US20110247185A1

US20110247185A1 - Fabric or elastic heel tab to attach shoes with heels to display hangers

Info

Publication number: US20110247185A1
Application number: US12/758,970
Authority: US
Inventors: Rex Bolden; Kathy Hymer; Selim Dushey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-04-13
Filing date: 2010-04-13
Publication date: 2011-10-13

Abstract

A shoe display system is provided for promoting and selling shoes. The shoe display system comprises a combination of a shoe and a receiving loop. The receiving loop is formed by a receiving strip of material fixed at opposite end portions to inside the heel counter of said shoe.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to displaying and selling shoes without using shoe boxes, and more specifically, to tabs attached to shoes for display and sale purposes.
Footwear is traditionally packed and transported in shoe boxes. For display purposes, a cover of the shoebox is often removed to enable a customer to view shoes packed therein. More often, a representative shoe is removed from the shoe box and placed on a table or rack for customer inspection. The representative shoe is virtually never the same as the shoe ultimately purchased, typically because the representative shoe is the wrong size or color, or has been damaged during multiple customer handlings.
As can be seen, there is a need for a more effective and visually pleasing method of suspending and displaying a pair of shoes, and indicating the trademark, style, size, price, and/or other information in retail stores.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a shoe display system comprises a shoe; and a receiving loop formed by a receiving strip of material fixed at opposite end portions to inside the heel counter of the shoe.
In another aspect of the present invention, a method of promoting a shoe for sale comprises forming a receiving loop by attaching opposite first and second ends of a strip to the shoe; and hanging the shoe through the formed loop for a purchaser to view.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention in use;

FIG. 1 a is a front perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 1 b is a side perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 1 c is a close up front view of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 is a front view of another exemplary embodiment of the present in use;

FIG. 2 a is a front perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 b is a side perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 c is a close up front view of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 3 is a front view of yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention in use;

FIG. 3 a is a front perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 3 b is a side perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 3 c is a close up front view of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.
Various inventive features are described below that can each be used independently of one another or in combination with other features.
Broadly, embodiments of the present invention generally provide methods and systems of providing a shoe display. More specifically, the exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide an attachment of an elastic or fabric strip inside of the heel counter of the shoe at or near the top line of the back counter.
FIG. 1 depicts a front view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention in use with FIGS. 1 a-1 c showing the exemplary embodiment from different angles. A strip 10 used for the present invention may be a narrow, elongated, flexible plastic or fabric unit. Furthermore, such strip 10 may be durable and elastic. Moreover, using elastic strips and increasing the length and tension of the strip 10 may provide additional fit options.
Both ends of the strip 14 a and 14 b may be sewn on the inside the heel counter 16 of a shoe 13 at two different locations. Alternatively, both ends of the strip 14 a and 14 b may be sewn on the same position inside the heel counter 16. A sewing thread may not penetrate through the heel 18 of the shoe 13 and thus the attachment of the strip 10 does not damage the shoe when a sewing thread and a sewing machine are used. Instead, the thread may be sewn through the fabric inside the heel counter 16. Alternatively, both ends of the strip 14 a and 14 b may be glued to the heel counter 16 by using an adhesive machine. A receiving loop 10 may be formed after both ends 14 a and 14 b of the strip 10 were sewn or glued to the back counter 16 and a center portion 15 may be pullable away from the heel counter 16 of the shoe 13 to provide an open center. In addition, the receiving loop 10 may be located on the shoe in a vertical position (shown in FIGS. 1 and 3), such that it extends substantially vertically to the ground when the shoe 13 is worn by a wearer.
Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 2, the receiving loop 20 may be located on the shoe in a horizontal position, such that it may extend substantially horizontally to the ground when the shoe 14 is worn by a wearer. Both ends 24 a and 24 b of the receiving loop 20 may be sewn or glued to the back counter 16 with a center portion 25 which may be pullable away from the heel counter 16.
As shown in FIG. 3, two ends 34 a and 34 b may be sewn or glued at the same position of the top line 38 of the back counter of the shoe 13. The receiving strip 30 may be permanently or temporarily attached to the shoe 13. Furthermore, the receiving strip 30 may be fabricated of material similar in at least one of pattern and color to that of the shoe to which it is affixed.
As shown in FIG. 3, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a hanger 12 which is used to hang the shoe 13. An end tip 11 a or 11 b may run through the receiving loop 30 of the shoe 13. The ends 11 a, 11 b of the hanger 12 may utilize a clasping mechanism for releasably securing said loop 30. Alternatively, the ends 11 a, 11 b of the hanger 12 may utilize a hooking mechanism for releasably securing said loop.
One embodiment of the present invention may further help a purchaser to view the displayed shoes which may be hung by a hanger through a formed loop. In addition, the embodiment further comprises exposing the shoe's trademark, style, size, price, and other information of the shoe better for a purchaser to view. Especially, the purchaser may see the toe of the shoe clearly when the shoe is being hanged up.
It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A shoe display system comprising:

a shoe; and

a receiving loop formed by a receiving strip of material fixed at opposite end portions to inside the heel counter of the shoe.

2. The shoe display system of claim 1, wherein the receiving loop extends substantially horizontally to the ground when said shoe is worn by a wearer.

3. The shoe display system of claim 1, wherein the receiving loop extends substantially vertically to the ground when said shoe is worn by a wearer.

4. The shoe display system of claim 1, wherein the receiving loop extends from the edge of the inside of the heel counter.

5. The shoe display system of claim 1, wherein the receiving strip is fabricated of material similar in at least one of pattern and color to that of the shoe to which it is affixed.

6. The shoe display system of claim 1, wherein the receiving strip is permanently attached to the shoe.

7. The shoe display system of claim 1, wherein the receiving strip is temporarily attached to the shoe.

8. A method of promoting a shoe for sale, comprising:

forming a receiving loop by attaching opposite first and second ends of a strip to the shoe; and

hanging the shoe through the formed loop for a purchaser to view.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising exposing one of trademark, style, size, price, and other information of the shoe to help the purchaser to view.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising exposing the toe of the shoe up to for the purchaser to view.