Abstract:
A cleat protector shoe cover. The cleat protector shoe cover has an upper portion formed of either engagements or an elastic material and having a shoe opening formed in a top thereof. The cleat protector shoe cover is stretchable and engages with a cleated shoe to prevent the cleats from being damaged or damaging a floor surface by providing seating areas.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/694,582, filed on Jun. 27, 2005. 
    
    
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to the field of footwear, and more particularly to a shoe cover that protects cleats or spikes on footwear when not used on grassy or soft ground surfaces, as well as protecting floor surfaces from being damaged by the cleats. 
     In a variety of sports such as track and field, baseball, football, soccer, rugby, lacrosse and golf, to name a few, shoes are provided with cleats or spikes extending downwardly from the bottom of the soles. Cleats or spikes were previously made of metal, but now are more commonly made of hard plastic. These cleats or spikes provide the user with additional traction on sport fields and tracks. However, the cleats can be damaged by walking on abrasive and hard surfaces such as sidewalks and streets. Moreover, the cleats can damage more delicate floor surfaces such as wood floors and interior carpeting. 
     Accordingly, players commonly bring their sports shoes with cleats or spikes, along with a pair of walking shoes without cleats that the player can wear when not using the shoes with cleats. However, sometimes players forget to bring cleatless or spikeless shoes or do not to remove their shoes with cleats after use on the field and thus the cleats either wear excessively fast, or the ground surface, such as the carpet of a car or the floor of a building becomes dirty or scraped. 
     It would accordingly be useful to have a cleat protector shoe cover that protects both the cleats or spikes on the cleated or spiked shoes and protects the floor, and does so in an economical, comfortable and functional manner. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a bottom left view of an exemplary cleated shoe. 
         FIG. 2  is a top perspective exploded view of one exemplary cleat protector shoe cover of the invention with its cleat conforming pads removed from the base portion of the cleat protector shoe cover and with its retention straps disengaged from each other. 
         FIG. 3  is a lower right side of the protector footwear of the invention in its open position with its retention straps disengaged from each other. 
         FIG. 4  is a top perspective of the exemplary cleated shoe of  FIG. 1  positioned above the exemplary cleat protector shoe cover of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a partial cross-sectional view showing how the cleats extending from the sole on the front part of a cleated shoe engage with the cleat conforming pads of the cleat protector shoe cover. 
         FIG. 6  is a front top perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of a cleat protector shoe cover. 
         FIG. 7  is front bottom perspective view of the exemplary cleat protector shoe cover of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is a side view of the cleat protector shoe cover of  FIG. 6  used with a cleated shoe. 
         FIG. 9  is a front view of the cleat protector shoe cover of  FIG. 6  used with a cleated shoe. 
         FIG. 10  is a top front perspective view of a further embodiment of the cleat protector shoe cover of the invention. 
         FIG. 11  is a side perspective view of yet a further embodiment of a size adjustable cleat protector shoe cover of the invention. 
         FIG. 12  is a detail showing a shell and outer sole of the size adjustable cleat protector shoe cover of  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 13  is a bottom view of the size adjustable cleat protector shoe cover of  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 14  is a side perspective view of the size adjustable cleat protector shoe cover of  FIG. 11  shown with a cleat shoe inserted therein. 
         FIG. 15  is a top perspective view of another embodiment of a cleat protector shoe cover. 
         FIG. 16  is a bottom plan view of the cleat protector shoe cover of  FIG. 15 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  is a bottom left view of an exemplary cleated shoe  10 . It has an upper  12  with a sole  14  attached to a lower side thereof. The sole  14  has a ball portion  16 , a mid-portion  18  in the vicinity of the arch, and a heel portion  20 . Cleats  22  extend downwardly from the bottom of the sole in the ball portion  16  and cleats  24  extend downwardly from the bottom sole in the heel portion  20 . Typically, the cleats  22  and  24  will not extend into the arch area  18  of the shoe. The cleats  22  and  24  can be made of metal, plastic, hard rubber, or any other desired materials and may be detachably attached to the sole  14 . The exemplary cleated shoe  10  shown is for illustrative purposes only and other cleated shoes can be used as well. Moreover, uses of the term “cleats” is meant to encompass any protrusion extending downwardly from shoes that is meant to provide better stability and grip such as cleats, spikes and knobs. 
