stop 56, which may be substantially similar to the toe stop described above, and may also include an auxiliary support 66 disposed in the rearward portion of the insert 50. The auxiliary support 66 may be configured as a heel support 68 as shown in Fig. 6 or may be

configured to support other aspects of the user's shoe The heel support 68 may be adapted to be disposed in the open space under the footbed of a high heel shoe to piovide support foi the heel of the shoe As such, the heel support 68 may be provided with a planar rear region 70 and a contoured forward region 72, such as may be correspond with conventional high heel shoes. For example, the heel support may raise off of the top surface 52 of the insert a distance equal to conventional heel heights, such as one inch, one and a half inches, or two inches, at the rear of the heel support and may extend forward for some distance at that height to provide support to the foot and shoe before sloping downward The downward slope 74 at the forward region 72 of the heel support may be adapted to follow the slope of a particular high heel shoe or may be a somewhat steep slope so as to not interfeie with a shoe design While a user of the footwear cover 10 may be quite able to walk m high heels under noimal circumstances, a user may wear the footwear covers 10 over ten-am that is more challenging than where the user would normally tread in high heels Accordingly, some users may prefer to utilize an insert that provides additional support to the heel of the shoe.

While the auxiliary support 66 is illustrated as a heel support 68 to cooperate with the arch region of a high heeled shoe, additional or alternative auxiliary supports may be piovided on the inserts 50 For example, an auxiliary support may be adapted to support the rear of the user's heel, which may be used in cooperation with the heel support 68 or alone Similarly, auxiliary supports may be provided in othei regions of the inserts 50, such as to cooperate with the toe stop 56 to position the usei 's shoe within the footwear cover 10.

While Figs 4-6 illustrate several principle elements of a suitable insert, the illustiations are schematic representations of suitable inserts and dimensions and scales shown m Figs 4-6 are not limiting m any way.

In an exemplary embodiment, an insert portion may comprise a sock-like membei (not shown in the Figures). The insert portion may be secured to the footwear cover in one or more locations, such as at the toe for example In such implementations, with ieference to Figs 1-3, the portion of the sock-like member in the iegion of the leg portion 14 may be adapted to contract around the wearer's leg in

a manner similar to a sock to improve the fit of the footwear cover. Additionally or alternatively, one or more of the cinching elements 22 may be adapted to cooperate with the inner layers of the footwear cover 10 to tighten the inner layers around the wearer's foot For example, the cinching elements in the foot portion 12 may be adapted to draw one or more inner layers of the upper portion 20 around a wearer's shoe while keeping the outsole of the footwear cover substantially flat, such as when the user is wearing high heeled shoes.

Footwear covers 10 within the scope of the present disclosure may be configured to cooperate with a variety of shoe styles. For example, a single user may desire to buy one pair of footwear covers 10 to be worn on a variety of occasions and with a variety of the user's shoes. Even if all of the user's shoes are the same size, such as size 8 shoes, it is possible and even likely that at least one of the user's pairs of shoes will be of a different overall length compared to the other pairs. Accordingly, some implementations of the footwear covers may be sized to fit a range of external shoe dimensions rather than a particular foot size. For example, a medium-size footwear cover 10 may be configured to accommodate shoes generally ranging from size 8 to size 10 Additionally or alternatively, the footwear covers 10 may be sold in sizes that are more finely tuned to the wearer's feet. In such configurations, providing a traction surface on the msole 48 further helps reduce the possibility of the user's shoe slipping inside the footwear cover.

As discussed above, the footwear covers 10 of the present disclosure may be configured to accommodate a variety of shoe styles and/or sizes. While the traction provided by the gripping elements of the insole may be sufficient to reduce slippage inside the footwear cover, one or more inserts 50 may also be provided to allow useis to customize the inner chamber 46 of the footwear covers.

Moreover, inserts 50 of various configurations may be sold individually or in collections

Additionally or alternatively, inseits 50 may configured to provide one oi more customization options in a single insert. For example, one or more of the customization implements of the insert 50 shown in Figs. 4-6 may be removable. Continuing with the example, the inserts 50 may be provided with one or more

attachment means, such as adhesives, hook and loop fasteners such as Velcro* ¹ , available fiom Velcro, Inc in Manchestei, New Hampshiie, and vaπous othei coupling features, to which a customization implement such as an auxiliary support 66 and/or a toe stop 56 may be coupled. It is understood that a coupling feature of the present invention may be any conventional or hereinafter devised structure capable of creating a tempoiary bond between the insert and a customization implement In such a configuration, the usei may be able to selectively attach or detach the customization implement, such as auxiliary support 66, depending on the type of shoe to be worn and/or the conditions under which the footwear cover 10 will be used Additionally or alternatively, a plurality of attachment means may be provided to the insert so that the auxiliary support 66 may be coupled to the insert 50 at a customizable location relative to the toe stop 56, thereby allowing the user to customize the fit of the auxiliary support to the shoe to be worn The inserts 50 may be customizable in other suitable ways to allow the user to fit the inseit to the shoe In one exemplary application of a customizable insert, the user may select the shoe to be worn and may have an insert 50 to place up against the shoe. The toe stops 56 and auxiliary supports 66 may be positioned on the insert m the presence of the shoe to improve the fit of the insert to the shoe The insert may then be placed into the footwear cover 10 and the user may place the shoe on the user's foot The usei may then place the usei's foot and shoe into the footwear covci 10 knowing that the insert has been customized to fit the shoes selected

As such, an exemplary method of the present invention may comprise the steps of (1 ) providing a footwear cover, and (2) providing an insert for insertion into the innei chamber of the footwear cover that has one or more customization implements Additionally, a plurality of inserts having diffeient configurations of customizing inseits may be provided for use with different articles of footwear

As described above, inserts 50 may be sold or provided in sets to allow the usei to customize the footwear covers 10 for use with a variety of footwear configurations For example, a set may include vaπous combinations of inserts for use with high-heels, inserts for medium-heels, and inserts foi flat shoes Moreover, inserts 50 may be adapted to be compatible for use with a particular brand of shoes

It is believed that the disclosure set forth above encompasses multiple distinct inventions with independent utility While each of these inventions has been disclosed in its preferred form, the specific embodiments thereof as disclosed and illustrated herein are not to be considered in a limiting sense as numerous variations are possible The subject matter of the inventions includes all novel and non-obvious combinations and sub-combinations of the various elements, features, functions and/or properties disclosed herein. The principles of the present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its structures, methods, or other essential characteristics as broadly described herein The described embodiments aie to be considered m all respects only as illustrative, and not restrictive The scope of the disclosure is, therefore, not limited by the foregoing description and all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the foregoing description are to be embraced within its scope. Similarly, where the desci iption iecites "a" oi "a first" element or the equivalent thereof, such description should be understood to include incorporation of one or more such elements, neithei lequiπng nor excluding two or more such elements

Applicant reserves the right to submit claims directed to certain combinations and sub-combmations that are directed to one of the disclosed inventions and are believed to be novel and non-obvious Inventions embodied in other combinations and sub-combinations of features, functions, elements and/or pioperties may be claimed through amendment of those claims or presentation of new claims in that or a i elated application. Such amended or new claims, whether they are directed to a different invention or directed to the same invention, whether different, broader, narrower or equal in scope to the original claims, are also regarded as included within the subject matter of the inventions of the present disclosure