Abstract:
A sandal type overshoe for releasable mounting on primary footwear, e.g., a boot or shoe, is disclosed. The overshoe comprises a sole with a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a hindfoot portion. Toe, side and heel anchor pieces are disposed along the perimeter of the sole and accept two removable lace pieces, one of which connects the front anchor piece and the side anchor pieces, and one of which connects the heel anchor pieces to the side anchor pieces. The sole portion has a ground engaging surface that can provide enhanced traction or other functionality.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Primary footwear, such as shoes and boots, often provide inadequate traction under certain conditions. For example, even work boots, which often provide rugged tread on the bottom of their soles, may lack adequate traction on an icy surface, such as a frozen construction site or highway. Nevertheless, the other aspects of the primary work boot are suitable for their intended purposes, such to provide stability and protection to the foot. Various implementations for improving traction of primary footwear do not provide sufficient ease of use or stability. 
     SUMMARY 
     One or more of the above referenced problems is addressed by a sandal-type overshoe for releasable mounting on an article of primary footwear. In one implementation, the overshoe provides enhanced traction sole surfaces or other alternative sole surfaces, although other implementations may merely provide protection (e.g., to the sole of the primary footwear or the sole of the wearer&#39;s foot). The sandal-type nature and physical structure of the overshoe can allow for enhanced stability, easy manufacturing, replaceable parts, improved comfort, and easy entry into or exit from the overshoe. The laces (e.g., made from webbing, straps or cords, whether elastic or inelastic) may be easily removed and replaced without destroying or damaging the laces or disassembling the overshoe. 
     In one implementation, the overshoe includes a sole that underlies the sole of the primary footwear. The sole is sized to accommodate the sole of the primary footwear and is shaped with a perimeter that is roughly the shape of a shoe or boot sole. The sole may have one or more sole portion layers. When worn, the sole underlies the forefoot region, the midfoot region, and the hindfoot region of the user&#39;s primary footwear. The sole of the overshoe has toe, side, and heel anchor pieces attached thereto, although other implementations may also be employed. One or more of these anchor pieces may be integrally formed with at least one of the sole layers. A long axis is defined lengthwise between heel and toe and substantially along the center of the sole. 
     In one implementation, the toe anchor piece is split and has attachments to the sole on either side of the toe of the sole. The toe anchor piece is shaped to cover the front of the foot, and contains an aperture for receiving a front lace. In other implementations, a non-split structure may be employed for the toe anchor piece. 
     In another implementation, at least two heel anchor pieces are attached to the sole on either side of the heel of the sole. Each heel anchor piece comprises an aperture for receiving a rear lace. In alternative implementations, the at least two heel anchor pieces may be integrated or connected to form a single anchor brace having individual heel anchor pieces on either side of the axis of the sole. 
     In another implementation, at least two side anchor pieces are located near the midfoot on either side of the sole. The side anchor pieces contain at least one aperture each that receives a front lace to connect the side anchor piece of the overshoe to the toe anchor piece of the overshoe. The at least one aperture may also receive a rear lace, thus connecting the heel anchor pieces of the overshoe to the side anchor pieces of the overshoe. In one implementation, the side anchor pieces also provide lateral stability to the primary footwear inside the overshoe, by preventing the primary footwear from slipping off of the sole or by securing the primary footwear firmly against the sole. 
     In yet another implementation, the sole portion has some type of ground-engaging surface for providing enhanced traction, such as small studs, a grit coating, or a rubber compound formulated for enhanced traction. Other types of surfaces may also be used with the overshoe. 
     The lace system includes at least two replaceable lace pieces, one of which connects the heel anchor pieces to the side anchor pieces (i.e., the rear lace), and the second of which connects the split toe anchor piece to the at least two side anchor pieces (i.e., the front lace). Each lace is detachably anchored to one or more of the anchor pieces, such as by inserting through anchor piece apertures, folding over on itself, and detachably fastening to itself by a fastener or other attachment device (e.g., a hook and loop fastener, a snap, etc.) Accordingly, the lace system is easy to attach to the primary footwear, holding the overshoe securely to the wearer&#39;s primary footwear. When the front lace is tightened, the toe anchor piece is pulled backward and downward over the toe, and the side anchor pieces are pulled inward, thus assisting in securing the overshoe to the forefoot and instep of the primary footwear. When the rear lace is tightened, the heel anchor pieces are pulled forward and snugly on the heel of the primary footwear, pulling the primary footwear forward toward the toe anchor piece to connect more snugly onto the forefoot. 
