GB2140273A

GB2140273A - Protective footwear for a spike shoe

Info

Publication number: GB2140273A
Application number: GB08314555A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Masao Shimada
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-05-26
Filing date: 1983-05-26
Publication date: 1984-11-28
Also published as: GB8314555D0; GB2140273B

Abstract

Protective footwear A for use with spiked shoes B comprises a footwear body 1 of resilient material having the same general plan configuration as that of the sole of the spike shoe, and formed with a plurality of recesses 2 positioned and dimensioned to receive the spikes 11 on the bottom surface of the sole of the spiked shoe and means 7, 10 for releasably attaching the body 1 to the spiked shoe. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Protective footwear for a spike shoe The present invention relates to a protective footwear for a spike shoe and more particularly to a protective footwear adapted to carry thereon a spike shoe for a golf or other sports player.

As is well known, any golf or other sports such as baseball or climbing player is strictly prohibited from entering and walking on a floor with his spike shoe put on his feet and no convenient protective means has been hitherto developed and manufactured for this kind of spike shoes.

The present invention is intended to meet the requirement for a convenient, easily attached protective means which enables e.g.. a golf or other sports player to enter and walk on a floor with his spike shoes put on his feet and which is simple and inexpensive to make.

A protective footwear of the invention is designed to carry thereon a spike shoe with spike pins fitted into corresponding circular recesses.

According to the invention there is provided protective footwear for use with spiked footwear comprising: a footwear body of resilient material and having the same general plan configuration as that of the sole of the spike shoe, said footwear body being formed with a plurality of recesses positioned and dimensioned to receive the spikes on the bottom surface of the sole of the spiked footwear and means for releasably attaching the protective footwear body to the spiked footwear.

The preferred protective footwear essentially comprises a footwear body in the form of a sandal, a first belt at the fore part of the footwear body and a second belt at the rear part of the same. The footwear body is made of resilient material such as rubber or the like and has a plurality of circular recesses formed thereon so as to receive the spike pins on the bottom surface of the sole of the spike shoe.

Both the first and second belts are also made of resilient material and are arched between the left- and right-hand edges of the footwear body in the transverse direction relative to the latter. The first belt is adapted to resiliently hold the toe section of the spike shoe, whereas the second belt is to resiliently hold the heel section of the same. To fit the heel of the spike shoe the footwear body has a stepped area at its rear part. Prior to putting the spike shoe on the footwear body the first belt is first expanded by manual operation of a player's hand so as to allow the toe section of the spike shoe to be inserted through the expanded opening of the first belt until the spike pins at the toe section of the spike shoe are fitted into the corresponding circular recesses on the footwear body.The second belt is then expanded by manual operation of the palyer's hand in the same manner as the first one so that the residual spike pins at the heel section of the spike shoe are fitted into the corresponding circular recesses on the footwear body. By releasing the first and second belts from the expanded state the spike shoe is firmly held by their resiliency.

An embodiment is hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of protective footwear for the right foot for use with a spiked shoe; Figure 2 is a side view of the same protective footwear (but for the left foot) together with the spiked shoe, shown in a spaced relation before the latter is fitted onto the former, and Figure 3 is a perspective view of an assembly of the protective footwear and the spike shoe.

Now the present invention will be described in a greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention.

The illustrated footwear as identified by reference letter A is intended to be in use for a spike shoe for golf players as identified by reference letter B. As is apparent from the drawings, the protective footwear A is generally designed in the form of a sandal and essentially comprises a footwear body 1 made of resilient material such as rubber or the like and having the same configuration as that of the sole of the spike shoe B, a first belt 4 at the fore part of the footwear body 1 and a second belt 7 at the rear part of the same.

Both the first and second belts 4 and 7 are also made of resilient material such as rubber or the like and further the footwear body 1 is formed with a plurality of circular recesses 2 having a sectional configuration of an inverted cone which are located corresponding to the spike pins 11 on the bottom surface of the sole of the spike shoe B. In the illustrated embodiment seven circular recesses 2 are formed at the toe section 3 and four circular recesses 2 are formed at the heel section of the footwear body 1.

The first belt 4 is arched between both the left-hand edge 5 and the right-hand edge 6 at the toe section 3, whereas the second belt 7 is arched between both the left-hand edge 5 and the right-hand edge 6 at the heel section of the footwear body 1. Both the first and second belts 4 and 7 extend in the transverse direction relative to the footwear bossy 1. As is apparent from Fig. 2, the footwear body 1 has a stepped area as defined by a transverse step plane 1 5 at the heel section so that the heel of the spike shoe B is fitted onto the aforesaid stepped area by engaging the forward edge 16 of the heel 1 3 of the spike shoe B to the transverse step plane 1 5 of the protective footwear A.

it should be of course understood that the accompanying drawings show merely a righthand protective footwear but a pair of protective footwear are usually used for a pair of spike shoes.

Next, a description will be made below as to how the protective footwear A is used for the spike shoe B.

The first belt 4 is first expanded by manual operation of a player's hand and the fore part of the spike shoe B is then inserted onto the toe section 3 through the expanded opening 10 of the first belt 4 until the spike pins 11 on the bottom surface of the fore part of the spike shoe B are fitted into the corresponding circular recesses 2. After completion of the fitting of the spike pins 11 the first belt 4 is released from the expanded state whereby it is tightly seated across the upper part of the toe section of the spike shoe B. Next, the second belt 7 is expanded by manual operation of player's hand in the same manner as the first belt 4 so as to allow the spike pins 11 on the bottom surface of the rear part of the spike shoe B to be fitted into the corresponding circular recesses 2.Then, by releasing the second belt 7 from the expanded state it is brought in tight contact with the rear part 14 of the heel 1 3 of the spike shoe B while the forward edge 1 6 of the heel 1 3 is engaged to the transverse plane 1 5 at the heel section of the protective footwear A. Thus, the protective footwear A and the spike shoe B are integrally united into a single structure in the form of a normal sport shoe.

As will be readily understood from the above description, any golf player can enter a club house in a golf course and walk freely therearound without any fear of prohibition as long as he wears the protective footwear of the invention.

Additional advantage of the invention is that the protective footwear has no fear of injuring or damaging a floor surface of the club house.

Further another advantage of the present invention is that the protective footwear is applicable to any other type of spike shoe other than golf shoe.

Claims

1. Protective footwear for use with spiked footwear comprising: a footwear body of resilient material and having the same general plan configuration as that of the sole of the spike shoe, said footwear body being formed with a plurality of recesses positioned and dimensioned to receive the spikes on the bottom surface of the sole of the spiked footwear and means for releasably attaching the protective footwear body to the spiked footwear.

2. Footwear according to claim 1, wherein attachment means includes a first member adapted to resiliently hold to the toe section of the spiked footwear and a second member adapted to resiliently hold to the heel section of the spiked footwear.

3. Footwear according to claim 2 wherein the attachment means includes a first belt arched between the left- and right-hand edges of the footwear body in the forepart region, said first belt being made of resilient material and extending in the transverse direction relative to the footwear body, and a second belt arched between the left-and right-hand edges of the footwear body in the heel region, said second belt being made of resilient material and extending in the transverse direction relative to the footwear body.

4. Footwear according to any preceding claim wherein the footwear body has a stepped area in the heel region which is configured so as to receive the heel of the spiked footwear.

5. Footwear according to any preceding claim in the form of left- and right-foot members.

6. Protective footwear substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawing.