Shoe packaging systems and methods

Abstract

A shoe box may include: a base panel; a roof panel opposite and spaced from the base panel; at least one rear panel coupled to the base panel and the roof panel; at least one front panel coupled to the base panel and the roof panel, wherein the at least one front panel is opposite and spaced from the at least one rear panel, the base panel, and the roof panel, and wherein the at least one rear panel and the at least one front panel form a tubular cavity for receiving at least one shoe therein; and left and right side support structures configured to assist in spacing the base panel from a base of a garment receptacle by a first distance, and configured to assist in spacing the roof panel from a roof of the garment receptacle by a second distance, when the shoe box is inserted into the garment receptacle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A shoe box comprising:
 a base panel;   a roof panel opposite and spaced from the base panel;   at least one rear panel coupled to the base panel and the roof panel;   at least one front panel coupled to the base panel and the roof panel, wherein the at least one front panel is opposite and spaced from the at least one rear panel, the base panel, and the roof panel, and wherein the at least one rear panel and the at least one front panel form a tubular cavity for receiving at least one shoe therein; and   left and right side support structures configured to assist in spacing the base panel from a base of a garment receptacle by a first distance, and configured to assist in spacing the roof panel from a roof of the garment receptacle by a second distance, when the shoe box is inserted into the garment receptacle.   
     
     
         2 . The shoe box of  claim 1 , wherein the first distance allows a first portion of a garment to reside between the base panel of the shoe box and the base of the garment receptacle, and the second distance allows a second portion of the garment to reside between the roof panel of the shoe box and the roof of the garment receptacle, thereby preventing a total weight of the shoe box from resting on the garment. 
     
     
         3 . The shoe box of  claim 1 , wherein the left and right side support structures comprise a plurality of wings, each of the plurality of wings being formed from the base panel or the roof panel. 
     
     
         4 . The shoe box of  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of wings comprises left and right base wings formed from the base panel, each of the left and right base wings comprising base flaps configured to be received by lateral base slots on the base panel. 
     
     
         5 . The shoe box of  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of wings comprises left and right roof wings formed from the roof panel, each of the left and right roof wings comprising roof flaps configured to be received by lateral roof slots on the roof panel. 
     
     
         6 . The shoe box of  claim 1 , wherein the left and right support structures comprise a left ring positioned around a left side of the shoe box and a right ring positioned around a right side of the shoe box. 
     
     
         7 . The shoe box of  claim 1 , wherein the left and right side support structures comprise support protrusions attached to left and right sides of the shoe box. 
     
     
         8 . The shoe box of  claim 1 , wherein left and right sides of the shoe box remain open. 
     
     
         9 . The shoe box of  claim 1 , wherein a length of each of the base panel, the roof panel, the at least one rear panel and the at least one front panel are each about a length of the garment receptacle. 
     
     
         10 . The shoe box of  claim 1 , wherein the shoe box is formed from a single blank. 
     
     
         11 . The shoe box of  claim 1 , wherein the garment is in a garment bag. 
     
     
         12 . A method comprising:
 positioning a garment within a garment receptacle, the garment receptacle having a base and a roof; and   inserting, within the garment receptacle over at least a portion of the garment, a shoe box comprising:
 a base panel; 
 a roof panel opposite and spaced from the base panel; 
 at least one rear panel coupled to the base panel and the roof panel; 
 at least one front panel coupled to the base panel and the roof panel, wherein the at least one front panel is opposite and spaced from the at least one rear panel, the base panel, and the roof panel, and wherein the at least one rear panel and the at least one front panel form a tubular cavity for receiving at least one shoe therein; and 
 left and right side support structures configured to assist in spacing the base panel from the base of the garment receptacle by a first distance, and configured to assist in spacing the roof panel from the roof of the garment receptacle by a second distance, when the shoe box is inserted into the garment receptacle. 
   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the garment is positioned around the shoe box. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the left and right side support structures comprise a pair of base wings and a pair of roof wings. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the left and right side support structures comprise left and right side rings positioned around left and right sides of the shoe box. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the left and right side support structures comprise support protrusions attached to left and right sides of the shoe box. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein left and right sides of the shoe box remain open. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein a length of each of the base panel, the roof panel, the at least one rear panel and the at least one front panel are each about a length of the garment receptacle. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the garment is in a garment bag. 
     
     
         20 . A box comprising:
 a base panel;   a roof panel opposite and spaced from the base panel;   at least one rear panel coupled to the base panel and the roof panel;   at least one front panel coupled to the base panel and the roof panel, wherein the at least one front panel is opposite and spaced from the at least one rear panel, the base panel, and the roof panel, and wherein the at least one rear panel and the at least one front panel form a tubular cavity for receiving at least one shoe therein;   means for spacing the base panel from a base of a garment receptacle by a first distance; and   means for spacing the roof panel from a roof of the garment receptacle by a second distance, when the box is inserted into the garment receptacle.