     Other implementations are also described and recited herein. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Several implementations may become understood by reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. 
         FIG. 1  depicts a lateral view of an example implementation of the overshoe. 
         FIG. 2  depicts a top view of an example implementation of the overshoe. 
         FIG. 3  depicts a back view of an example implementation of the overshoe. 
         FIG. 4  depicts a cross-sectional view of the side anchor pieces of an example implementation of the overshoe. 
         FIG. 5  depicts a top view of an example implementation of the overshoe with an example implementation of a lace system. 
         FIG. 6  depicts a side view of an example implementation of the overshoe with an example implementation of a lace system. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIGS. 1-6  illustrate various views of an example implementation of an overshoe.  FIG. 1  illustrates a lateral view of an example implementation of an overshoe  100 . As illustrated, the sole  102  of the overshoe  100  has a second sole portion  104  attached thereto as a second layer. However, it should be understood that certain variations can be made in the illustrated configuration to form alternative implementations, both in the overshoe itself and in the associated lacing system. The second sole portion  104  may be made separately and attached to the bottom portion of the sole  102 . The second sole  104  may also be made of material that is more or less rigid than the sole portion. In other implementations, the overshoe  100  is not attached to any other sole portions, is attached to a sole portion having a different surface altogether (e.g., a waterproof surface, a slick ski-like surface, etc.), and/or has more than two sole portions attached to or constituting the sole  102 . 
     When the overshoe  100  is oriented to be substantially level to the ground (with the second sole portion  104  facing down), a toe anchor piece  106  extends upwardly from the sole  102  and then toward the heel (i.e., rear) of the sole  102 , so as to form a cavity  114  into which the toe portion of the wearer&#39;s primary footwear can be inserted. In addition, the toe anchor piece  106  includes an aperture (not shown in FIG.  1 —see e.g.,  FIG. 2 ) through which a front lace (not shown in FIG.  1 —see e.g.,  FIGS. 5 and 6 ) is inserted. As such, the front lace and the cavity of the toe anchor piece  106  contribute to preventing the wearer&#39;s primary footwear from sliding forward off of the sole  102  and from lifting off of the sole  102 . 
     In the same orientation, two or more heel anchor pieces  108  extend upwardly from the sole  102 . In one implementation, the two or more heel anchor pieces  108  extend substantially perpendicular from the sole  102 , although in alternative implementations, the heel anchor pieces  108  are biased (e.g., molded at an angle) and/or curved inwardly toward the interior of the sole  102  (e.g., molded to provide a cavity for the heel of the wearer&#39;s primary footwear) or biased and/or curved outwardly away from the interior of the sole  102  (e.g., to make it easier for the wearer to insert his or her primary footwear). At least two of the heel anchor pieces are spaced apart, one on each side of the long axis  101  (see  FIG. 2 ) between heel and toe of the sole  102 , which can contribute to lateral stability of the heel in the overshoe  100 . 
     In one angled implementation, each heel anchor piece  108  is molded to extend from the sole  102  away from the interior of the sole  102  at a non-perpendicular angle (e.g., between 0° to 50° from a perpendicular axis to the sole  102 , and in particular within a 15° to 45° angle) to “open up” the heel portion of the overshoe  100 . This “opening up” of the heel portion of the overshoe  100  facilitates insertion and withdrawal the heel of the primary footwear when the rear lace is loose. In one such outwardly angled implementation, proximal ends of the heel anchor pieces  108  (as viewed from the sole  102 ) are integrally molded to the sole  102  and the distal ends of the heel anchor pieces  108  flex independently of each other. Such independent movement allows the heel anchor pieces  108  to tilt outwardly at their distal ends at a non-perpendicular angle, thereby forming a larger heel opening than that defined by the perimeter of the overshoe  100  (when the rear lace is loose or absent). Yet these distal ends can be pulled together to angle inward to form a smaller heel opening than that defined by the perimeter of the overshoe  100 . In this manner, the heel anchor pieces  108  and rear lace fit securely on the heel of the primary footwear of the wearer. 