       FIG. 2  is a top perspective view of an exemplary cleat protector shoe cover  30  of the invention. It has a sole  32  with a heel area  34 , an arch area  36  and a ball area  38 . The heel area  34  and the ball area  38  can have recesses  40  and  42 , respectively, formed in an upper part therein. Elastomeric cleat conforming pads  44  and  46  are located and preferably are permanently attached within the recesses  40  and  42 , respectively. In the alternative, the sole can be formed together with elastomeric cleat conforming pads  44  and  46  integrally formed therein, such as by molding the material of the elastomeric cleat conforming pads  44  and  46  with other parts of the sole. The arch area  36  can preferably have an upper surface that sits higher than the recesses  40  and  42  and can be formed of a stiffer material than the elastomeric cleat conforming pads  44  and  46 . Thus, when the elastomeric pads  44  and  46 , respectively, are located and preferably permanently attached in the recesses  40  and  42 , the top of the arch area  36  and the top of the elastomeric cleat conforming pads  44  and  46  are about level, thus providing a relatively flat surface. Around the perimeter of the front recess  42 , a rim  43  of more resilient material than the elastomeric cleat conforming pad  46 , e.g., an extension from the sole  32 , can be provided to retain the elastomeric cleat conforming pad  46 . Around the heel recess  40 , a rim  41  of the more resilient material than the elastomeric pads  46 , e.g., an extension from the sole  32 , may be provided to retain the pad of elastomeric material  44 . Alternately, the heel area  34  and the ball area  38  need not contain any recesses, in which case the elastomeric pads  44  and  46  may be placed directly on the upper part of the sole. In the heel area  34 , a heel engaging structure  50  is provided. In lieu of having two separate pads, if desired, the substantially the entire upper surface can include a pad, even the arch area  36 . The heel engaging structure  50  can comprise a section of material that extends upwardly and around the back of the sole portion and can act to capture the back of the heel cup of a shoe placed therein. The material is preferably soft and resilient, such as plastic, leather, vinyl, or some other material, such that when the shoe is placed in place, it captures the heel of a shoe placed therein. In order to provide for a better fit, a cut-away section  52  may be included at a lower portion of the heel engaging structure. Extending from the ball or front region of the sole in the area of the front recess  38  are engagement such as retention straps  60  and  62 . The retention straps  60  and  62  are shown in their opened and unengaged mode. The retention straps  60  and  62  have detachable attachment elements, such as hook and loop material  64  and  66  (as shown in  FIG. 3 ), respectively, snaps (not shown), adjustment buckles (not shown) and other known structure on each strap so that when in use the two retention straps  60  and  62  can be brought together and secured around a user&#39;s cleated shoe (not shown.) Since the ability to quickly put on and take off the cleat protector shoe cover  30  is desirable, detachably attachable retention straps  60  and  62  are useful. However, in lieu of providing a pair of opposed straps, a single, elastic retention strap that extends across the ball portion of a shoe cover can be provided, to which the user can slide into. Such an embodiment, not including a heel engaging structure, is shown and described further below with reference to  FIG. 10 . 
       FIG. 3  is a lower right side view of the exemplary cleat protector shoe cover  30  of the invention with its retention straps  60  and  62  unengaged from each other and in their open position, showing the hook and loop material  64  and  66 , respectively. The heel engaging structure  50  and the sole  32  with heel area  34 , arch area  36  and ball area  38  are shown. 
       FIG. 4  is a top perspective view of the exemplary cleated shoe  10  of  FIG. 1  positioned above the exemplary cleat protector shoe cover  30  with the retention straps  60  and  62  being released to permit the shoe  10  to be inserted and removed. In this view, the elastomeric pads  44  and  46  are shown located in their respective recesses  40  and  42  and other features of the cleated shoe  10  and cleat protector shoe cover  30  are shown. 
       FIG. 5  is a partial cross-sectional view showing how the cleats  22  extending from the sole  14  on the front part of a cleated shoe  10  with its upper  12 , will compress into and conform to the elastomeric cleat forming pad  46  of cleat protector shoe cover  30 , and how the arch area  36  need not be formed of soft elastomeric material, and can be formed of different material if desired, such as a harder plastic or rubber, and can act to support the arch area  18  of the cleated shoe. In this figure the engagement straps are removed for clarity of presentation. The fit of the elastomeric pad  46  is shown located in its recess  42 . 
