Shoe decoration system

Abstract

A stretchable fabric shoe decoration system which covers a shoe and on which can be fastened one or more decorative elements. The system allowing for a single shoe cover to be removably used to decorate an unlimited number of shoes. The system also allowing for a single pair of shoes to be serially decorated by an unlimited number of different decorated shoe covers.

The invention having been thus described, what is claimed as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 
     
         1 . A shoe decoration system, comprising:
 (a) A shoe, comprising:
 (i) an upper including:
 (i-1) a right side and a left side, each side having an upper edge and a lower edge, 
 (i-2) a toe box forming a front facing portion of the shoe, having a lower edge, 
 (i-3) a vamp forming a foot covering portion located generally behind, and contiguous to, the toe box, having a backwards facing top edge and having a lower edge contiguous with the lower edge of the toe box and the lower edge of the right side and the lower edge of the left side, 
 (i-4) a counter forming a rear facing portion of the shoe, having an upper edge and a lower edge, 
 
 (ii) a sole forming the lower portion of the shoe including:
 (ii-1) a forward outsole portion, 
 (ii-2) a middle shank portion, and 
 (ii-3) a rearward heel seat portion, 
 (ii-4) each of these sole portions having an outside edge which aligns with the lower edge of the upper, 
 
 (iii) an upper foot opening defined by the backwards facing top edge of the vamp, the upper edge of the left side, the upper edge of the right side and the upper edge of the rear facing counter portion, 
 (iv) a heel protruding perpendicular to the sole while meeting the sole at the heel seat portion of the sole and having a forward facing breast side and the heel seat defined by the intersection of the lower edge of the right and left shoe sides, the rear end of the shoe sole shank portion and the lower edge of the rearward facing counter portion, and 
   (b) an elastic flexible stretchable fabric shoe cover conformable to the shoe, comprising:
 (i) a right portion and left portion, each of which covers, and each of which is flexibly conformable to, the contour of the right and the left sides of the shoe, 
 (ii) a front facing top portion which covers and which is flexibly conformable to the shoe toe box portion of the shoe, 
 (iii) a rear facing portion which covers and which is flexibly conformable to the shoe counter, 
 (iv) a vamp portion which is connectedly behind the front facing top shoe box portion and which covers and which is flexibly conformable to the shoe vamp portion, 
 (v) a top opening defined by the upper edge of the right and left side portions, the rearward facing edge of the vamp portion and the forward top edge of the rear facing counter portion and which upper opening conforms to the contours of the shoe upper opening, 
 (vi) a bottom connecting fabric bridge portion which connects the right side of the cover with the left side of the cover, generally across the middle shank portion of the shoe sole and which fabric bridge contributes to the shoe cover's state of elastic tension and thereby contributes to the conformance of the shoe cover to the shape of the shoe, 
 (vii) a forwardly located bottom opening defined by the bottom edges of the vamp portion, the bottom forward facing edge of the toe box portion, and the forward facing edge of the connecting fabric bridge portion, which forwardly located bottom opening's edges define an opening having the contours of the outer edges of the shoe outsole, 
 (viii) a rearwardly located bottom opening defined by the bottom edge of the right and left side portions, the rearwardly facing edge of the connecting fabric bridge portion, and the bottom edge of the rearwardly facing counter portion, and having the contours of the heel seat and which allows the shoe heel to extend through the shoe cover. 
   
     
     
         2 . The shoe decoration system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein a decorative element is attached to the shoe cover. 
     
     
         3 . The shoe decoration system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein a decorative element is attached to the forwardly facing toe box portion of the shoe cover. 
     
     
         4 . The shoe decoration system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein a decorative element is attached to the rearwardly facing counter portion of the shoe cover. 
     
     
         5 . The shoe decoration system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein a tightening element is attached to the rearward facing counter portion of the shoe cover adapted to provide adjustable tension over the surface of the shoe cover such that the shoe cover fabric conforms tightly and securely on a wide variety of shoe sizes. 
     
     
         6 . The shoe decoration system as recited in  claim 2 , wherein a tightening element is attached to the rearward facing counter portion of the shoe cover adapted to provide adjustable tension over the surface of the shoe cover such that the shoe cover fabric conforms tightly and securely on a wide variety of shoe sizes. 
     
     
         7 . The shoe decoration system as recited in  claim 3 , wherein a tightening element is attached to the rearward facing counter portion of the shoe cover adapted to provide adjustable tension over the surface of the shoe cover such that the shoe cover fabric conforms tightly and securely on a wide variety of shoe sizes. 
     
     
         8 . The shoe decoration system as recited in  claim 4 , wherein a tightening element is attached to the rearward facing counter portion of the shoe cover adapted to provide adjustable tension over the surface of the shoe cover such that the shoe cover fabric conforms tightly and securely on a wide variety of shoe sizes. 
     
     
         9 . The shoe decoration system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the shoe and shoe cover each have an outside surface and the outside surface of the shoe cover has a color different from the outside surface of the shoe itself. 
     
     
         10 . The shoe decoration system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the shoe and shoe cover each have an outside surface and the outside surface of the shoe cover has a texture different from the outside surface of the shoe itself. 
     
     
         11 . The shoe decoration system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the shoe and shoe cover each have an outside surface and the outside surface of the shoe cover has a visual design different from the outside surface of the shoe itself. 
     
     
         12 . A method of changeably affecting the appearance of a shoe, comprising the step of removably covering the upper portion of the shoe with a conformably flexible elastic stretchable fabric. 
     
     
         13 . The method of changeably affecting the appearance of the shoe as recited in  claim 12 , with an additional step of attaching a decorative element to the flexible elastic shoe cover fabric. 
     
     
         14 . The method of changeably affecting the appearance of the shoe as recited in  claim 12 , with an additional step of attaching a decorative element to the forward facing toe box portion of the flexible elastic shoe cover fabric. 
     
     
         15 . The method of changeably affecting the appearance of the shoe as recited in  claim 12 , with an additional step of attaching a decorative element to the rearward facing counter portion of the shoe. 
     
     
         16 . The method of changeably affecting the appearance of the shoe as recited in  claim 12 , with an additional step of attaching a tightening element to the rearward facing counter portion of the shoe cover adapted to provide adjustable tension over the surface of the shoe cover such that the shoe cover fabric conforms tightly and securely on a wide variety of shoe sizes. 
     
     
         17 . The method of changeably affecting the appearance of the shoe as recited in  claim 12 , with an additional step of providing the fabric shoe cover with an outside surface having a color different from the outside surface of the shoe itself. 
     
     
         18 . The method of changeably affecting the appearance of the shoe as recited in  claim 12 , with an additional step of providing the fabric shoe cover with an outside surface having a texture different from the outside surface of the shoe itself. 
     
     
         19 . The method of changeably affecting the appearance of the shoe as recited in  claim 12 , with an additional step of providing the fabric shoe cover with an outside surface having a visual design different from the outside surface of the shoe itself.