Patent Abstract:
Kits, systems, methods, materials, and tools for improving footwear wearability are provided. In one aspect, a kit includes a deformable material adapted to be positioned into footwear, and a tool including a first end and a second end. The first end of the tool is adapted to engage the deformable material, move the material to a desired position in the footwear, and shape the material. The second end of the tool is adapted to engage the material and remove the material from the footwear. In another aspect, a method of improving wearabilty of footwear includes positioning a deformable material into footwear, engaging the material with a first end of a tool, moving the material to a desired portion of the footwear with the tool, and deforming the material into a desired shape with the first end of the tool.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present disclosure generally relates to footwear accessories and, more particularly, to footwear accessories positionable in footwear to improve wearability. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Finding footwear that fits ideally is oftentimes a difficult task. Additionally, overtime, footwear stretches, deforms, or wears out, thereby providing a poor fit with the user&#39;s foot. Footwear can be too large, too small, too wide, too narrow, etc. Unfortunately, such drawbacks are not discovered until the footwear has been worn for a period of time, after which the footwear cannot be returned. Thus, purchasers of the footwear are stuck wearing poorly fitting footwear or they cast aside, discard, or otherwise stop wearing the footwear, thereby resulting in sore feet and/or a waste of money. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    The present disclosure is defined by the following claims, and nothing in this section should be taken as a limitation on those claims. 
         [0004]    A need exists for a manner of altering inadequately fitting footwear to be more comfortable and adequately fit a wearer&#39;s foot. 
         [0005]    In one aspect, a kit is provided and includes a deformable material adapted to be positioned into footwear, and a tool including a first end and a second end. The first end of the tool is adapted to engage the deformable material, move the material to a desired position in the footwear, and shape the material. The second end of the tool is adapted to engage the material and remove the material from the footwear. 
         [0006]    In another aspect, a method of improving wearabilty of footwear is provided and includes positioning a deformable material into footwear, engaging the material with a first end of a tool, moving the material to a desired portion of the footwear with the tool, and deforming the material into a desired shape with the first end of the tool. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    The disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the disclosure. 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a top front perspective view of exemplary footwear, exemplary material positionable in the footwear, and an exemplary tool for inserting, shaping, and removing the material. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the footwear and material shown in  FIG. 1  with a top portion of the footwear removed to expose the interior of the footwear, the material is shown in a toe portion of the footwear. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a top view similar to  FIG. 2  with the material positioned in the shoe and in the process of being moved into the toe portion of the footwear with the tool. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a top view similar to  FIG. 2  with the material moved into the toe portion of the footwear and shaped with the tool. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a top view similar to  FIG. 2  with the material in the toe portion of the footwear, and the tool positioned in the footwear and engaging the material for removal of the material from the footwear. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a top view similar to  FIG. 2  with the material engaged by the tool and in the process of being removed from the footwear. 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  a top view similar to  FIG. 2  with the material shown in an arch portion of the footwear. 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a top view similar to  FIG. 2  with the material shown in a heel portion of the footwear. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0016]    With reference to  FIG. 1 , an exemplary substance or material  20  is illustrated and is adapted to be positioned in footwear  24  to improve wearability of the footwear  24 . The material  20  is adapted to be positioned in any type of footwear  24  such as, for example, military shoes or boots, stilettos, other high-heel shoes, men&#39;s dress shoes, athletic shoes, or any other men&#39;s or women&#39;s shoe, or any other type of footwear. The illustrated footwear  24  is merely an exemplary type of footwear and is not intended to be limiting. Rather, as expressed above, the material  20  may be positioned in any type of footwear and all of such possibilities are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. 
         [0017]    Footwear oftentimes does not provide desirable wearability to an individual wearing the footwear. For example, the footwear may be inappropriately sized (e.g., too large) to a wearer&#39;s foot, thereby causing discomfort to the individual. Also, for example, footwear may have locations causing undesirable discomfort or friction to a user&#39;s foot. Moreover, for example, footwear begins to wear or become misshaped overtime and the material  20  is adapted to maintain shape and integrity of the footwear. The material  20  is positionable within footwear to alleviate these undesirable attributes, thereby ultimately improving wearability of the footwear. 
         [0018]    The material  20  includes a variety of characteristics that make it beneficial for improving wearability of the footwear  24 . For example, the material  20  may be malleable, pliable, moldable or otherwise deformable to allow the material  20  to take a desired shape and to provide a relatively soft surface for a user&#39;s foot to engage. At the same time, the material  20  is also, for example, sufficiently durable to provide necessary support to the user&#39;s foot when in the footwear  24 , inhibit premature deterioration of the material  20 , and facilitate reuse of the material  20 . Moreover, for example, the material  20  may have tackiness or a sufficient level of friction to inhibit the material  20  from slipping within the footwear  24  and/or to inhibit a user&#39;s foot from slipping against the material  20 . The material  20  is adapted to remain intact, maintain its molded shape, and remain in position within the footwear  24  when exposed to normal conditions such as, for example, natural foot moisture and normal range of body temperatures. Furthermore, the material  20  may be non-toxic, non-staining, scented or unscented, and may come in a variety of different colors. The various colors may be purely aesthetic and cater to users&#39; color preferences, or the colors may correspond to characteristics of the material  20  such as, for example, durability, tackiness, scent or unscented, size, type of footwear with which to use the material (e.g., men&#39;s shoe, women&#39;s shoe, athletic shoe, etc.) or any other characteristic of the material  20  to provide a user with visual indication of the characteristics of the material  20 . 
