Footwear Cover

Abstract

A footwear cover arranged to receive footwear article therein comprises a sole portion, a toe portion and a heel portion. Each of the toe and heel portions comprises a vertical wall portion in which the toe portion further comprises an upper resilient portion extending inwardly to receive the toe of the footwear article thereunder and the heel portion further comprises a plurality of horizontal ridges extending inwardly to engage the heel of the footwear article. The ridges terminate at respective inner free edges lying in a generally common vertical plane.

1 . A footwear cover for covering an article of footwear, the cover comprising:
 a sole portion spanning between a toe end and a heel end and arranged for receiving the article of footwear thereon;   the sole portion being flexible so as to be arranged to allow walking when the article of footwear is supported thereon;   a toe portion formed at the toe end of the sole portion;   the toe portion comprising a perimeter wall portion extending upwardly from the toe end of the sole portion and an upper portion spaced upwardly from the sole portion and extending from the perimeter wall portion inwardly towards the heel end of the sole portion so as to be arranged to receive a full height of a toe of the article of footwear between the upper portion and the sole portion when the article of footwear is supported on the sole portion; and   a heel portion formed at the heel of the sole portion;   the heel portion comprising a perimeter wall portion extending upwardly from the heel end of the sole portion so as to be arranged to engage a heel of the article of footwear when the article of footwear is supported in the sole portion;   the wall portion of the heel portion comprising an inner surface extending substantially vertically upward from the sole portion and protrusions formed on the inner surface arranged to grip the heel of the article of footwear; and   the heel portion being stiffer than the toe portion.   
   
   
       2 . The cover according to  claim 1  wherein each protrusion comprises a substantially horizontally extending ridge projecting inwardly from the inner surface towards the toe portion, the ridges being vertically spaced apart from one another at differing distances from the sole portion. 
   
   
       3 . The cover according to  claim 2  wherein each ridge extends inwardly from the inner surface of the wall portion to an inner free edge arranged to engage the heel of the article of footwear, the ridges projecting from the inner surface by an equal distance relative to one another such that the inner free edges of the ridges terminate at a common vertically oriented surface curved about the heel portion. 
   
   
       4 . The cover according to  claim 2  wherein the wall portion of the heel portion comprises a rear wall extending upwardly from the heel end of the sole portion and a pair of side walls extending upwardly from opposing sides of the sole portion integrally with the rear wall, each ridge being formed integrally at opposing ends with respective ones of the side walls such that the inner free edges of the ridges are joined to the side walls of the heel portion. 
   
   
       5 . The cover according to  claim 1  wherein a bottom side of the sole portion comprises a plurality of laterally extending grooves formed therein between opposing sides of the sole portion such that the sole portion is more flexible near the toe end than the heel end. 
   
   
       6 . The cover according to  claim 1  wherein the upper portion of the toe portion is more flexible and more resilient than the perimeter wall portion of the toe portion. 
   
   
       7 . The cover according to  claim 1  wherein there are provided side walls extending from opposing sides of the sole portion between the toe portion and the heel portion, the side walls extending upwardly from the sole portion at an outward angle away from one another wherein the sole portion is stiffer and more rigid than the side walls. 
   
   
       8 . The cover according to  claim 1  wherein there is provided a release member integrally formed with the heel portion which projects rearwardly from the heel portion away from the toe portion at a location which is spaced upwardly from the sole portion adjacent a top end of the heel portion, the release member being thicker than the sole portion so as to be rigid. 
   
   
       9 . The cover according to  claim 1  wherein the wall portion of the toe portion comprises an inner surface extending substantially vertically upward from the sole portion and protrusions formed on the inner surface arranged to grip the toe of the article of footwear, each protrusion on the toe portion comprises a substantially horizontally extending ridge projecting inwardly from the inner surface towards the heel portion, the ridges being vertically spaced apart from one another at differing distances from the sole portion. 
   
   
       10 . The cover according to  claim 9  wherein each ridge on the inner surface of the toe portion comprises a plurality of slots formed therein to extend from an inner free edge of the respective ridge partway towards the inner surface. 
   
   
       11 . The cover according to  claim 1  wherein the heel portion is formed integrally of like material with the sole portion and the toe portion, the heel portion being thicker than the sole portion and the toe portion such that the heel portion is more rigid than the sole portion and the toe portion. 
   
   
       12 . The cover according to  claim 1  wherein the heel portion includes an insertion surface extending upwardly and outwardly from a top end of the inner surface of the heel portion opposite the toe portion so as to be arranged for guiding insertion of the heel into the heel portion of the cover. 
   
