Footwear adornment, system for accessorizing footwear, and methods therefor

Abstract

An adornment for an article of footwear having a forefoot portion that includes a thong portion adapted to be positioned between a wearer's toes, and a forefoot cover connected to the thong portion. The adornment includes a clip that has a legged structure having a pair of spaced apart legs, or elongate extensions, adapted to straddle a portion of the footwear and a mount supported relative to the elongate extensions. The adornment also includes a decorative accessory disposed on the mount and may be adapted to releasably engage the mount.

1 . An adornment for footwear, comprising:
 a) a pair of elongate extensions adapted to straddle a portion of the footwear;   b) a mount supported relative to said elongate extensions; and   c) a decorative accessory disposed on said mount.   
     
     
         2 . An adornment according to  claim 1  wherein each elongate extension includes a stop portion. 
     
     
         3 . An adornment according to  claim 1  including a relief formed through an upper surface of said mount. 
     
     
         4 . An adornment according to  claim 3  wherein said decorative accessory includes a fastener sized and adapted to mate with said relief. 
     
     
         5 . An adornment according to  claim 1  wherein said decorative accessory is adapted to releasably engage said mount. 
     
     
         6 . An adornment according to  claim 5  wherein said decorative accessory is adapted to movably engage said mount. 
     
     
         7 . An adornment according to  claim 1  wherein said decorative accessory overhangs at least a portion of said mount. 
     
     
         8 . An adornment according to  claim 1  wherein said elongate extensions extend arcuately around a portion of the footwear. 
     
     
         9 . An adornment for an article of footwear that includes a forefoot portion having a thong portion adapted to be positioned between a wearer's toes and a forefoot cover connected to the thong portion, said adornment comprising:
 a) a clip including a legged structure having a pair of spaced apart legs and a mount supported by said legged structure, said clip adapted to releasably engage the forefoot portion in a captured state wherein said legs straddle the thong portion and said mount is seated on the forefoot cover; and   b) a decorative accessory adapted to releasably engage said mount.   
     
     
         10 . An adornment according to  claim 9  wherein said decorative accessory includes a fastener. 
     
     
         11 . An adornment according to  claim 10  including a relief formed through an upper surface of said mount along an open-ended contour to form a tongue shaped tab. 
     
     
         12 . An adornment according to  claim 9  wherein said legged structure is integrally formed from a unitary piece of material. 
     
     
         13 . A system for accessorizing footwear that includes a forefoot portion, comprising:
 a) means for releasably attaching a clip to the forefoot portion; and   b) means for releasably supporting a decorative accessory on said clip such that said decorative accessory is situated above the forefoot portion.   
     
     
         14 . A system for accessorizing footwear according to  claim 13  including means for movably supporting said decorative accessory on said clip. 
     
     
         15 . A system for accessorizing footwear according to  claim 14  including means for rotatably supporting said decorative accessory on said clip. 
     
     
         16 . A system for accessorizing footwear, comprising:
 a) a clip including a pair of elongate extensions configured to straddle a thong portion of the footwear, and a mount secured above said extensions for positioning on a forefoot cover of the footwear; and   b) at least one decorative accessory adapted to releasably engage said mount.   
     
     
         17 . A system for accessorizing footwear according to  claim 16  wherein said decorative accessory includes a fastener. 
     
     
         18 . A system for accessorizing footwear according to  claim 17  including a relief formed through an upper surface of said mount along an open-ended contour to form a tongue-shaped tab adapted to upwardly bias said fastener. 
     
     
         19 . A system for accessorizing footwear according to  claim 18  wherein said relief is configured so that said fastener snaps into said relief. 
     
     
         20 . A system for accessorizing footwear according to  claim 18  including a set of decorative accessories interchangeably attachable to said mount. 
     
     
         21 . A method for accessorizing footwear, comprising:
 a) releasably attaching a clip to the footwear in a captured state wherein at least a portion of said clip straddles a first portion of the footwear; and   b) releasably supporting a first decorative accessory on said clip such that said first decorative accessory is seated on a second portion of the footwear that is joined to the first portion.   
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 21  including removing said first decorative accessory and releasably supporting a second decorative accessory on said clip. 
     
     
         23 . A method according to  claim 21  wherein said clip includes a mount and comprising situating said mount on said second portion when in the captured state.