       FIG. 6  is a front top perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of a cleat protector shoe cover  70 . It has a preferably soft and elastomeric upper layer  72 , side edges  74 , a relatively rigid sole portion  76  below the relatively soft and elastomeric upper layer  72 , a heel engaging structure  78 , and retention straps  80  and  82  which are preferably detachably attachable together by conventional means. Unlike the embodiment of  FIGS. 2-5 , if desired, the soft and elastomeric upper layer  72  may extend continuously over the entire upper surface of the cleat protector shoe cover  70  without interruptions in the arch areas. The upper layer  72  may have a textured upper surface to better capture the cleats of a shoe. Also, if desired, the upper layer  72  can be made material that is not particular soft and elastomeric so that the cleats do not sink in very much. The heel engaging structure  78  can comprise a section of material (e.g., in a strap-like manner) that extends upwardly and around the back of the sole portion and can act to capture the back of the heel cup of a shoe placed therein. The material is preferably soft and resilient, such as plastic, leather, vinyl, or some other material, such that when the shoe is placed in place, it captures the heel of a shoe placed therein. Engagements such as retention straps  80  and  82  extend from the ball or front region of the sole. The retention straps  80  and  82  are shown in their opened and unengaged mode. The retention straps  80  and  82  have detachable attachment elements, such as hook and loop material, snaps, adjustment buckles and other known structure on each strap so that when in use the two retention straps  80  and  82  can be brought together and secured around a user&#39;s cleated shoe (not shown.) Since the ability to quickly put on and take off the cleat protector shoe cover  70  is desirable, detachably attachable retention straps  80  and  82  are useful. However, in lieu of providing a pair of opposed straps, a single, elastic retention strap that extends across the ball portion of a shoe cover can be provided, to which the user can slide into. 
       FIG. 7  is front bottom perspective view of the exemplary cleat protector shoe cover  70  of  FIG. 6 . The sole portion  76  is shown, as are the heel engaging structure  78  and the retention straps  80  and  82 . 
       FIGS. 8 and 9  are a side view and front view, respectively, of the cleat protector shoe cover  70  of  FIG. 6  used with a cleated shoe  90  with cleats  92  and  94  extending  74 . As can be seen, the heel engaging structure  78  captures the heel  96  of the shoe  70  placed therein and the retention straps  80  and  82  capture the front region  98  of the shoe  70 . 
       FIG. 10  is a top front perspective view of a further embodiment of the cleat protector shoe cover  100  of the invention. It has a sole  102  with a heel area  104 , an arch (mid shoe) area  106 , and a ball area  108 . Recesses  110  and  112  for formed in the heel area  104  and the ball area  108  into which are elastomeric cleat conforming pads  114  and  116  are located and preferably are permanently attached within the recesses  110  and  112 , respectively. In the alternative, the sole can be formed together with elastomeric cleat conforming pads  114  and  116  integrally formed therein, such as by molding the material of the elastomeric cleat conforming pads  114  and  116  with other parts of the sole  102 . In the alternative, rather than including elastomeric cleat conforming material just in the heel and ball areas of the upper part of the sole, this elastomeric material can be included even in the arch area. The cleat protector shoe cover  100  has an engagement such as a retention strap  118 . The retention strap is preferably formed of resilient material to permit a user to slip his or her cleated shoe therein. While a single retention strap is shown, two straps that detachably attachable together, such as shown  FIGS. 2-4 , can be used. 
       FIG. 11  is a side perspective view of yet a further embodiment of a size adjustable cleat protector shoe cover  130  of the invention. It has an upper portion  132  formed of elastic material, including elastomeric materials, rubber, silicone, neoprene, elasticized fabrics, and the like that is flexible and resilient. The upper portion  132  has a shoe opening  134  into which a person&#39;s foot wearing a cleated (or other) shoe can be inserted (not shown.) A ball area sole portion  136  and a heel area sole portion  138  are attached to underside areas of the upper portion  132 . The ball area sole portion  136  and the heel area sole portion  138  may, if desired, have an upper surface material  140  that has different qualities than a lower material  142 . For example, the upper surface material  140  may be stiffer and resilient to cleat penetration, whereas the lower material  142  can be softer and more flexible. The ball area sole portion  136  and the heel area sole portion  138  can be attached to the upper portion  132  by adhesive, sonic welding, stitching, and/or other mechanical methods, or by any other method. Alternatively, the upper portion  132  can be molded integrally together with the ball area sole portion  136  and/or the heel area sole portion  138 , or the upper portion  132  is molded of the same material as the ball area sole portion  136  and/or the heel area sole portion  138 . The upper portion  132  will preferably have a front portion  144  that is adapted to retain the front of a shoe and a rear portion  146  that is adapted to engage with a rear portion of the shoe. As noted above, the upper portion  132  is formed of elastic material, including elastomeric materials, rubber, silicone, neoprene, elasticized fabrics, and the like that is flexible and resilient, and is designed to fit around a wide variety of different shoes and engage the shoe with the ball area sole portion  136  and the heel area sole portion  138 . Between the ball area sole portion  136  and the heel area sole portion  138  there is an intermediate area  148  which is unattached to other areas and which, due to its flexible nature, permits elongation of the size adjustable cleat protector shoe cover  130  to permit a single shoe cover to fit to a wide variety of shoe styles and sizes. Thus, rather that requiring that a cleat protector shoe cover be provided in discrete sizes that match to a particular shoe size (e.g., 11 D), the flexible nature of the size adjustable cleat protector shoe cover  130  permits great size and style adaptability to a variety of shoe styles and sizes. 
