Heel guard for protecting a shoe

Abstract

A heel guard for guarding a heel of a shoe includes a barrier having a base wall and a sidewall. The sidewall is coupled to and extends upwardly from the base wall. The sidewall also extends along a perimeter of the base wall and has a U-shape wherein a concave surface of the sidewall is configured to abut and extend around the heel of the shoe. The barrier is configured to be positionable to support the shoe over a floor surface. A clip is coupled to a top edge of the sidewall and extends from the sidewall over and toward the base wall. The clip is configured to extend into an opening of the shoe when the barrier is used to support the shoe to retain the sidewall against the heel.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heel guard for a shoe, the heel guard comprising:
 a barrier comprising:
 a base wall; and 
 a sidewall being coupled to and extending upwardly from the base wall, the sidewall extending along a perimeter of the base wall, the sidewall having a U-shape wherein a concave surface of the sidewall is configured to abut and extend around a heel of the shoe; 
 wherein the barrier is configured to be positionable to support the shoe over a floor surface; and 
   a clip being coupled to a top edge of the sidewall, the clip extending from the sidewall over and toward the base wall, the clip being configured to extend into an opening of the shoe when the barrier is used to support the shoe to retain the sidewall against the heel, wherein the clip comprises a resiliently bendable material such that the clip biases the sidewall into abutment with the heel when the clip extends into the opening of the shoe.   
     
     
         2 . The heel guard of  claim 1 , wherein the base wall has a uniform thickness. 
     
     
         3 . The heel guard of  claim 1 , wherein the sidewall has a uniform thickness. 
     
     
         4 . The heel guard of  claim 1 , wherein a forward edge of the sidewall is oriented perpendicular to the base wall. 
     
     
         5 . The heel guard of  claim 1 , wherein the sidewall has a length between a forward edge and a rear end such that the forward edge is configured to be positioned forwardly with respect to a leg of a user wearing the shoe when in the barrier is used to support the shoe. 
     
     
         6 . The heel guard of  claim 1 , wherein the sidewall has a height between the base wall and the top edge such that the top edge is configured to be positioned below a protruding ankle bone of a user wearing the shoe when the barrier is used to support the shoe. 
     
     
         7 . The heel guard of  claim 1 , wherein the barrier has a unitary structure. 
     
     
         8 . The heel guard of  claim 1 , wherein the barrier comprises a resiliently deformable material such that the barrier is configured to cushion the heel of the shoe when the barrier supports the shoe over the floor surface. 
     
     
         9 . The heel guard of  claim 8 , wherein the resiliently deformable material comprises rubber. 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The heel guard of  claim 1 , wherein the clip comprises a first section, a second section, and a third section, the first section being coupled to and extending upwardly from the top edge of the sidewall, the second section being coupled to and extending perpendicularly from the first section, the third section being coupled to the second section, the third section being oriented perpendicular to the second section when at rest. 
     
     
         12 . A heel guard for a shoe, the heel guard comprising:
 a barrier comprising:
 a base wall, the base wall having a uniform thickness; and 
 a sidewall being coupled to and extending upwardly from the base wall, the sidewall extending along a perimeter of the base wall, the sidewall having a U-shape wherein a concave surface of the sidewall is configured to abut and extend around a heel of the shoe; 
 wherein the barrier is configured to be positionable to support the shoe over a floor surface, the barrier having a unitary structure, the barrier comprising a resiliently deformable material such that the barrier is configured to cushion the heel of the shoe when the barrier supports the shoe over the floor surface, the resiliently deformable material comprising rubber, a forward edge of the sidewall being oriented perpendicular to the base wall, the sidewall having a uniform thickness, the sidewall having a length between the forward edge and a rear end such that the forward edge is configured to be positioned forwardly with respect to a leg of a user wearing the shoe when in the barrier is used to support the shoe, the sidewall having a height between the base wall and a top edge such that the top edge is configured to be positioned below a protruding ankle bone of the user when the barrier is used to support the shoe; 
 a clip being coupled to the top edge of the sidewall, the clip extending from the sidewall over and toward the base wall, the clip being configured to extend into an opening of the shoe when the barrier is used to support the shoe to retain the sidewall against the heel, the clip comprising a resiliently bendable material such that the clip biases the sidewall into abutment with the heel when the clip extends into the opening of the shoe, the clip comprising a first section, a second section, and a third section, the first section being coupled to and extending upwardly from the top edge of the sidewall, the second section being coupled to and extending perpendicularly from the first section, the third section being coupled to the second section, the third section being oriented perpendicular to the second section when at rest.