Interchangeable shoe skin

Abstract

A durable, decorative, and interchangeable shoe skin for a basic flat shoe is provided. The interchangeable shoe skin includes a covering material, typically a decorative fabric. A protective sheet formed of plastic extends along the entire inner surface of the covering material. The covering material presents an upper opening for aligning with a foot opening of the shoe. In one embodiment, the covering material presents a lower opening for exposing the sole of the shoe, and a pair of protective strips extends across the lower opening. In this embodiment, an exterior surface of the protective strips, which are in direct contact with the ground, are dipped in rubber for durability. In another embodiment, a supporting sole portion formed of neoprene is attached to the covering material along the entire sole of the shoe. A protective coating of polyurethane is also applied to the covering material to increase durability.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An interchangeable shoe skin, comprising:
 a covering material presenting an outer surface and an inner surface and having a contour matching a contour of a shoe for which the interchangeable shoe skin is designed to cover;   said covering material presenting an upper opening for aligning with a foot opening of the shoe and a lower opening for aligning with a sole of the shoe;   a protective sheet formed of plastic secured to said inner surface of said covering material and having a contour matching the contour of said covering material; and   at least one supporting strip extending across said lower opening.   
     
     
         2 . The interchangeable shoe skin of  claim 1 , wherein said covering material is formed of fabric and said protective sheet is formed of plastic. 
     
     
         3 . The interchangeable shoe skin of  claim 1 , wherein said covering material includes an upper edge surrounding said upper opening and presenting a height relative to the ground, and said height of said covering material is greater than or equal to a height of a top edge of the shoe relative to the ground when an individual wears the shoe with the interchangeable shoe skin. 
     
     
         4 . The interchangeable shoe skin of  claim 1  including rubber applied said lower edge of said covering material and to an exterior surface of said at least one supporting strip. 
     
     
         5 . The interchangeable shoe skin of  claim 1  including at least one decorative item attached to said covering material and a protective coating of polyurethane applied to an exterior surface of said covering material. 
     
     
         6 . The interchangeable shoe skin of  claim 1 , wherein the shoe for which said interchangeable shoe skin is designed to cover is a basic flat shoe including a toe region, a heel region, and a sole;
 said covering material includes an upper edge presenting said upper opening for aligning with the foot opening of the shoe and for receiving a foot;   said covering material extends from said upper edge to a lower edge presenting said lower opening for aligning with the sole of the shoe;   said upper edge presenting a height relative to the ground being greater than the height of the shoe when the interchangeable shoe skin is disposed on the shoe;   said covering material is formed of a fabric;   said covering material is smooth and free of wrinkles;   said covering material includes said inner surface facing generally toward said openings and an oppositely facing outer surface;   said covering material has a thickness extending from said inner surface to said outer surface, and said thickness is not greater than 8 millimeters;   said covering material extends along said openings from a toe section for covering the toe region of the shoe to a heel section for covering the heel region of the shoe;   said covering material presents a length extending from said toe section to said heel section for being greater than the length of the shoe extending from the toe region and the heel region;   at least a portion of said toe section extends upwardly from said lower edge and along and generally parallel to a portion of said lower opening for surrounding the toe region of the shoe;   at least a portion of said heel section of said covering material extends upwardly from said lower edge and along a portion of said lower opening for surrounding the heel region of the shoe;   said protective sheet is secured to said inner surface of said covering material with a first adhesive, the first adhesive being contact cement;   said protective sheet has a thickness of not greater than 50 micrometers;   said at least one supporting strip is attached to said protective sheet;   said at least one supporting strip includes a first supporting strip extending across said lower opening between said toe section and said heel section of said covering material and a second supporting strip extending across said lower opening along at least a portion of said toe section of said covering material;   each of said supporting strips have a length less than one third of the length of said covering material extending from said toe section to said heel section;   each of said supporting strips are formed of an elastic material and include an interior surface facing toward said upper opening of said covering material and an exterior surface facing outwardly of said lower opening of said covering material;   each of said supporting strips include opposite ends attached to said protective sheet on opposite sides of said lower opening with a second adhesive;   at least one decorative item is attached to said covering material, said at least one decorative item includes a ribbon adhered to said covering material along said upper edge and around a periphery of said upper opening;   rubber is applied to a bottom surface of said lower edge of said covering material around a periphery of said lower opening and applied to said exterior surfaces of said supporting strips;   a protective coating of polyurethane is applied to said outer surface of said covering material; and   said interchangeable shoe skin including said covering material, said protective sheet, and said supporting strips is removable from the shoe for which it is designed to cover.   
     