       FIG. 12  is a detail showing the upper portion  132  and the ball area sole portion  136  of the size adjustable cleat protector shoe cover  130  of  FIG. 11 . An upper surface material  140  and the lower material  142  of the ball area sole portion  136  are shown, as well as the intermediate area  148  which is unattached to other areas. An underside region  150  of the upper portion  132  is attached to the upper surface material  140 . As shown by double ended arrowed lines h, w and l, the height h and width w of the size adjustable cleat protector shoe cover  130  is adjustable at all points of the shoe cover and the length l of the shoe cover is stretchable in the intermediate area  148 . 
       FIG. 13  is a bottom view of the size adjustable cleat protector shoe cover  130  of  FIG. 11 , and shows the bottom of the intermediate regions  148  and the bottom of the ball area sole portion  136  and the heel area sole portion  138 . 
       FIG. 14  is a side perspective view of the size adjustable cleat protector shoe cover  130  of  FIG. 11  shown with a cleated shoe  160  (in phantom) inserted therein. As shown, the front portion  162  of the cleated shoe will be held by the front portion  144  and a heel portion  164  of the cleated shoe  160  fits in the rear portion  146 . Other parts of the size adjustable cleat protector shoe cover  130  are as shown in  FIG. 11 . 
       FIG. 15  is a side perspective view of yet another size adjustable cleat protector shoe cover  170 , wherein an upper flexible portion  172  is integrally formed together with a ball area sole portion  174  and the heel area sole portion  176 . The upper flexible portion  172  can have openings  180  formed therebetween. The openings  180  can function to permit greater stretchability of the upper flexible portion  172 . The ball area sole portion  174  and the heel area sole portion  176  are thicker than the joined sections  178  and therefore can be less stretchable. While the size adjustable cleat protector shoe cover  170  can be formed of a single material, it is also possible and preferable to form at least portions of the ball area sole portion  174  and the heel area sole portion  176  (e.g., their bottoms) of harder and less flexible material for greater durability. This can be done by conventional molding techniques. An intermediate portion  182  of the cleat protector shoe cover  170  will preferably be stretchable to permit a good fit to a variety of cleated shoe sizes and styles, and an opening  184  can preferably be located in the vicinity of the intermediate portion to aid stretchability. A heel pull tab  186  can be provided to assist in donning and removing the cleat protector shoe cover  170 . 
       FIG. 16  is a bottom view of the size adjustable cleat protector shoe cover  170 , and shows the ball area sole portion  174  and the heel area sole portion  176  and the arch area  182 . Contours and/or protrusions  188  can be extend from a bottom  186  of the ball area sole portion  174  and similarly contours and/or protrusions  190  can be extend from a bottom  192  of the heel area sole portion  176 . 
     Thus, the cleat protector shoe covers  30 ,  70 ,  100 ,  130 , and  170  will provide an effective and easy to use cover that allows a cleated shoe user to easily put them on and take them off. While it is preferably that the cleat protector shoe covers  30 ,  70 ,  100 ,  130 , and  170  be size adjustable, it is not absolutely required, and they can be made in a greater variety of sizes and shapes to closely conform to a given shoe style and size. Also, while the cleat protector shoe covers  30 ,  70 ,  100 ,  130 , and  170  are particularly well suited to cleated shoes, they can be used even with non-cleated shoes, such as when a person wishes to wear his or he shoes indoor but protect flooring from tracked in dirt, etc. 
     Having thus described exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the above disclosures are exemplary only and that various other alternatives, adaptations and modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention. The presently disclosed embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.