"Soccer shoe cover".

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DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a soccer shoe cover. It is known that soccer players use leather shoes on the sole of which studs are inserted, whose function is to penetrate into the ground, thus improving grip on the ground. The studs are of various and variable shape, dimensions, number and arrangement, according to the player's preferences and technical needs. Furthermore, it is known that in soccer, the shoes come into direct contact with the ball, affecting kicks, passes and tackling in the same way as the players' actions.

Nowadays, some manufactures tend to use materials which make such balls smoother and more slippery than in the past; the balls are slippery and tend to take trajectories not intentionally determined by the players.

Therefore, the need to make the surface of the shoes adapted to better adhere to the ball upon contact is felt.

It is object of the present invention to make a device which solves the aforesaid problem. A further object of the present invention is to allow a player to avail of various surface solutions, some adapted to kicking, others to passing and controlling the ball, according to the techniques that the player uses.

According to the invention, such object is reached by a soccer shoe cover, characterised in that it is mainly made of elastic material suitable for covering said soccer shoe, it has appropriate openings capable of allowing the application onto said shoe and it comprises rubbery material parts adherent in external position and shaped so as to improve the contact with a ball.

Such invention allows the use of various types of cover for the same type of shoe, thus increasing the possibilities of making changes, possibly

also during the match itself.

These and other features of the present invention will be further apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof, shown by way of non- limitative example in the accompanying drawings, in which: figure 1 shows a side view of a cover according to the invention; figure 2 is a top view of the cover in figure 1; figure 3 is a bottom view of the cover in figure 1; figure 4 shows a view of a part of cover highlighting the layering thereof.

A cover 2 according to the invention is shown in figures 1-3. The material by which it is formed is rubber or latex, which is a natural rubbery material which presents an elasticity which allows to putting cover 2 on and take it off from the shoe in a natural manner, so that the contact surface integrally adhere. The overall thickness of cover 2 is 5 millimetres. Cover 2 has an opening 1 in which both the shoe and the foot are put.

Figure 2 shows that cover 2 externally comprises protruding parts of rubbery material adherent in external position and shaped so as to improve the contact with a ball. Said parts are grouped into predetermined regions, e.g.: fish-scale regions 3, 4; regions 5, 6, 7, 8 with concentric circle rubber protrusions filled with acrylic or acetic silicone; regions 9, 10 with transversal line rubber protrusions filled with acrylic or acetic silicone; regions 11, 12 with longitudinal line rubber protrusions filled with silicone (in other constructions, such longitudinal lines may be filled with acrylic or acetic silicone); an acetic silicone region 13 (in other constructions, said region 13 may be formed by acrylic silicone).

The configuration and the arrangement of the aforesaid protruding parts are designed so as to facilitate the contact with the ball according to the player's preferences and needs and may vary according to the player's role and technical skills. As explanation, the aforesaid regions take part in the following actions: regions 8, 12, 3, 6 take part in the contact with the ball for outside kicks and passes, according to various sizes; regions 4, 5, 7, 11 take part in inside kicks or passes, with increased ball control and facilitated ball stops; - regions 7, 8, 9 take part in backheel kicks or passes; regions 3, 4, 5, 6 take part in instep drive kicks or passes; region 10 takes part in toe kicks.

Figure 3 shows the zone of cover 2 which is placed about the shoe sole. There may be side holes adapted to allow foot transpiration.

The part of cover 2 which covers the sole is covered by an acrylic silicone surface 14, approximately 4 millimetres thick. Said surface 14 has openings 15 which allow to insert the shoe studs. Edges 16 of rubber openings 15, 3 millimetres thick, are provided. It is noted that the various stud geometries of the various soccer shoes require the need to manufacture various covers for various shoe models.

It must be considered that not all shoes have either the same studs, nor the same stud geometry; some shoes, for example for playing indoors, are entirely free thereof. Different covers for different shoes are thus required. Rubber or latex pulling bands 17 are positioned under sole 14; they are adapted to adhere to surface 14, clasping and withholding cover 2 about the shoe.

At the end of the insertion procedure, cover 2 and shoe are integral, as a single part; it is however possible to put cover 2 on and back or to put another one on, unlimited number of times.

As shown in figure 4, cover 2 consists of a layering which includes: an internal nylon sock 21 on the inside, on the side of the shoe which adheres onto surface 20 when cover 2 is applied; outside sock 21, there is a rubber (or silicone material) cover 22, which forms the proper structure of cover 2; outside cover 22, there is an external nylon sock 23; - outside sock 23, there are the aforementioned protruding parts; figure 4 shows the protruding parts related to region 3. A constructive procedure for a cover according to the invention may comprise the following two machining steps: a first step consisting in the application of silicone, or acetic, or acrylic resin etc., to said first nylon sock 21; a second step consisting in the insertion of said second nylon sock 23 in said silicone, or acetic, or acrylic etc., resin. When the silicone is cold, the edges of the patterns related to regions

3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 of the cover are hot-sculpted; subsequently, when the latex or rubber has cooled down, the edges are filled with silicone and latex materials to form the definitive patterns.