Abstract:
Disclosed herein is an article of footwear, more typically characterized as a boot, having a handgun holster permanently attached to its extended upper portion. The holster and handgun are easily concealed beneath a pant leg extending over the outer extended upper portion of the boot, and the handgun is easily accessible when needed. The holster is indirectly yet permanently attached to the extended upper portion of the boot in a manner that permits normal flexing of the boot while the wearer engages in all routine physical activities.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The invention described herein relates to a boot and holster assembly for the containment and transport of a concealed handgun and wherein the holster is indirectly yet permanently attached to the extended upper portion of a boot or, more generally, an article of footwear. The boot and holster assembly is intended to feature a relatively small holster designed to facilitate the concealed-carry of a relatively small handgun. The holster is positioned and indirectly, yet permanently, affixed to the outer side of the extended upper portion of a boot and concealed by the pantleg of the wearer. As positioned, a holstered handgun is readily accessible when needed, but otherwise concealed. 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
       [0002]    The published patent application of Zubyk, Pub. No. US 2011/0225849, dated Sep. 22, 2011, describes a pocket system for a boot, wherein the leg portion of the boot provides an interior space between the leg portion of the boot and the leg of the wearer of the boot. The pocket system is constructed and arranged for the insertion and removal of a PDA (cell phone) which provides for its safe keeping. 
         [0003]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,245,767, which issued Sep. 21, 1993 to Morin, describes a below-the-knee rubber boot having a pocket piece made of vinyl or rubber attached to the outside surface of the boot. The pocket piece is provided for keeping a “float tool” handy for use by a concrete finisher wearing the boot. The pocket is preferably open at the top so that it is readily available for tool storage and access, and open at the bottom so that any concrete loosely adhering to the tool can be allowed to drip off and away from the boot. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The boot and holster assembly described herein is an article of footwear, typically a boot, comprising a heel, upper portion, vamp, toe, and an extended upper portion having inner and outer sides with a plurality of generally vertical seams. The extended upper portion provides an area of attachment for a holster assembly for the concealment and transport of a handgun, and the holster assembly comprises a planar backing material and a holster. 
         [0005]    The planar backing material generally has a somewhat rectangular shape and is permanently attached to the extended upper portion of the boot. The holster is sized to accommodate a handgun and is permanently attached to the planar backing material and positioned on the outer side of the extended upper portion of the boot. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is an outer side perspective view of the boot and holster assembly described herein. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a frontal perspective view of the boot and holster assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a rear perspective view of the boot and holster assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is an isolated section view of the holster assembly taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 . The extended upper portion of the boot is not shown for the purpose of clarity. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is an outer side view of a second embodiment of the boot and holster assembly described herein. 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is identical to  FIG. 5  but with a handgun, drawn in phantom, securely holstered. 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is an outer side perspective view of the boot and holster assembly of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 8  is a rear perspective view of the boot and holster assembly of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 9  is an inner side perspective view of the boot and holster assembly of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0015]    And,  FIG. 10  is an isolated section view of the holster assembly taken along line  10 - 10  of  FIG. 8 . The extended upper portion of the boot is not shown for the purpose of clarity. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0016]    A preferred embodiment of the disclosed boot and holster assembly  10  is depicted in  FIG. 1 . The boot portion  12  of the assembly comprises a heel  5 , a vamp  7 , an upper portion  8 , and a toe  6 . And, extending above those elements of the boot is an extended upper portion  9 , having inner  22  and outer  23  sides (see  FIG. 3 ). 
         [0017]    Positioned on the outer  23  extended upper portion of the boot  9 , is a holster assembly  15 , comprising a holster  16  and a planar backing material  17 . The holster is directly attached to a planar backing material, which is, in turn, directly attached to the extended upper portion of the boot. The planar backing material is generally rectangular and is permanently attached to the extended upper portion of the boot during the boot manufacturing process. In the current attachment method, the lateral edges “a” and “b” of the generally rectangularly shaped backing material are attached to the extended upper portion of the boot by stitching vertical seams such as  31  and  32 . 
