Uni-sex multi-sport footwear accessory

Abstract

The uni-sex multi-sport footwear accessory is a flexible accessory shaped as an ankle band for use as an indicia-displaying device, and includes an upper band adapted to encircle a wearer's lower leg, side straps depending from the upper band, a middle section adapted to encircle a wearer's ankle and a lower band dimensioned to extend beneath a wearer's foot. The side straps, middle section and lower band may be omitted. The upper band has several display areas with which to display indicia such as logos, team names and the like. The footwear accessory may have one or a number of fasteners located on various areas of the accessory, or the fastener(s) may be omitted altogether. The footwear accessory may be reversible, and the display strips of indicia may be releasably attached to the footwear accessory.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/845,543, filed on May 14, 2004.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to footwear accessories, and particularly to a footwear accessory that ornamentally displays indicia.

2. Description of the Related Art

Decorative displays on shirts, shoes, and other such products that may be worn by consumers have become a prosperous facet of the clothing industry. Once plain shirts now often feature elaborate designs of famous artists, and virtually every sport-related item of clothing now displays a professional team's or sporting company's logo. There are few additional avenues left for visual displays that may be worn on items of clothing, sportswear or the like. While some clothing items that do not immediately lend themselves to displaying ornamental designs have incorporated such designs on the item of clothing, new clothing items do not abound.

In addition, although there are various items of clothing such as ankle braces, shoes, etc. that may be placed on feet or around ankles, these items are used for therapeutic purposes, generally to support the feet and ankles. They are designed to restrict movement of the ankle and foot, thus to prevent injuries. However, there are no footwear accessories, the sole purpose of which is ornamental display of indicia.

Accordingly, there is a need for a footwear accessory used to display indicia.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,792,087, issued Aug. 11, 1998 to J. Pringle, describes an ankle brace that controls pivotal movement of the foot about the ankle joint. The ankle brace includes a support member, an upper cuff and braces extended on either side of the user's leg. In addition, stop members are utilized to control pivotal movement of the foot about the ankle in order to prevent injury.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,902,259, issued May 11, 1999 to G. Wilkerson, describes a therapeutic ankle orthosis that permits pivotal movement of the foot about the ankle joint. A medial and a foot shell overlap and are pivotally connected to allow for movement by a user. Multiple straps are used to secure the shells to each other and about the foot and ankle. Additionally, the therapeutic ankle orthosis increases the compression effect on ankle tissues in order to control swelling.

U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. U.S. 2003/0083603 A1, published May 1, 2003 and invented by R. Nelson, describes a bootlike ankle brace allowing flexion and extension while preventing certain injury-causing movements, such as inversion, twisting and the like. The brace allows the user to place his foot within it and is laced together through eyelets in ends of the brace. The brace is constructed with a medial member and a lateral member that receive the user's ankle and foot, respectively. The ankle brace is designed to limit certain types of movement by the user.

U.S. Pat. No. Des. 335,000, issued Apr. 20, 1993 to K. Johnson, shows a knee protector having indicia thereon.

Other patents showing clothing items displaying indicia thereon include U.S. Pat. No. Des. 339,671, issued Sep. 28, 1993 to R. Manning (foot case cover); U.S. Pat. No. Des. 377,241, issued Jan. 7, 1997 to P. Kenner (face shield for winter outdoor activities).

Other patents showing ankle bands or similar include U.S. Pat. No. Des. 417,036, issued Nov. 23, 1999 to L. Hamowy (combined knee and elbow pad); U.S. Pat. No. Des. 417,933, issued Dec. 21, 1999 to S. Hanley et al. (combined knee and elbow pads); U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. U.S. 2002/0029009 A1, published Mar. 7, 2002 and invented by G. Bowman (rigid ankle and foot orthosis); U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. U.S. 2003/0153857 A1, published Aug. 14, 2003 and invented by F. McCarthy et al. (pneumatic Achilles sleeve); U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. U.S. 2003/0171706 A1, published Sep. 11, 2003 and invented by R. Nelson (adjustable size ankle brace); U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. U.S. 2003/0233062 A1, published Dec. 18, 2003 and invented by S. McCormick et al. (nonbulky ankle brace for use with footwear)