     The heel anchor pieces  108  include apertures  116  through which a rear lace (not shown in FIG.  1 —see e.g.,  FIGS. 5 and 6 ) is inserted. By tightening the rear lace against the heel of the wearer&#39;s primary footwear, the rear lace pulls the two or more heel anchor pieces  108  toward the interior of the sole  102  to provide a secure fit and contributes to preventing the wearer&#39;s primary footwear from sliding rearward off of the sole  102  and from lifting off of the sole  102 . In  FIGS. 2 and 3 , example locations of two heel anchor pieces  108  are shown on each side of the long heel-to-toe axis of the sole  102 . In the rear lace implementation shown in  FIG. 6 , the rear lace enters the apertures  116  of the heel anchor pieces  108  from the interior side of each heel anchor piece  108 , thus pulling the heel anchor pieces  108  toward the interior of the overshoe  100  and particularly toward the heel of the wearer&#39;s primary footwear. 
     It should also be understood that the two or more heel anchor pieces  108  may be connected to form a single heel brace (not shown). However, the individual heel anchor pieces  108  rising from the sole  102 , whether connected together or completely separate, each include an aperture through which a rear lace may be inserted. 
     In the same orientation, two or more side anchor pieces  110  extend upwardly from the sole  102 .  FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  5  illustrate that the side anchor pieces  110  are located near the midfoot on either side of the sole perimeter such that they conveniently connect via laces to both the front anchor pieces and the heel anchor pieces. In one implementation, the two or more side anchor pieces  108  extend upwardly from the sole  102 , although in alternative implementations, the side anchor pieces  110  are biased or curved inwardly toward the interior of the sole  102  (e.g., to provide a cavities for each side of the midfoot region of the wearer&#39;s primary footwear) or biased or curved outwardly away from the interior of the sole  102  (e.g., to make it easier for the wearer to insert his or her primary footwear). 
     The flexibility of the various anchor pieces contributes to the comfort and functionality of the overshoe  100 . For example, the flexibility allows the overshoe  100  to adjust to a large variety and range of movements by the wearer and sizes of primary footwear. In one application, a wearer can use the overshoe  100  on a steeply pitched surface, such as a pitched roof or a hillside. The flexibility allows the overshoe  100  to adjust to the extreme angle while maintaining a secure grip on the wearer&#39;s primary footwear. Furthermore, the overshoe  100  can maintain substantial contact between the ground engagement surface of the sole  102  and the “ground” (e.g. the roof or other support surface). 
     Nevertheless, the various anchor pieces are also stiff enough to support the laces inserted through their apertures, maintaining separation between the sole  102  and the laces. For example, the heel anchor laces  108  remain substantially upright when the rear lace is laced through their apertures  116 , so that the rear lace remains supported above the sole  102 . This stiffness helps secure the primary footwear in the overshoe  100 , by supporting the rear lace high enough on the heel of the primary footwear to prevent the primary footwear from slipping out and to secure the heel of the primary footwear firmly against the sole  102 . 
     The side anchor pieces  110  include apertures  120  through which a rear lace (not shown in FIG.  1 —see e.g.,  FIG. 6 ) is inserted, and the ends of the rear lace are anchored to the side anchor pieces  110  (e.g., by folding the ends back onto each other to fasten together using an attachment device, such as a hook and loop fastener, one or more snaps, a tongue and buckle, etc.). Furthermore, as previously described, the rear lace is also threaded through the apertures  116  of the heel anchors  108 . By anchoring the rear lace to the side anchor pieces  110  and tightening the rear lace against the heel of the wearer&#39;s primary footwear, the rear lace pulls the two or more heel anchor pieces  108  toward the interior of the sole  102  to provide a secure fit and contribute to preventing the wearer&#39;s primary footwear from sliding rearward off of the sole  102  and from lifting off of the sole  102 . 
     The side anchor pieces  110  also include apertures  122  through which a front lace (not shown in FIG.  1 —see e.g.,  FIG. 6 ) is inserted, and the ends of the front lace are fastened together over the top of the midfoot of the wearer&#39;s primary footwear (e.g., using an attachment device, such as a hook and loop fastener, one or more snaps, a tongue and buckle, etc.) as shown in  FIG. 6 . As previously described, the front lace is also threaded through the aperture  115  of the toe anchor piece  114 . By tightening the front lace against the top of the midfoot of the wearer&#39;s primary footwear, the front lace pulls the side anchor pieces  110  inward and the toe anchor piece  114  rearward (and possibly downward) to provide a secure fit and contribute to preventing the wearer&#39;s primary footwear from sliding sideways or forward off of the sole  102  and from lifting off of the sole  102 . Furthermore, the forward extension of the side anchor pieces  110  also provides an obstacle to lateral slippage of the primary footwear in the region of the ball of the foot. 