     
         7 . A method of manufacturing an interchangeable shoe skin, comprising the steps of:
 providing a shoe for covering with an interchangeable shoe skin, the shoe including a sole and a foot opening for receiving a foot;   covering the shoe with a protective sheet formed of plastic;   conforming the protective sheet to the contour of the shoe;   securing a covering material to the protective sheet;   conforming the covering material to the contour of the shoe;   forming an upper opening in the covering material aligned with the foot opening of the shoe;   forming a lower opening in the covering material aligned with the sole of the shoe; and   disposing at least one supporting strip across the lower opening.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the step of conforming the protective sheet to the contour of the shoe includes heating the protective sheet; the step of securing the covering material to the protective sheet includes applying a first adhesive to at least one of the covering material and the protective sheet; and the step of conforming the covering material to the contour of the shoe includes applying pressure to the covering material and smoothing the covering material so that the covering material is free of wrinkles. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  including attaching the at least one supporting strip to the protective sheet, and wherein step of attaching the at least one supporting strip to the protective sheet includes attaching opposite ends of a first supporting strip to the protective sheet between a toe section and a heel section of the covering material and attaching a second supporting strip to the protective sheet along the toe section of the covering material. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7  including applying rubber to a bottom surface of the covering material around a periphery of the lower opening and to an exterior surface of the at least one supporting strip. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the basic flat shoe includes a base portion extending longitudinally from a top edge defining the foot opening to a bottom edge defining a sole opening surrounding and attached to the sole, the top edge of the base portion having a height relative to the ground, the base portion having a length extending from a toe region to a heel region, wherein at least a portion of the toe region extends upwardly from the sole and along and generally parallel to a portion of the sole for surrounding and covering toes of the foot; the basic flat shoe including a heel extending not more than one inch outwardly from the sole, the sole and the heel each presenting a flat surface;
 the step of covering the shoe with the protective sheet includes covering the base portion, the foot opening, the sole, and the heel with a protective sheet formed of plastic and having a thickness of not greater than 50 micrometers;   the step of conforming the protective sheet to the contour of the shoe includes heating the protective sheet;   the covering material is formed of fabric and includes an inner surface and an oppositely facing outer surface;   the step of securing the covering material to the protective sheet includes: applying a first adhesive to at least one of the protective sheet and the inner surface of the covering material, the step of applying the first adhesive includes spreading the first adhesive along both the protective sheet and the covering material, the first adhesive is contact cement, disposing the covering material on the protective sheet after applying the first adhesive, and covering the entire base portion, the foot opening, the sole, and the heel of the shoe with the covering material;   the step of conforming the covering material to the contour of the shoe includes conforming the covering material to at least the base portion of the shoe such that the covering material presents a toe section and a heel section, and applying pressure along the outer surface of the covering material, and smoothing the covering material so that the covering material is free of wrinkles; and further including the steps of:   removing excess covering material extending beyond the contour of the base portion of the shoe, the removing step including cutting out the upper opening aligned with the foot opening of the shoe and cutting out the lower opening aligned with the sole of the shoe;   the step of removing excess covering material including providing an upper edge having a height relative to the ground, wherein the height of the covering material is equal to or greater than the height of the shoe when the interchangeable shoe skin is disposed on the shoe;   the covering material having a length extending along the openings from a toe section to a heel section, and the length of the covering material being greater than the length of the shoe;   providing a plurality of the supporting strips for extending across a width of the lower opening and the sole of the shoe, each supporting strip including an interior surface and an exterior surface, each supporting strip being formed of an elastic material, and each supporting strip having a length being less than one third of the length of the covering material;   the step of disposing at least one supporting strip across the lower opening including disposing a first one of the supporting strips across the lower opening between the toe section and the heel section such that the exterior surface faces outwardly away from the covering material, disposing a second supporting strip across the lower opening and along the toe section such that the exterior surface faces outwardly away from the covering material;   attaching ends of each supporting strip to the protective sheet on opposite sides of the lower opening;   applying at least one decorative item to the covering material, the step of applying the at least one decorative item including applying trim along the upper edge, the step of applying the trim including adhering a ribbon to the covering material along the upper edge and around a periphery of the upper opening;   removing the shoe from the covering material through the upper opening;   applying rubber to a bottom surface of the lower edge of the covering material around the periphery of the lower opening, the step of applying the rubber including dipping the covering material in the rubber when the rubber is in a liquid state, and allowing the rubber to solidify on the covering material;   applying the rubber to the exterior surface of the supporting strips, the step of applying the rubber including dipping the supporting strips in the rubber when the rubber is in a liquid state and allowing the rubber to solidify on the supporting strips; and   applying a protective coating of polyurethane to the outer surface of the covering material.   
     