   
       13 . A footwear cover for covering an article of footwear, the cover comprising:
 a sole portion spanning between a toe end and a heel end and arranged for receiving the article of footwear thereon;   the sole portion being flexible so as to be arranged to allow walking when the article of footwear is supported thereon;   a toe portion formed at the toe end of the sole portion;   the toe portion comprising a perimeter wall portion extending upwardly from the toe end of the sole portion and an upper portion spaced upwardly from the sole portion and extending from the perimeter wall portion inwardly towards the heel end of the sole portion so as to be arranged to receive a toe of the article of footwear between the upper portion and the sole portion when the article of footwear is supported on the sole portion;   a heel portion formed at the heel of the sole portion;   the heel portion comprising a perimeter wall portion extending upwardly from the heel end of the sole portion so as to be arranged to engage a heel of the article of footwear when the article of footwear is supported in the sole portion;   the wall portion of the heel portion comprising an inner surface extending substantially vertically upward from the sole portion and protrusions formed on the inner surface arranged to grip the heel of the article of footwear; and   each protrusion comprises a substantially horizontally extending ridge projecting inwardly from the inner surface towards the toe portion, the ridges being vertically spaced apart from one another at differing distances from the sole portion.   
   
   
       14 . The cover according to  claim 13  wherein each ridge extends inwardly from the inner surface of the wall portion to an inner free edge arranged to engage the heel of the article of footwear, the ridges projecting from the inner surface by an equal distance relative to one another such that the inner free edges of the ridges terminate at a common vertically oriented surface curved about the heel portion. 
   
   
       15 . The cover according to  claim 13  wherein there is provided a release member integrally formed with the heel portion which projects rearwardly from the heel portion away from the toe portion at a location which is spaced upwardly from the sole portion adjacent a top end of the heel portion, the release member being substantially rigid. 
   
   
       16 . The cover according to  claim 15  wherein the release member is formed of the same material as the sole portion, the release member being thicker than the sole portion so as to be rigid. 
   
   
       17 . The cover according to  claim 13  wherein the wall portion of the heel portion comprises a rear wall extending upwardly from the heel end of the sole portion and a pair of side walls extending upwardly from opposing sides of the sole portion integrally with the rear wall, each ridge being formed integrally at opposing ends with respective ones of the side walls such that the inner free edges of the ridges are joined to the side walls of the heel portion. 
   
   
       18 . The cover according to  claim 13  wherein the heel portion is formed integrally of like material with the sole portion and the toe portion, the heel portion being thicker than the sole portion and the toe portion such that the heel portion is more rigid than the sole portion and the toe portion. 
   
   
       19 . The cover according to  claim 13  wherein the heel portion includes an insertion surface extending upwardly and outwardly from a top end of the inner surface of the heel portion opposite the toe portion so as to be arranged for guiding insertion of the heel into the heel portion of the cover. 
   
   
       20 . A footwear cover for covering an article of footwear, the cover comprising:
 a sole portion spanning between a toe end and a heel end and arranged for receiving the article of footwear thereon;   the sole portion being flexible so as to be arranged to allow walking when the article of footwear is supported thereon;   a toe portion formed at the toe end of the sole portion;   the toe portion comprising a perimeter wall portion extending upwardly from the toe end of the sole portion and an upper portion spaced upwardly from the sole portion and extending from the perimeter wall portion inwardly towards the heel end of the sole portion so as to be arranged to receive a full height of a toe of the article of footwear between the upper portion and the sole portion when the article of footwear is supported on the sole portion;   the upper portion of the toe portion is more flexible and more resilient than the perimeter wall portion of the toe portion;   a heel portion formed at the heel of the sole portion;   the heel portion being stiffer than the sole portion;   the heel portion comprising a perimeter wall portion extending upwardly from the heel end of the sole portion so as to be arranged to engage a heel of the article of footwear when the article of footwear is supported in the sole portion;   the wall portion of the heel portion comprising an inner surface extending substantially vertically upward from the sole portion and protrusions formed on the inner surface arranged to grip the heel of the article of footwear;   each protrusion comprising a substantially horizontally extending ridge projecting inwardly from the inner surface towards the toe portion, the ridges being vertically spaced apart from one another at differing distances from the sole portion.   each ridge extending inwardly from the inner surface of the wall portion to an inner free edge arranged to engage the heel of the article of footwear;   the ridges projecting from the inner surface by an equal distance relative to one another such that the inner free edges of the ridges terminate at a common vertically oriented surface curved about the heel portion;   the wall portion of the heel portion further comprising a rear wall extending upwardly from the heel end of the sole portion and a pair of side walls extending upwardly from opposing sides of the sole portion integrally with the rear wall, each ridge being formed integrally at opposing ends with respective ones of the side walls such that the inner free edges of the ridges are joined to the side walls of the heel portion; and   a release member integrally formed with the heel portion which projects rearwardly from the heel portion away from the toe portion at a location which is spaced upwardly from the sole portion adjacent a top end of the heel portion, the release member being substantially rigid;   the release member is formed of the same material as the sole portion, the release member being thicker than the sole portion so as to be rigid;   the heel portion and the release portion being formed integrally of like material with the sole portion and the toe portion;   the heel portion and the release portion being thicker than the sole portion and the toe portion such that the heel portion and the release portion are more rigid than the sole portion and the toe portion.