     It should be understood that, in one implementation, the apertures  120  and  122  may be implemented using a single aperture in the side anchor pieces  110 . Furthermore,  FIG. 1  illustrates a third aperture  111 . In  FIGS. 2 and 3 , example locations of two side anchor pieces  110  are shown on each side of the long heel-to-toe axis  101  of the sole  102 . 
     In one implementation, the sole  102  is made of a rigid or semi-rigid material, and the toe anchor piece  106 , heel anchor piece  108 , and a side anchor piece  110  are made of a material that is generally more flexible. The overshoe  100  may be formed as an integral unit of a resilient material, with portions of the upper being thinner to bend more readily than portions of the sole  102 . Examples of resilient material may include without limitation rubber, polyvinyl choloride (PVC), thermal plasticized rubber (TPR), etc. The thicker portions in the sole  102  can provide durability and cushioning for the overshoe. In the example implementation shown in  FIG. 1 , the overshoe  100  comprises a generally planar sole portion and several anchor pieces molded as an integral or one-piece member, and the second sole portion  104  attached with an adhesive to the bottom surface of the sole  102 , although other configurations are contemplated (e.g., no second sole portion, multiple additional sole portions, thermally-bonded attachment between sole  102  and a second sole portion  104 , etc.). 
     As described, the ground engaging surfaces of the overshoe  100  (e.g., the sole  102  or the second sole portion  104 ) may be constructed of any desired type to provide whatever type of traction is desired. For example, if it is desired that the overshoe  100  be utilized for general slippery conditions, the surfaces may include plural grooves and plural ridges, or any other type of tread commonly found in outdoor boots and shoes. These types of tread can provide good traction on all but the iciest conditions. For the iciest conditions, more rigid projections (e.g., spikes, screws, cleats, studs, etc.) are mounted to the sole  102  or second sole portion  104  to form at least a portion of the ground engaging surface. For example, such a ground engaging surface may have small tungsten studs, a grit coating, a specially formulated rubber compound, or another traction improving surface. 
     The studs or other traction enhancing materials may be located at various positions across the ground engaging portions of the sole  102  or second sole portion  104 . In one implementation of the ground engaging portion, at least some studs are located close to the rear edge of the heel-sole section. In this manner, it is likely that at least one stud will engage the ground in normal walking motion, and therefore an anti-slip effect is obtained. 
     As previously described, in one implementation, the overshoe is molded as an integral unit from a single material, with portions of different thicknesses to provide the desired amount of flexibility in the anchor pieces. The overshoe  100  can be also formed of different materials, having different resiliency, hardness, etc., for the various parts of the overshoe  100 , as desired. These various parts can be assembled to form a complete overshoe  100 . In addition, laces may be removably inserted through the apertures of the various anchor pieces, and they can be used to anchor the overshoe  100  to the wearer&#39;s primary footwear. 
     The sandals may be made in different sizes to accommodate a range of sizes of primary footwear. The laces are also somewhat adjustable, resulting in a snug and comfortable fit for any size of primary footwear. In one implementation, the detachable fastening and threading of laces through the apertures allows the omission of a separate sewing operation from the assembly process and further allows easy replacement of damaged laces. 
       FIG. 2  depicts a top view of an example implementation of the overshoe  100 . In  FIG. 2 , the toe anchor piece  106  is shaped to come up and over the toe of the primary footwear. The toe anchor piece  106  is split at the front and attaches to the perimeter of the sole  102  on either side of the toe (or the long axis  101  of the sole  102 ). The width of the toe anchor piece  106  contributes to the lateral stability of the overshoe  100 . 
     The laces used with the sandal are inserted into the apertures ( FIGS. 1 and 2 , elements  115 ,  116 ,  120 , and  122 ) in the heel, toe, and side anchor pieces. The arrangement of the anchor pieces and laces provides for a system that firmly holds the foot against movement in any direction, and yet is extremely simple to attach and detach. The laces are made of flexible material such as webbing or rubber-like compounds. The laces may be any shape in cross-section, and may be made of fabric laces, leather, cording, or shoe lace type laces. In one implementation, the laces include an attachment device at the ends, which attachment device is attached to the laces prior to the laces being inserted into the sandals. The attachment device may be hook and loop closures, buckles, toggles, latches, or any other type of releasable attachment device. Alternatively, the laces may be tied off to secure them. 
     In one implementation, wherein the laces to be used with the sandal are of a flat cross-section, such as webbing material, the apertures are elongated or slot-shaped (See  FIGS. 1 and 2 , apertures  115 ,  116 ,  120  and  122 ), and the angles of the apertures are selected to permit the laces to lie as flat as possible across the primary footwear of the user. In the implementation shown in  FIG. 2 , the aperture  115  of the toe anchor piece is approximately transverse to the long axis  101  of the sole  102 , although other aperture shapes and orientations may be employed. 
