Method and articles for adornment of footwear

Abstract

An adornment for application to an article of footwear includes a decorative element sized and shaped for conforming application about the quarter of a shoe and two or more fasteners operably affixed to the decorative element and adapted to removably affix the decorative element directly to the quarter of the shoe. The decorative element may be formed as a decorative panel, a decorative construct, a decorative strip or the like. In the case of a panel or construct, clips or clasps are used for engaging the cuff about the throat of the shoe. In the case of a decorative strip, a novel use of magnetic fasteners is disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An adornment for application to an article of footwear, said adornment comprising:
 a decorative element, said decorative element being sized and shaped for conforming application about the quarter of a shoe;   a plurality of clasps operably affixed to said decorative element, each said clasp being adapted to removably affix said decorative element directly to said quarter of said shoe.   
     
     
         2 . The adornment as recited in  claim 1 , wherein each said clasp is adapted to engage a cuff about the throat of said shoe. 
     
     
         3 . The adornment as recited in  claim 1 , wherein:
 said decorative element comprises a panel sized and shaped to substantially overlay the nose of the quarter of said shoe; and   each said clasp is affixed to a back face of said panel.   
     
     
         4 . The adornment as recited in  claim 3 , wherein said panel comprises decorative outer face. 
     
     
         5 . The adornment as recited in  claim 1 , wherein:
 said decorative element comprises a decorative construct; and   each said clasp is affixed to a bottom side of said decorative construct.   
     
     
         6 . The adornment as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said decorative construct is sized and shaped to substantially overlay the nose of each quarter and the vamp of said shoe. 
     
     
         7 . The adornment as recited in  claim 5 , wherein:
 said decorative construct comprises a plurality of individual ornaments, said ornaments being interconnected by a flexible element; and   each said clasp is affixed one each to a back side of said individual ornaments.   
     
     
         8 . The adornment as recited in  claim 7 , wherein said flexible element comprises a chain. 
     
     
         9 . A selectively adorned shoe, said selectively adorned shoe comprising:
 an upper having a substantially open throat bounded by a vamp and a quarter extending from a first side of said vamp about the back of said upper and to a second side of said vamp;   an interior liner extending generally about the area defined by said quarter;   a first set of ferromagnetic elements, each said ferromagnetic element of said first set being disposed between said quarter and said liner;   a flexible strip, said flexible strip being sized and shaped to substantially overlay said quarter;   a second set of ferromagnetic elements, each said ferromagnetic element of said second set being affixed to said flexible strip; and   wherein:
 each ferromagnetic element of said second set is positioned for pairwise mating alignment with one ferromagnetic element of said first set; and 
 one of each pairwise positioned ferromagnetic elements is magnetized. 
   
     
     
         10 . The selectively adorned shoe as recited in  claim 9 , wherein:
 said flexible strip comprises a first, front face and a second, rear face; and   each ferromagnetic element of said second set is affixed to said second, rear face of said flexible strip.   
     
     
         11 . The selectively adorned shoe as recited in  claim 10 , wherein each ferromagnetic element of said first set is magnetized. 
     
     
         12 . The selectively adorned shoe as recited in  claim 10 , wherein each ferromagnetic element of said second set is magnetized. 
     
     
         13 . The selectively adorned shoe as recited in  claim 12 , wherein each ferromagnetic element of said first set is magnetized. 
     
     
         14 . The selectively adorned shoe as recited in  claim 9 , wherein each ferromagnetic element of said second set is magnetized. 
     
     
         15 . The selectively adorned shoe as recited in  claim 14 , wherein each ferromagnetic element of said first set is magnetized. 
     
     
         16 . The selectively adorned shoe as recited in  claim 9 , wherein each ferromagnetic element of said first set is magnetized. 
     
     
         17 . The selectively adorned shoe as recited in  claim 16 , wherein:
 said flexible strip comprises a laminate having a first layer and a second layer; and   each ferromagnetic element of said second set is disposed within said flexible strip between said first layer and said second layer.   
     
     
         18 . The selectively adorned shoe as recited in  claim 17 , wherein:
 said first layer of said laminate comprises a first decorative face and said second layer of said laminate comprises a second decorative face; and   said second decorative face presents a decorative appearance different from that presented by said first decorative face.   
     
     
         19 . A shoe for use with an article of adornment, said shoe comprising:
 an upper having a substantially open throat bounded by a vamp and a quarter extending from a first side of said vamp about the back of said upper and to a second side of said vamp;   an interior liner extending generally about the area defined by said quarter; and   a plurality of ferromagnetic elements, each said ferromagnetic element being disposed between said quarter and said liner.   
     
     
         20 . The shoe for use with an article of adornment as recited in  claim 19 , wherein each said ferromagnetic element is magnetized.