Abstract:
The invention relates to a customized shoe and foot aesthetic apparatus which can be detached and attached to various shoes of the user so that a custom aesthetically pleasing apparatus which may interface with standard manufactured shoes, and create an enhanced aesthetically pleasing appearance to the individual user is created.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Ser. No. 61/489,192 filed May 23, 2011 the entire content is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The invention generally relates to the customization of footwear and more specifically to customized aesthetic and circulatory enhancements for shoes. 
         [0004]    2. Background Information 
         [0005]    Fashion and customization of what is worn by any given individual is highly personal, as each individual has their own very unique tastes. This is especially true when it comes to footwear. Although manufacturers make many kinds of shoes and variations with colors and materials they are still relatively mass produced and unable to take an individual&#39;s personal aesthetic preferences into consideration. Additionally, enhancements made by the manufacturers are typically permanently affixed. 
         [0006]    Unfortunately, a customized shoe and foot aesthetic apparatus which can be detached and attached to various shoes of the user has not been described. Thus a need exists for custom aesthetically pleasing apparatus which may interface with standard manufactured shoes, and create an enhanced aesthetically pleasing appearance to the individual user. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention relates to the idea of taking common mass-produced footwear and enhancing its utility by the incorporation of a shoe/jewelry type apparatus which creates an aesthetic upgrade to common shoes and sandals. 
         [0008]    Embodiments of the invention include an apparatus including attachable jewels, stones, beads, ribbons, laces, threading, polished woods, crystals, glasses and metals and other similar decorative materials and first attaching them to the shoe to be worn and then easily attaching them around the ankle of the user when used in sandals or open-toed shoes and/or high heels. 
         [0009]    Another embodiment includes and apparatus including decorative materials from the list above and placing them onto a boot, such as the UGG type boot, wherein the apparatus is attached to the front part of the shoe, with a post and cap, and is attached around the ankle of the user with a tie or clasp mechanism. 
         [0010]    Yet another embodiment includes an apparatus for attaching to open toed shoes such as sandals wherein the decorative implements that reside on the top surface of the user&#39;s foot, further include magnetic properties which are capable of having a beneficial effect on the user&#39;s circulation. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    The principles of the present invention will be apparent with reference to the following drawings, in which like reference numerals denote like components: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a top plan view of a shoe enhancement contemplated in the present invention, when present on a sandal and the users foot. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a top plan view of a shoe enhancement contemplated in the present invention before placement onto a shoe and the users foot. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view of an alternative shoe enhancement contemplated in the present invention, when present on a sandal and the users foot. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a top plan view of another shoe enhancement contemplated in the present invention, wherein the shoe is a boot and the enhancement is attached to the boot. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a top plan view of another shoe enhancement contemplated in the present invention, wherein the shoe is a high heel type shoe and the enhancement is attached to around the shoe and the users foot. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a side plan view of the shoe enhancement shown in  FIG. 5 , wherein the shoe is a high heel type shoe and the enhancement is attached around the shoe and the users foot. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0018]    The present invention contemplates the interface of jewelry with shoes to customize and provide a unique and more personalized look to mass produced footwear. 
         [0019]    The embodiments of the invention allow the customization especially of footwear products that are relatively unadorned and plain. Examples of footwear to be customized and enhanced by the process are varieties of open-toed shoes including various high-heels, flats, sandals, flip-flops and water shoes. Sandals and flip-flops are most preferred. 
         [0020]    Furthermore, the enhancements may be more than merely decorative and include health-related benefits such as increasing circulation with electromagnetic forces, or having elements placed on reflexology trigger points to help alleviate pain, stress, and/or increase circulation and general health. Based on the customization of the embodied enhancements beads, stones, magnets, crystals or other known materials with healing type properties can be secured such that the enhancements come into direct contact with specific surfaces on the wearer&#39;s foot and/or ankle. 
         [0021]    Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It will of course be appreciated that in the development of any such actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers&#39; specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. 
         [0022]    Examples and Description of Figures. 
         [0023]    Embodiments of the invention for use with a flip-flop (thong) style sandal are shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . In  FIGS. 1 and 2  the shoe enhancement apparatuses are attached to the shoe at a single point in the toe area, whereas in  FIG. 3  an embodied shoe enhancement apparatus is attached in two places on the sandal strap.  FIG. 1  shows an embodied shoe enhancement apparatus  100  comprising an ankle attachment implement  110  which is around the ankle of the user, a aesthetically enhanced implement  120  which resides primarily in the area on the top of the foot  140  of the user, and a shoe attachment implement  130  which attaches onto the sandal  150 . The aesthetically enhanced implement  120  is attached to the ankle attachment implement  110  by a clasp  122  or other similar fastening device. The aesthetically enhanced implement  120  then comprises a plurality of functional implements  128  such as magnets crystals or reflexology materials and/or decorative implements  126  including beads, jewels, stones, crystals and the like. The aesthetically enhanced implement  120  connects to the shoe  150  of the user by having the shoe end  124  of the aesthetically enhanced implement  120  interface with the shoe attachment implement  130  at the enhanced implement shoe attachment connection point  132 . The shoe attachment implement  130  in this figure is a loop portion  134  that secures around the thong  152  portion of the sandal  150 . 
