A shoe anti-slip attachment for attachment to the sole of a shoe to prevent a wearer from slipping on a surface the user is traversing. The shoe anti-slip attachment includes a plurality of flexible traction strips each having a pair of opposite surfaces, and an outer periphery. Each of the traction strips has an adhesive on a first of the faces of the respective traction strip. The traction strips each have a roughened surface on a second of the faces of the respective traction strip to frictionally enhance contact between the second face of each traction strip and a surface in contact with the second face of the respective traction strip.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to shoe anti-slip attachments and more 
particularly pertains to a new shoe anti-slip attachment for attachment to 
the sole of a shoe to prevent a wearer from slipping on a surface the user 
is traversing. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
The use of shoe anti-slip attachments is known in the prior art. More 
specifically, shoe anti-slip attachments heretofore devised and utilized 
are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious 
structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs 
encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the 
fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. 
Known prior art includes U. S. Pat. No. 4,160,331 by Bell; U.S. Pat. No. 
5,259,125 by Gromes; U.S. Pat. No. 2,640,283 by McCord; U.S. Pat. No. 
2,142,242 by Greenbaum; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 299,285 by Watson; and U.S. 
Pat. No. 4,558,542 by Marton. 
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and 
requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new shoe 
anti-slip attachment. The inventive device includes a plurality of 
flexible traction strips each having a pair of opposite surfaces, and an 
outer periphery. Each of the traction strips has an adhesive on a first of 
the faces of the respective traction strip. The traction strips each have 
a roughened surface on a second of the faces of the respective traction 
strip to frictionally enhance contact between the second face of each 
traction strip and a surface in contact with the second face of the 
respective traction strip. 
In these respects, the shoe anti-slip attachment according to the present 
invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs 
of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily 
developed for the purpose of attachment to the sole of a shoe to prevent a 
wearer from slipping on a surface the user is traversing. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of shoe 
anti-slip attachments now present in the prior art, the present invention 
provides a new shoe anti-slip attachment construction wherein the same can 
be utilized for attachment to the sole of a shoe to prevent a wearer from 
slipping on a surface the user is traversing. 
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described 
subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new shoe anti-slip 
attachment apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the 
shoe anti-slip attachments mentioned heretofore and many novel features 
that result in a new shoe anti-slip attachment which is not anticipated, 
rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art shoe 
anti-slip attachments, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a plurality of 
flexible traction strips each having a pair of opposite surfaces, and an 
outer periphery. Each of the traction strips has an adhesive on a first of 
the faces of the respective traction strip. The traction strips each have 
a roughened surface on a second of the faces of the respective traction 
strip to frictionally enhance contact between the second face of each 
traction strip and a surface in contact with the second face of the 
respective traction strip. 
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features 
of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that 
follows may be better understood, and in order that the present 
contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional 
features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which 
will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention 
in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its 
application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the 
components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the 
drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being 
practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood 
that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose 
of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon 
which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the 
designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the 
several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, 
that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions 
insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present 
invention. 
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent 
and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the 
scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar 
with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a 
cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of 
the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention 
of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to 
be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new shoe 
anti-slip attachment apparatus and method which has many of the advantages 
of the shoe anti-slip attachments mentioned heretofore and many novel 
features that result in a new shoe anti-slip attachment which is not 
anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the 
prior art shoe anti-slip attachments, either alone or in any combination 
thereof. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new shoe 
anti-slip attachment which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and 
marketed. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new shoe 
anti-slip attachment which is of a durable and reliable construction. 
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new shoe 
anti-slip attachment which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture 
with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then 
susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making 
such shoe anti-slip attachment economically available to the buying 
public. 
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new shoe 
anti-slip attachment which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the 
prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming 
some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith. 
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new shoe 
anti-slip attachment for attachment to the sole of a shoe to prevent a 
wearer from slipping on a surface the user is traversing. 
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new shoe 
anti-slip attachment which includes a plurality of flexible traction 
strips each having a pair of opposite surfaces, and an outer periphery. 
Each of the traction strips has an adhesive on a first of the faces of the 
respective traction strip. The traction strips each have a roughened 
surface on a second of the faces of the respective traction strip to 
frictionally enhance contact between the second face of each traction 
strip and a surface in contact with the second face of the respective 
traction strip. 
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new shoe 
anti-slip attachment that may also be attached to the tread of a tire to 
provide additional traction to the tire. 
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new shoe 
anti-slip attachment that may come in a variety of shapes when marketed to 
children.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 5 
thereof, a new shoe anti-slip attachment embodying the principles and 
concepts of the present invention will be described. 
As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 5, the shoe anti-slip attachment 
generally comprises a plurality of flexible traction strips each having a 
pair of opposite surfaces, and an outer periphery. Each of the traction 
strips has an adhesive on a first of the faces of the respective traction 
strip. The traction strips each have a roughened surface on a second of 
the faces of the respective traction strip to frictionally enhance contact 
between the second face of each traction strip and a surface in contact 
with the second face of the respective traction strip. 