     
         12 . An interchangeable shoe skin, comprising:
 a covering material presenting an outer surface and an inner surface and having a contour matching a contour of a shoe for which the interchangeable shoe skin is designed to cover;   said covering material presenting an upper opening for aligning with a foot opening of the shoe;   a protective sheet formed of plastic secured to said inner surface of said covering material and having a contour matching the contour of said covering material;   a supporting sole portion disposed opposite of said upper opening for aligning with a sole of the shoe; and   said supporting sole portion being formed of neoprene.   
     
     
         13 . The interchangeable shoe skin of  claim 12 , wherein said covering material is formed of fabric; said protective sheet is formed of plastic; and a protective coating of polyurethane is applied to an exterior surface of said covering material. 
     
     
         14 . The interchangeable shoe skin of  claim 12 , wherein said covering material includes an upper edge surrounding said upper opening and presenting a height relative to the ground, and said height of said covering material is greater than or equal to a height of a top edge of the shoe relative to the ground when an individual wears the shoe with the interchangeable shoe skin. 
     
     
         15 . The interchangeable shoe skin of  claim 12 , wherein said covering material is formed of fabric and said protective sheet is formed of plastic. 
     
     
         16 . The interchangeable shoe skin of  claim 12 , wherein the shoe for which said interchangeable shoe skin is designed to cover is a basic flat shoe including a toe region, a heel region, and a sole;
 said covering material includes an upper edge presenting said upper opening for aligning with the foot opening of the shoe and for receiving a foot;   said covering material extends from said upper edge to a lower edge for aligning with the sole of the shoe;   said upper edge presenting a height relative to the ground being greater than the height of the shoe when the interchangeable shoe skin is disposed on the shoe;   said covering material is formed of a fabric;   said covering material is smooth and free of wrinkles;   said covering material includes said inner surface facing generally toward said openings and an oppositely facing outer surface;   said covering material has a thickness extending from said inner surface to said outer surface, and said thickness is not greater than 8 millimeters;   said covering material extends along said upper opening from a toe section for covering the toe region of the shoe to a heel section for covering the heel region of the shoe;   said covering material presents a length extending from said toe section to said heel section for being greater than the length of the shoe;   at least a portion of said toe section extends upwardly from said lower edge and along and generally parallel to a portion of said lower opening for surrounding the toe region of the shoe;   at least a portion of said heel section of said covering material extends upwardly from said lower edge and along a portion of said lower opening for surrounding the heel region of the shoe;   said protective sheet is secured to said inner surface of said covering material with a first adhesive, the first adhesive being contact cement;   said protective sheet has a thickness of not greater than 50 micrometers;   said supporting sole portion extends continuously along said lower edge of said covering material and continuously along the length of said covering material for covering the sole of the shoe;   said supporting sole portion includes an interior surface facing toward said upper opening of said covering material and an exterior surface facing opposite said interior surface;   said supporting sole portion is attached to said covering material with a second adhesive;   at least one decorative item is attached to said covering material or said covering material has a decorative pattern;   a protective coating of polyurethane is applied to said outer surface of said covering material; and   said interchangeable shoe skin including said covering material, said protective sheet, and said supporting strips is removable from the shoe for which it is designed to cover.   
     