         [0024]      FIG. 2  shows an alternative embodied shoe enhancement apparatus  200  comprising an ankle attachment implement  210  which fits around the ankle of the user, a aesthetically enhanced implement  220  which resides primarily in the area on the top of a foot (not shown) of the user, and a shoe attachment implement  230  which attaches onto a sandal (not shown). The ankle attachment implement  210  is secured around the foot by a ankle fastener  212 , which may be any type of fastener or string or bow tied around the ankle of the foot. Additionally, the ankle attachment implement comprises decorative or functional enhancement features  214 . The aesthetically enhanced implement  220  is attached to the ankle attachment implement  220  by a clasp  222  or other similar fastening device. The aesthetically enhanced implement  220  then comprises a plurality of functional implements  228  such as magnets crystals or reflexology materials and/or decorative implements  226  including beads, jewels, stones, crystals and the like. The aesthetically enhanced implement  220  connects to a shoe (not shown) of the user by having the shoe end  224  of the aesthetically enhanced implement  220  interface with the shoe attachment implement  230  at the enhanced implement shoe attachment connection point  232 . The shoe attachment implement  230  in this figure is a loop portion  234  that secures around a portion of a sandal or around another post type fastening point (not shown). 
         [0025]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view of another alternative shoe enhancement apparatus  300  comprising an ankle attachment implement  310  which fits around the ankle of the user, a aesthetically enhanced implement  320  which resides primarily in the area on the top of a foot  340  of the user, and two shoe attachment implements  330  which attaches onto the sandal strap  354  near the outside edges of the foot  340  of the user. Additional embodiments considered but not shown include shoe attachment implements  330  that may be secured around the thong  352  portion of the shoe (shown above) in addition to multiple strap shoe attachment implements  330  as currently shown. The aesthetically enhanced implement  320  is attached to the ankle attachment implement  320  by a clasp  312  or other similar fastening device. The aesthetically enhanced implement  320  then comprises a plurality of functional implements  328  such as magnets crystals or reflexology materials and/or decorative implements  326  including beads, jewels, stones, crystals and the like. The aesthetically enhanced implement  320  connects to the shoe  350  of the user in two places by having the two shoe ends  324  of the aesthetically enhanced implement  320  interface with the two shoe attachment implements  330  at the loop ends  334  of the shoe attachment implements  330 . As shown in expanded view in  FIG. 3A  the shoe attachment implement  320  in this figure comprises a loop portion  334  that secures around a portion of a post type fastening point  336  which is passed through the sandal strap  354  and covered with a cap  338  which may or may not have additional decorative adornments as part of the cap  338 . 
         [0026]    Embodiments of the invention for use with a closed-toe shoe such as a boot, are shown in  FIG. 4 .  FIG. 4  shows an embodied shoe enhancement apparatus  400  comprising an ankle attachment implement  410  which is around the ankle portion of the boot  450  of the user, a aesthetically enhanced implement  420  which resides primarily in the area on the top of the foot portion of the boot of the user, and a shoe attachment implement  430  which attaches onto the boot  450 . The aesthetically enhanced implement  420  is attached to the ankle attachment implement  410  by a clasp  422  or other similar fastening device. The aesthetically enhanced implement  420  then comprises a decorative implements  426  including beads, jewels, stones, crystals and the like. The aesthetically enhanced implement  420  connects to the shoe  450  of the user at one (as shown) or more points (not shown) at the shoe end  424  of the aesthetically enhanced implement  420 . The shoe attachment implement  420  in this figure comprises a loop portion (not shown) that secures around a portion of a post type fastening point (not shown) which is passed through the boot material and covered with a cap  438  which may or may not have additional decorative adornments as part of the cap  438 . 
         [0027]    Embodiments of the invention wherein the shoe enhancement apparatus  500  are used in a high-heel type open shoe arrangement are shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 .  FIG. 5  shows the shoe enhancement apparatus  500  in a top plan view and  FIG. 6  shows the shoe enhancement apparatus  500  is a side plan view. In  FIGS. 5  an  6  the embodied shoe enhancement apparatus  500  comprises an ankle attachment implement  510  which is around the ankle of the user and additionally comprises decorative implements  514 , a aesthetically enhanced implement  520  which resides primarily in the area on the top of the foot  540  of the user, and a shoe attachment implement  530  which attaches around the foot  540  and shoe  550  in various places on the users foot, with the attachment around the middle portion of the foot  540  shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . The aesthetically enhanced implement  520  is attached to the ankle attachment implement  510  by two clasps  522  total, one on each side of the ankle. The aesthetically enhanced implement  520  then comprises one or more decorative implements  526  including beads, jewels, stones, crystals, ribbons, bows and the like. The aesthetically enhanced implement  520  connects around the shoe  550  of the user by having the shoe end  524  of the aesthetically enhanced implement  520  interface with the shoe attachment implement  530  at the enhanced implement shoe attachment connection point  532 . The shoe attachment implement  530  in this figure is a loop portion  534  that secures around the foot  540  and shoe  550  of the user. 
         [0028]    Although the invention has been described with reference to the above example, it will be understood that modifications and variations are encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is limited only by the following claims.