Additional patents showing ankle bands include U.S. Pat. No. 1,624,266, issued Apr. 12, 1927 to M. Luder (ankle brace); U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,229, issued Jun. 28, 1988 to T. Sutherland (ankle brace); U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,094, issued Jul. 4, 1989 to T. Grim (ankle brace); U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,691, issued May 14, 1991 to G. Cueman et al. (ankle brace with densified batting); U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,478, issued Feb. 18, 1992 to T. Grim (gel and air cushion ankle brace); U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,232, issued Mar. 10, 1992, to D. Harris et al. (ankle brace with floating pivot hinge); U.S. Pat. No. 5,366,439, issued Nov. 22, 1994 to R. Peters (ankle brace with bubble cushioning); U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,413, issued Apr. 15, 1997 to D. Olson (combination ankle brace and wrap); U.S. Pat. No. 5,944,678, issued Aug. 31, 1999 to C. Hubbard (ankle brace); U.S. Pat. No. 5,944,679, issued Aug. 31, 1999 to W. DeToro (adjustable ankle and foot orthosis brace); U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,884, issued Apr. 25, 2000 to R. Peters (ankle brace with cuff); U.S. Pat. No. 6,652,474 B1, issued Nov. 25, 2003 to P. Quinn et al. (ankle brace); U.S. Pat. No. 6,689,081 B2, issued Feb. 10, 2004 to G. Bowman (rigid ankle and foot orthosis); PCT Intl. Pat. No. WO 99/02109, published Jan. 21, 1999 and invented by C. Neal (ankle brace); and U.K. Pat. No. GB 2 370 230 A, published Jun. 26, 2002 and invented by A. Bourne et al.

Although the related art addresses braces situated about an ankle and items of clothing on which indicia is shown, what is needed is a comfortable, flexible accessory item that provides for display of various marks and indicia. What is further needed is a footwear accessory that serves to display items and does not limit the user's ankle or foot movement. Such an accessory should fit with ease within a shoe and serve merely as a clothing item providing for ornamental display of team logos, names, etc.

None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a uni-sex multi-sport accessory solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The uni-sex multi-sport footwear accessory is a flexible accessory shaped as an ankle band for use as an indicia-displaying device. The multi-sport accessory includes an upper band adapted to encircle a wearer's lower leg, side straps depending from the upper band, a middle section adapted to encircle a wearer's ankle and a lower band dimensioned to extend beneath a wearer's foot. The middle section and lower band define several openings with which to situate a user's foot. The upper band may have several display strips with which to display indicia such as logos, team names and the like. When the footwear accessory is pulled onto the foot and a shoe is put on over the accessory, the upper band of the footwear accessory is visible over the shoe and provides a clear display of the indicia. The side straps, middle section and lower band may alternatively be omitted, such that only the upper band is positioned about the user's lower leg.

The footwear accessory may consist of one or a multitude of fasteners located on various areas of the accessory, including the upper band and the middle section of the flexible body. Additionally, it may omit the fastener, requiring the user to slip the footwear accessory over the user's foot.

The upper band, side straps, middle section and lower band define openings in the footwear accessory, the purpose of which is to allow the upper band to resemble a wrist band in terms of aesthetic construction. In alternate embodiments, the design of the footwear accessory may be slightly modified by adding openings in the upper band. The additional openings serve merely as a variation on the aesthetic construction of the footwear accessory.

Additionally, the flexible body of the footwear accessory may be reversible, having indicia on either side of the flexible body. Further, the indicia display strips may be detachable.

Advantageously, the uni-sex multi-sport footwear accessory is a lightweight, flexible accessory designed to fit comfortably within a user's shoe. It is not bulky nor does it require an elaborate, sturdy construction as it is not intended for use as a therapeutic ankle brace. The footwear accessory does not limit movement of the ankle in order to protect the ankle against injury-causing twisting movements. It is intended only as an accessory item that allows for the display of a team logo or similar indicia. The footwear accessory is a unique clothing item that may be used to compliment team uniforms or identify individual athletic players.

It is an aspect of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.