         [0018]    For example, in  FIG. 2 , lateral edge “b” of the backing material  17  is attached and secured to the extended upper portion of the boot along seam  32 , which is integral and essential to attaching the row of eyelets  30  to the boot. And, referring again to FIG.  3 , lateral edge “a” of backing material  17  is attached and secured to the extended upper portion of the boot along vertical back seam  31 , which is integral and an essential means for joining the inner  22  and outer  23  extended upper portions  9  of the boot. Note that edges “a” and “b” are the only points of attaching the planar backing material to the upper portion of the boot. Attaching the backing material  17  to the upper portion  9  of the boot  12  only along edges “a” and “b” provides a desired amount of stretch and flexibility between the backing material and the boot which results in a more comfortable “fit and feel.” 
         [0019]    As stated, supra, the holster  16  is attached directly to the backing material  17 . The holster, which is typically purchased for the assembly  10 ,  15 , is preferably and conveniently attached to the backing material prior to attaching the backing material to the boot. Referring to  FIG. 4 , an isolated view of a section of the holster assembly  15  taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 , the holster assembly is currently constructed by attaching the holster  16  to the backing material  17  by stitching within or along two holster-stitching zones: Stitching zone  36  near the rear perimeter of the holster provides a hinge-like attachment for the holster to the backing material, and stitching zone  37  secures the forward holster portion and stabilizes holster placement. The location of stitching zone  37  can vary somewhat. Placing stitching zone  37  farther from stitching zone  36  will reduce blousing in the holster. A certain amount of blousing in the holster is essential for proper fit, so the precise positioning of stitching is preferably determined empirically. 
         [0020]    A different boot style is depicted in  FIG. 5 , but the boot and holster assembly  10  remains essentially the same. As depicted in  FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 , the backing material  17  is again attached to the extended upper portion  9  of the boot  12 . In this embodiment, as per  FIG. 7 , edge “b” of the backing material is attached to the boot by utilizing the stitching of outer side seam  26 ; and from  FIG. 9 , it is apparent that edge “a” of the backing material  17  is attached to the boot utilizing the stitching of inner side seam  27 . And, to reiterate, the backing material is only attached to the extended upper portion of the boot along its lateral edges “a” and “b.” No other attachment of the backing material is encouraged or desired. 
         [0021]    And, as with the laced embodiment of the boot depicted in  FIGS. 1-3 , the holster of the lace-less embodiment of  FIGS. 5-9  is attached to the backing material  17  preferably by stitching zone  36  near the perimeter of the holster and stitching zone  37  more medially, as depicted in  FIG. 10 . Again, the precise positioning of stitching zone  37  is empirically determined by the amount of holster stability and blousing desired. 
         [0022]    Optionally, there is a handgun retaining means  18 , which is designed and intended to assist in retaining a handgun, within the confines of the holster. Conventional varieties of retaining means  18  are gratuitously depicted in  FIGS. 1 and 5 . The retaining means is not novel and can be fashioned from any of a variety of materials and feature any of several mechanisms, including hook and loop or button snaps, to enable the retaining means to retain the handgun in the holster. 
         [0023]    The disclosed holster assembly and boot may be constructed or fabricated from an almost limitless variety of materials including, of course, leather, rubber or woven or nonwoven fabric materials derived from natural and/or synthetic fibers. The holster assembly comprising the holster and planar backing material can be fabricated from the same, similar or different materials. And the boot or article of footwear can also be constructed of materials similar to or different from the holster assembly. 
         [0024]    The holster is typically sourced from commercially feasible suppliers. It is sized to be appropriate for easily concealed handguns. It is paired with the boot during construction of the boot and attached to the boot via the planar backing material, preferably by stitching along predetermined seamlines, as described, supra. 
         [0025]    While the foregoing is a detailed and complete description of the preferred embodiments of the disclosed boot and holster assembly, it should be apparent that numerous variations and modifications can be made and employed to implement the overall purpose of the disclosed boot and holster assembly without deviating or departing from the spirit of the invention, which is fairly defined by the appended claims.