         [0019]    With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the material  20  is positioned in a toe portion  28  of the footwear  24 . If an individual has a shoe that is too large for their foot, the individual may position the material  20  in the toe portion  28  to occupy some of the excess space between the toe of the shoe and the individual&#39;s foot. The individual&#39;s toes engage the material  20  to provide a better fit and inhibit substantial sliding of the individual&#39;s foot within the shoe. 
         [0020]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1 ,  3 , and  4 , the material  20  may be inserted into the footwear  24 , moved into a desired position within the footwear  24 , desirably shaped, and removed from the footwear  24  using an exemplary tool  32 . The tool  32  may have a variety of different configurations, shapes, sizes, etc. and be within the intended spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Additionally, the tool  32  may be comprised of a variety of different materials such as, for example, plastic, metal, or any other material, all of which are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the tool  32  may be a one-piece unitarily formed tool or may be comprised of multiple components coupled together in any manner such as, for example, fasteners, welding, bonding, adhering, snap-fit, interference-fit, or any other manner of coupling components together. 
         [0021]    In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the tool  32  includes a first end  36  adapted to insert, position, and shape the material  20  and a second end  40  adapted to remove the material  20  from footwear  24 . The first end  36  includes an engagement surface  44  adapted to engage the material  20  to move and shape the material  20 . In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the engagement surface  44  is arcuate and may have a variety of different arcuate sizes and shapes in order to provide a variety of different shapes to the material  20 . In other exemplary embodiments, the engagement surface  44  may have other shapes such as, for example, flat, polygonal, or any other shape, and all of such shapes are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The engagement surface  44  of the tool  32  engages and is pushed against the material  20  to move the material  20  into the desired portion of the footwear  24  (e.g., the toe portion  28  as illustrated in  FIGS. 1-4 ). Then, the material  20  is shaped by further pressing the engagement surface  44  of the tool  32  against the material  20  when the material  20  is in the desired portion of the shoe (as shown in  FIG. 4 ). Once the material  20  is desirably shaped, the tool  32  is removed from the footwear  24  and an individual may wear the footwear  24 . 
         [0022]    With reference to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the second end  40  of the tool  32  is adapted to remove the material  20  from the footwear  24 . The second end  40  includes a removal member  48  adapted to engage (see  FIG. 5 ) and pull (see  FIG. 6 ) the material  20  from the footwear  24 . In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the removal member is a hook  48 . In other exemplary embodiments, the removal member  48  may be any shape and size as long as it can engage and remove the material  20  from the footwear  24 . The hook  48  is adequately shaped to facilitate penetration of the hook  48  into the material  20  and ensure gripping of the material  20  when the tool  32  is being pulled/removed from the footwear  24 . 
         [0023]    It should be understood that the material  20  may be positioned and desirably shaped anywhere within footwear  24  to improve wearability of the footwear  24 .  FIGS. 1-6  illustrate the material  20  positioned and shaped in the toe portion  28  of the shoe. Alternatively, for example, the material  20  may be positioned and shaped in an arch portion  52  (see  FIG. 7 ), a heel portion  56  (see  FIG. 8 ), or any other location within the footwear  24 . The tool  32  is adapted to insert, position, and shape the material  20  at any location within the footwear  24 . Additionally, the tool  32  is adapted to remove the material  20  from any location within the footwear  24 . 
         [0024]    The material  20  and the tool  32  in combination provide a kit or system  60  adapted to improve the wearability of footwear  24 . The kit or system  60  may be used in variety of different manners, methods, or processes. One exemplary process includes inserting the material  20  into footwear  24 , engaging the material  20  with the first end  36  (e.g., the engagement surface  44 ) of the tool  32 , moving the material  20  into a desired portion of the footwear  24  with the tool  32 , pressing the first end  36  against the material  20  with the material  20  in the desired portion of the footwear  24  to desirably shape the material  20 , disengaging the first end  36  of the tool  32  from the material  20  once the material  20  has the desired shape, and removing the tool  32  from the footwear  24 . The process may further include removal of the material  20  from the footwear  24  by, for example, inserting the tool  32  into the footwear  24 , engaging the material  20  with the second end  40  (e.g., the removal member  48 ) of the tool  32 , penetrating the second end  40  of the tool  32  into the material  20 , withdrawing the tool  32  from the footwear  24  while maintaining engagement between the tool  32  and the material  20  to remove the material  20  from the desired portion of the footwear  24 , and removing the tool  32  and the material  20  from the footwear  24 . 
         [0025]    It should be understood that this exemplary process is only one of many possible manners, methods, and processes of using the kit or system, and this and any of the other possible manners, methods, and processes may include fewer, more, or other steps and be within the intended spirit and scope of the present disclosure. 
         [0026]    The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter. 
         [0027]    While various embodiments of the invention have been described, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments and implementations are possible within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0