Improvements in and Appertaining to Boots or Shoes Used in Playing Football and the like.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Sept., 1887
Complete Left, 1st June, 1888
Complete Accepted, 6th July, 1888
Improvements in and Appertaining to Boots or Shoes Used in
Playing Football and the like.
I, HARRY HOWE of No. 1 Halkin Street Belgrave in. the county of Leicester Boot
Manufacturers Warehouseman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in and appertaining to boots or shoes used
for playing football and the like to prevent the often dissapointing results of a player
failing to secure a kick, when the ball is slippy, or greasy from becoming saturated during
play, from soft ground or other such causes, and by using boots of the ordinary kind the
front or Toe having an even surface, and when the ball is kicked it is found to slip off,
or glide in a wrong direction, to obviate this and to insure "a sure kick," which name
I give to the article which is the subject of this invention-I provide at or on the too
of the upper, and also round the too of the sole, or fore part of the boot or shoe a
roughened, currogated or grooved surface, or employ an oval, or such like shaped
material preferably of leather, but may be of any composition, or compound suitable for
the purpose to form a toe cap, and secured to the upper in any desired way, suitable to the
material employed-on the underside the recesses are filled in with a cord or rounded
strip of leather and made secure by being backed in, by a suitable lining, glued or
pasted on and made firm and even on the under side, or if made of a composition such
as india-rubber, Vulcanite or other such compound to form a cap for the toe, they may
be cast with the ridges, or currogations on their outer or upper faces, or may be
roughened; the bars running parallel, vertically or in a transverse direction or crossing
each other to form a pattern so that when the kick is delivered no matter at what
angle it cannot get away and a sure kick is obtained, when the vertical or transverse
currogations are made in the front quarter of an upper they may extend to any point
of the toes or joints, the portion of the Toe or fore part of the sole is stamped out,
with the ridges or currogations to correspond with those in the upper or toe cap, by
this means of making the toe of the upper and the corresponding portion of the outer
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page_text: sole roughened or currogated with vertical or transverse bars, or ridges, or patterns,
whether upon the outer face of the upper, or by using a piece of material to form a
toe cap, as described, the kick when delivered will cause the ball to travel in the desired
direction, instead of the ball slipping away, as is frequently the case with using the
ordinary boots or shoes, the bottoms of the fore part, or heel are made in the ordinary
way. To obtain the sure kick the ridges or serrations, or currogations are only at the
toe or front of the upper, and sole, and extending vertically or transversly as before
described.

page_text: Improvements in and Appertaining to Boots or Shoes Used in
Playing Football and the like.
1, HARRY HOWE of No. 1 Halkin Street Belgrave in the county of Leicester Boot
Manufacturers Warehouseman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the followin statement:—
This invention relates to improvements in and appertaining to boots or shoes used
in playing football and the like, and more particularly to prevent the often dissapointing
results of a player failing to secure a kick when the ball is slippy, or greasy from
becoming saturated during play, from soft ground, or other such causes which occurs
in both the football and cricket fields. When using boots of the ordinary kind the
outer surface of which is smooth, that when the ball is kicked it slips away very
frequently in the wrong direction, to obviate this and to ensure "a sure kick "I
provide on the toe of the upper, or toe cap, and also round the toe of the sole or fore
part of the boot or shoe, or that part covering the toes and joints of the foot, or
extending to the instep a roughened, currogated or grooved surface, or employ an oval
shaped piece of material as shown in the drawings and square the corners to form a
toe cap which may be of leather, or of any composition or compound of India rubber
or gutta-percha and fluted to a pattern which when stiffened is sewn or otherwise
secured to the upper in any desired way suitable to the material employed the curro-
gations on the inner side of the upper or toe cap being filled in with a cord of twine,
or india rubber, or a rounded strip of leather, and secured by stitching or backing
with a lining that the inside of the upper, or cap is even. The raised bars being made
quite firm by a jigger which sends up the cord, and sewn in the manner as shown in
figure 5 of the drawings and when stiffened, the outer surface is fluted. When the
toe cap is required to be made from a composition such as india-rubber, gutta-percha,
or any such compounds they are cast in dies with the raised bars on their outer sides,
the same process being adopted to toe caps made from butt leather. That my invention
may be well understood, reference is made to the sheet of drawings accompanying
this Specification. Figure 1. is a side view of a boot A. the fore quarter B being
provided with the raised bars, or currogations C. as well as the toe cap, and the edges
of the middle and outer soles currogated by crimping either with a crimping or milling
tool, gouge, or knife.
Figure 2 is another side view of a boot A-the wing vamp B being provided with
the currogations C round the toe and joints and provided with what is called a brogue
or wing vamp to cover the joints, the pieces of feather which are rivetted to the outer
sole and heel are fixed in the position as shown in figure 6. to prevent the player
slipping forwards or sideways by the arrangement of the cross pieces D. and the
longitudinal strips D'.
Figure 3 is a top view of the fluted toe cap and crimped sole C.

page_text: Figure 4. is a flat front view of a toe cap showing another pattern of the raised bars,
or currogations C to form a fluted toe cap, or the same, in a toe or front of a boot or
shoe.
Figure 5. is an internal view of a piece of material showing how the cord C is
secured by sewing over, that when it is stiffened by paste and shaped the back is even
and quite hard, and further stiffened by an ordinary puff of leather put in the boot in
the ordinary manner.
Figure 6, is a view of the bottom of a boot with the currogated toe C and the strips D
and D¹ to prevent slipping.
By the herein described means of making the toe part of an upper of a boot, with
the corresponding part of the outer sole roughened, crimped, serrated or currogated
with raised bars, or the toe cap or brogue vamp, or instep or sides of a boot similarly
treated it is a safeguard against being kicked by other players in playing football or
such other games where the player is subject to the ball striking against the side of
the foot. The raised bars may be put to run in any suitable direction on the toe cap
or joints, or they may extend vertically or transversly on the toe or joints of a
boot or shoe, to ensure a 66
sure kick," or up the sides to ensure against being
kicked.
The toe or joints may be roughened by other means than those described for the
purpose referred to.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
A roughened, currogated, or fluted toe cap, and fluted vamp, instep or side, and
the edges of the middle and outer soles, crimped or otherwise roughened to correspond,
in boots or shoes used in playing football and the like.
Substantially in the manner and for the purpose hereinbefore described and set
forth.
Dated this 20th day of Ma- 1000