US20080163514A1

US20080163514A1 - Shoe with detachable ornamentation

Info

Publication number: US20080163514A1
Application number: US11/650,683
Authority: US
Inventors: Jacquelyn Stassinopoulos
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-01-08
Filing date: 2007-01-08
Publication date: 2008-07-10

Abstract

An article of clothing for example a shoe (10) has a plurality of decorative appliqués (12) secured thereon via hook and loop fasteners (20, 22).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The field of this invention relates to a shoe with novel detachable ornamental elements.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Shoes have long been a fashion statement as much as protection for the foot. Even children are inclined to wear goods that have style and panache. Furthermore, children like to change the appearance of their clothing such as shoes. Shoes with ornamentation that were attached with snaps have been conceived. However, snaps can rust and are often hard for detachment particularly by younger children who may not have sufficient finger strength.
Other shoes have been conceived where the entire upper has been made with a hoop and loop material to allow decorative elements to be mounted thereon. While this hook and loop material allows easy attachment and detachment, it is well known that hook and loop material can collect dust, dirt and miscellaneous fibers. A shoe which is near the ground can start looking dirty quite fast if it entire upper was made from hook and loop material. Furthermore, the exposed hook and loop material loses its effectiveness to attach to a complementary fastener if it is covered with dirt and fibers.
What is needed is a shoe that has a plurality of patches made from a hook and loop material positioned on portions of the shoe upper which can attach to a removable decorative element. What is also needed is an article of clothing that has a plurality of hook and loop patches which are completely covered by detachable decorative elements.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a shoe has a plurality of hook and loop fastener patches secured to at least one of a vamp, quarter and toe box of a shoe upper and a plurality of detachable decorative element appliqués that can be attached to the patches. Each detachable decorative element has a complementary hook and loop fastener for being removably secured onto a respective patch. All of the detachable decorative elements are preferably sized and shaped to completely cover any of the patches when secured thereon. The plurality of detachable decorative elements preferably have different shapes. In one embodiment, the patches are built into the upper of the shoe.
According to another aspect of the invention, an article of clothing has a plurality of hook and loop patches secured thereon and a plurality of detachable decorative elements. Each detachable element is sized and shaped to completely cover any of the patches on the articles of clothing. Each detachable decorative element also has a complementary hook and loop fastener for being removably secured onto the respective patches. Preferably, the decorative elements have different shapes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference now is made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the shoe shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary and exploded view of the shoe shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of one decorative appliqué shown in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged segmented view of the shoe and appliqué shown in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a shoe 10 for example a kid's athletic shoe is shown that has a plurality of decorative appliqués 12 removably secured thereon. The shoe has the appliqués 12 secured at various parts of the exterior upper 13 of the shoe such as on the toe box 14, vamp 16 and rear ankle and quarter section 18.
As shown in FIG. 3-5, the appliqué 12 is positioned over a hook and loop fastener patch 20 and is sized to completely cover the patch 20. The appliqué 12 has a backing 22 made from a complementary hook and loop fastener that can attach to patch 20. The appliqué surface 12 may be sized to have an outer edge 24 that is free from hook and loop fasteners 22.
The hook and loop fastener 22 may have an adhesive backing that adheres to the appliqué undersurface 26. The hook and loop patch 20 may also have a backing that adheres to the outer surface of the shoe. Alternately as shown in FIG. 5, the hook and loop patch 20 may be sown into the upper 13 at an aperture 30. In this fashion the upper edges of the hook and loop patch 20 may be even with the surface 28 of upper 13.
The appliqué 12, when properly positioned and secured onto the patch 20 completely covers the patch 20 to conceal it.
The appliqués 12 are easily detachable and can be move to other patches 20 on the shoe. The peripheral lip 24 may also expedite tiny fingers to lift and grab the appliqué to remove it from the patch 20. The peripheral lip 24 may also have a contour to expedite lifting of the appliqué. The use of hook and loop fasteners promotes the easy attachment and detachment the appliqués 12 from the
The patches are spaced about the upper surface of the shoe at the toe box 14, vamp 16 and quarter 18 to provide a wide range of location to add appliqués 12. The appliqués 12 may have different shapes and different designs thereon with color and glitter and embossments added thereto. Language indicia may also be used on the appliqués 12 as shown in FIG. 2.
Other variations and modifications are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A shoe comprising:

a plurality of hook and loop fastener patches secured over at least one of a vamp, quarter and toe box of a shoe; and

a plurality of detachable decorative elements, each of said detachable decorative elements having a complementary hook and loop fastener for being removably securable onto said patches.

2. A shoe as defined in claim 1 further comprising:

all of said detachable decorative elements being sized and shaped to completely cover any of said patches.

3. A shoe as defined in claim 2 further comprising:

said patches being built in the upper of the shoe.

4. A shoe as defined in claim 2 further comprising:

said plurality of decorative elements having different shapes.

5. An article of clothing comprising:

said articles of clothing having a plurality of hook and loop patches secured thereon;

a plurality of detachable decorative elements, each of said detachable decorative elements being sized and shaped to completely cover any of said patches on said articles of clothing; and

said detachable decorative elements having a complementary hook and loop fastener for being removably securable onto said patches.

6. An article of clothing as defined in claim 5 further comprising:

said plurality of decorative elements having different shapes.