     
         17 . A method of manufacturing an interchangeable shoe skin, comprising the steps of:
 providing a shoe for covering with an interchangeable shoe skin, the shoe including a sole and a foot opening for receiving a foot;   covering the shoe with a protective sheet formed of plastic;   conforming the protective sheet to the contour of the shoe;   securing a covering material to the protective sheet;   conforming the covering material to the contour of the shoe;   forming an upper opening in the covering material aligned with the foot opening of the shoe; and   disposing a supporting sole portion formed of neoprene on the covering material opposite the upper opening.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the step of conforming the protective sheet to the contour of the shoe includes heating the protective sheet; the step of securing the covering material to the protective sheet includes applying a first adhesive to at least one of the covering material and the protective sheet; and the step of conforming the covering material to the contour of the shoe includes applying pressure to the covering material and smoothing the covering material so that the covering material is free of wrinkles. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  including attaching the supporting sole portion to the covering material with a second adhesive. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the basic flat shoe includes a base portion extending longitudinally from a top edge defining the foot opening to a bottom edge defining a sole opening surrounding and attached to the sole, the top edge of the base portion having a height relative to the ground, the base portion having a length extending from a toe region to a heel region, wherein at least a portion of the toe region extends upwardly from the sole and along and generally parallel to a portion of the sole for surrounding and covering toes of the foot; the basic flat shoe including a heel extending not more than one inch outwardly from the sole, the sole and the heel each presenting a flat surface;
 further including the step of stuffing the base portion of the shoe with a forming material;   the step of covering the shoe with the protective sheet includes covering the base portion, the foot opening, the sole, and the heel with a protective sheet formed of plastic and having a thickness of not greater than 50 micrometers;   the step of conforming the protective sheet to the contour of the shoe includes stapling the protective sheet to the base portion of the shoe and heating the protective sheet;   the covering material is formed of fabric and includes an inner surface and an oppositely facing outer surface;   the step of securing the covering material to the protective sheet includes: applying a first adhesive to at least one of the protective sheet and the inner surface of the covering material, the step of applying the first adhesive includes spreading the first adhesive along the protective sheet and/or the covering material, the first adhesive is contact cement; disposing the covering material on the protective sheet after applying the first adhesive; and covering the entire base portion, the foot opening, the sole, and the heel of the shoe with the covering material;   the step of conforming the covering material to the contour of the shoe includes conforming the covering material to the toe region followed by the heel region such that the covering material presents a toe section and a heel section, applying pressure along the outer surface of the covering material, and smoothing the covering material so that the covering material is free of wrinkles; and further including the steps of:   removing excess covering material extending beyond the contour of the base portion of the shoe, the removing step including cutting out the upper opening aligned with the foot opening of the shoe, the step of cutting out the upper opening including leaving approximately ¼ inch of covering material past the foot opening for optionally attaching a decorative trim to the covering material along the foot opening;   the step of removing excess covering material including providing an upper edge having a height relative to the ground, wherein the height of the covering material is equal to or greater than the height of the shoe when the interchangeable shoe skin is disposed on the shoe;   the covering material having a length extending along the openings from a toe section to a heel section, and the length of the covering material being greater than the length of the shoe;   cutting the supporting sole portion having a shape equal to or greater than the sole of the shoe from a sheet of neoprene such that the supporting sole portion presents an interior surface and an oppositely facing exterior surface;   applying a second adhesive to an interior surface of the supporting sole portion and optionally to the covering material along the sole of the shoe;   attaching the interior surface of the supporting sole portion to the covering material with the second adhesive such that the supporting sole portion extends continuously along a lower edge of the covering material and continuously along the length of the covering material; and   applying a protective coating of polyurethane to the outer surface of the covering material.