     In this implementation also, the side anchor pieces  110  are approximately triangular, and contain two elongated or slot-shaped apertures each,  120  and  122 . One aperture  120  in each side anchor piece  110  receives the back lace, thus connecting the heel anchor pieces  108  of the overshoe  100  to the side anchor pieces  110  of the overshoe  100 . This aperture  120  is extends upwardly from the sole. The other aperture  122  of each side anchor piece  110  receives the front lace, thus connecting the side anchor pieces  110  of the overshoe  100  to the toe anchor pieces  106  of the overshoe  100 , and is at approximately 45 degrees. Also in the illustrated implementation, the apertures  116  of the heel anchor pieces  108  extend upwardly from the sole  102 . 
     Furthermore, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the side anchor pieces  110  extend along the perimeter of the midfoot of the sole  102  toward or to the ball of the sole  102  (i.e., where the ball of the wearer&#39;s foot would be located above the sole  102 ).  FIG. 1  shows the side anchor piece  110  as tapering down to the surface of the sole  102 , although a non-tapered or partially tapered side anchor piece may be employed. The extension of the side anchor pieces  110  forward toward the ball of the sole  102  provides lateral support and stability, limiting the sideways slipping of the primary footwear within the overshoe  100 . 
       FIG. 3  depicts a back view of an example implementation of the overshoe  100 . Two heel anchor pieces  108  are shown rising from the sole  102 . Each heel anchor piece  108  includes an aperture  116  through which a rear lace is threaded. By coupling the heel anchor pieces  108  with the side anchor portions  110  (see e.g.,  FIG. 1 ) and in combination with the toe anchor piece  106  and a front lace, the heel of the wearer&#39;s primary footwear may be secured within the overshoe  100 . 
       FIG. 4  depicts cross-sectional view A-A of the side anchor pieces  110  of an example implementation of the overshoe  100 . The apertures  122  and  111  are shown in the cross-sectional view, extending through each of the side anchor pieces  110 , which rise from the sole  102 . The apertures  122  are employed to receive a front lace of the overshoe  100 . Although not shown, a different cross-sectional view at a location rearward of the view of  FIG. 4  would illustrate a pair of apertures  120 , which is employed to receive a rear lace of the overshoe  100 . 
       FIG. 5  depicts a top view of an example implementation of the overshoe  100  with an example implementation of a lace system. A front lace  502  threads through the apertures  122  in the side anchor pieces  110  and the aperture  115  in the toe anchor piece  106  to couple the side anchor pieces  110  to the toe anchor piece  106 . In  FIG. 5 , the front lace  502  fastens over the top of the wearer&#39;s primary footwear at the midfoot, although other locations of the fastening may be employed (e.g., at or near the toe anchor piece  106 ). 
     In addition, a rear lace  504  threads through the apertures  120  of the side anchor pieces  110  and the apertures  116  of the heel anchor pieces  108  to couple the side anchor pieces  110  to the heel anchor pieces  108 . In one implementation, the rear lace  504  inserts through the aperture  116  of each flexible heel anchor piece  108  such that the rear lace  504  inserts through from the interior of the sole  102  perimeter toward the exterior of the sole  102  perimeter as it extends rearward. When pulled tight, the rear lace pulls in the heel anchor pieces  108  toward the interior of the sole  102  to secure the wearer&#39;s primary footwear into the overshoe  100 . When loosened, the rear lace  504  allows the heel anchor pieces  108  to “open up” to release or receive the heel of the wearer&#39;s primary footwear 
       FIG. 6  depicts a side view of an example implementation of the overshoe  100  with an example implementation of a lace system. The front lace  502  is shown threaded through the apertures of the side anchor pieces  110  and the toe anchor piece  106  for fastening over the top  500  of the wearer&#39;s primary footwear. By tightening the front lace  502 , the toe anchor piece  502  is pulled down and back relative to the sole  102  to better secure the toe of the wearer&#39;s primary footwear. The rear lace  504  is show threaded through the apertures of the side anchor pieces  110  and the heel anchor pieces  108 . 
     The above specification, examples, and data provide a complete description of the structure and use of exemplary embodiments of the invention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended. Furthermore, structural features of the different embodiments may be combined in yet another embodiment without departing from the recited claims.