In closer detail, the traction enhancing system comprises a plurality of 
flexible traction strips 10 each having a pair of opposite surfaces 11,12, 
and an outer periphery. Each of the traction strips has an adhesive 13 on 
a first of the faces 11 of the respective traction strip. Preferably, the 
adhesive of each traction strip is substantially coextensive with the 
first face of the respective traction strip. 
Ideally, the traction strips each have a flexible backing 14 adhesively 
coupled to the adhesive on the first face of the respective traction strip 
as shown in FIG. 2. The flexible backings each are preferably 
substantially coextensive with the associated first face of the respective 
traction strip. In use, the flexible backings are detachable (by peeling) 
from the associated first face of the respective traction strip without 
excess residue of the adhesive remaining attached to the flexible backings 
to permit adhesive attachment of the first faces of the traction strips to 
surface once the flexible backings are removed. 
The traction strips each have a roughened surface 15 on a second of the 
faces 12 of the respective traction strip. The roughened surfaces of the 
traction strips frictionally enhance contact between the second faces of 
the traction strips and a surface in contact with the second face of the 
traction strips. Preferably, the roughened surface of each traction strip 
is substantially coextensive with the second face of the respective 
traction strip. Ideally, the roughened surfaces of the traction strips 
comprises particulate adhesively bonded to the second face of the 
respective traction strip such as silica particulate of the type used in 
providing the roughened surface of sandpaper. 
In a first embodiment use, a pair of shoes 16,17 are provided each having a 
sole for engaging a ground surface as illustrated in FIG. 1. The soles 
each have opposite heel and toe ends, a heel portion 18 adjacent the heel 
end of the respective sole, and a ball portion 19 adjacent the toe end of 
the respective sole. In this preferred embodiment, the traction strips 
comprise a pair of heel traction strips 10a,10b and a pair of ball 
traction strips 10c,10d. 
With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the outer perimeters of the heel traction 
strips each are generally rectangular in shape and comprise a pair of 
generally straight and substantially parallel end edges 20,21 and a pair 
of generally straight and substantially parallel side edges 22,23 
extending substantially perpendicular to the end edges of the respective 
heel traction strip. The adhesive of a first of the heel traction strips 
adhesively couples the first face of the first heel traction strip to the 
heel portion of the sole of a first of the shoes. Similarly, the adhesive 
of a second of the heel traction strips adhesively couples the first face 
of the second heel traction strip to the heel portion of the sole of a 
second of the shoes. The outer perimeters of the ball traction strips each 
are also generally rectangular in shape and comprise a pair of generally 
straight and substantially parallel end edges 24,25 and a pair of 
generally straight and substantially parallel side edges 26,27 extending 
substantially perpendicular to the end edges of the respective ball 
traction strip. The adhesive of a first of the ball traction strips 
adhesively couples the first face of the first ball traction strip to the 
ball portion of the sole of a first of the shoes. The adhesive of a second 
of the ball traction strips adhesively couples the first face of the 
second ball traction strip to the ball portion of the sole of a second of 
the shoes. 
The heel and ball traction strips each have a length defined between the 
end edges of the respective traction strip and a width defined between the 
side edges of the respective traction strip. Preferably, the length of a 
heel traction strip is about one-fourth the length of a ball traction 
strip. Ideally, the length of each heel traction strip is about 1 inch, 
and the length of each ball traction strip is about 4 inches. The width of 
a heel traction strip is preferably about equal to the width of a ball 
traction strip. Ideally, the widths of the heel and ball traction strips 
are each about 1 inch. 
In use, the heel and ball traction strips frictionally enhance contact 
between the associated sole and the ground surface that the wearer is 
traversing to enhance the traction between the sole and the ground surface 
help reduce the chance the wearer slipping on the ground surface. Ideally, 
the side edges of the first heel and ball traction strips on the sole of 
the first shoe are extended substantially parallel to one another and the 
side edges of the second heel and ball traction strips on the sole of the 
second shoe are extended substantially parallel to one another to 
optimally enhance frictional contact between the associated sole and a 
ground surface as the user is traversing the ground surface in a forwardly 
direction. 
FIG. 3 illustrates a foot-shaped embodiment 10e of the traction strip 
having an outer perimeter of the foot-shaped traction strip shaped to 
resemble a human foot. FIG. 4 illustrates a novelty-shaped embodiment 10f 
of the traction strip having a generally circular outer perimeter with a 
plurality of generally arcuate lobes 28 therearound each having an 
outwardly facing convexity for aiding a child to grip a portion of the 
traction strip when peeling the novelty-shaped traction strip off of the 
sole of the child's shoe. 
FIG. 5 illustrates another embodiment of the traction strips for use with a 
tire has a spaced apart pair of side walls and a treaded portion extending 
between the side walls. In this embodiment, the traction strips comprising 
a pair of annular traction strips 10g,10h disposed around the treaded 
portion of the tire to frictionally enhance contact between the treaded 
portion and a road surface so that traction between the tire and the road 
surface is enhanced to help reduce the likelihood of the tire slipping on 
a road surface. The adhesives of the annular traction strips adhesively 
couple the first faces of the annular traction strips to the treaded 
portion of the tire. 
As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the 
present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. 
Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and 
operation will be provided. 
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the 
optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to 
include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of 
operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to 
one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those 
illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are 
intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the 
principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and 
changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired 
to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and 
described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may 
be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.