These and other aspects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an environmental perspective view of a footwear accessory according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an environmental elevational side view of the footwear accessory as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an elevational side view of a footwear accessory according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an elevational side view of a footwear accessory according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an elevational side view of a footwear accessory according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an elevational side view of a footwear accessory according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an environmental side view of a footwear accessory according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a footwear accessory according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a footwear accessory according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10. is a perspective view of a footwear accessory according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11. is a perspective view of a footwear accessory according to a tenth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12. is a perspective view of a footwear accessory according to a eleventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13. is a perspective view of a footwear accessory according to a twelfth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14. is a perspective view of a footwear accessory according to a thirteenth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15. is a perspective view of a footwear accessory according to a fourteenth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16. is a perspective view of a footwear accessory according to a fifteenth embodiment of the present invention.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is an indicia displaying footwear accessory, designated generally as 10 in the drawings. The footwear accessory 10 is made up of a flexible body 12 of unitary construction. One type of material for the body 12 may be an elastomeric fabric, for example, neoprene. The footwear accessory 10 is designed to fit around a user's ankle and foot. An upper band 14 is adapted to encircle a user's lower leg above the ankle, and display indicia thereon as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, the flexible body 12 of the footwear accessory 10 includes an upper band 14, side straps 16, a middle section 18, and a lower band 20. The upper band 14 contains multiple display strips 30 for use in displaying indicia, such as logos, team names, etc. The upper band 14 includes a buckle fastener 40 consisting of a buckle 42 and strips of hook and loop fastening material 44 used in combination for attaching two ends of the upper band 14 to each other. The side straps 16 depend from the upper band 14. The middle section 18 of the flexible body 12 is integrally connected to the side straps 16. The middle section 18 encircles a user's ankle. The lower band 20 is integrally connected to the middle section 18 of the flexible body 12. The lower band 20 is dimensioned to extend beneath a user's foot, between a user's heel, and a front portion of the user's foot. The upper band 14, side straps 16 and middle section 18 of the flexible body 12 define a plurality of middle openings 32. The middle section 18 of the flexible body 12 and the lower band 20 define a lower front opening 34 to allow for placement of the front portion of the user's foot and a lower back opening 36 to allow for placement of the user's heel. A stiffener 50 provides support along the side straps 16 for the flexible body 12. The flexible body 12 of the footwear accessory 10 may be made from a synthetic material.

Turning now to FIG. 2, the footwear accessory 10 is shown, partially within a user's shoe and partially outside of a user's shoe. The middle section 18 of the flexible body 12 and the lower band 20 are situated within the user's shoe. The side straps 16 and the upper band 14 with display strips 30 generally lie above the shoe on a lower portion of the user's leg such that the display strips 30 are not obstructed by the user's shoe.

FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of footwear accessory 10. Upper band 14, side straps 16, middle section 18 of the flexible body 12, and lower band 20 are shown. In addition, the upper band 14 contains a plurality of upper openings 60 used for aesthetic appeal, situated between the display strips 30.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the footwear accessory 10. The upper band 14 includes multiple display strips 30 to show indicia. The upper band 14 does not include a fastener. The middle section 18 includes a front hook and loop fastener 46 for fastening two sides of the middle section 18 to each other. The front hook and loop fastener 46 has strips of hook and loop fastening material that provide for attachment between two ends of the middle section 18 of the flexible body.

FIG. 5 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention. The upper band 14 contains a buckle fastener 40 to attach two ends of the upper band 14 to each other and the middle section 18 contains a rear hook and loop fastener 48 to attach two ends of the middle band 18 to each other.

FIG. 6 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention. At least one zipper 70 is situated on the footwear accessory 10 from the middle section 18, up at least one side strap 16 and ending at the upper band 14.

Additionally, the flexible body 12 may be reversible, with indicia displayed on display strips 30 situated on either side of the flexible body 12 (not shown). The display strips 30 may be detachable from the flexible body 12, using hook and loop fastening material to attach it onto the flexible body.

FIG. 7 shows an environmental side view of a sixth embodiment of the invention 80. The flexible body 12 of unitary construction includes a band 72 that is adapted to receive the ankle and foot of a user. The band 72 fits about the user's ankle. The flexible body 12 of unitary construction is elasticized in order to accommodate ankles of varying sizes. The band 72 has a first end 74 and a second end 76. The first 74 and second 76 ends may be attached to one another with any of a number of fastening devices, for example, a zipper 78 that is integrated into both the first 74 and second 76 ends. The user may place the footwear accessory 80 around the user's ankle and attach the accessory 80 onto the lower leg by fastening the zipper 78.

Alternatively, the zipper 78 or other fastener system may be omitted, and the first 74 and second 76 ends may be integrated into one another, so that the flexible body 12 is shaped as a one-piece annular band. The user then slides the accessory 80 onto the user's leg by placing the user's foot through the foot aperture 86 and pulling the band 72 over the ankle.

Indicia display strips 30 are strips of detachable material that are releasably attached to the band 72. The band 72 has a plurality of first strips of hook and loop fastening material 82 to which the display strips 30 are attached. Each display strip 30 has an exterior surface 84 and an interior surface 86 (shown more clearly in FIG. 8). The interior surface 86 of each of the display strips 30 is designed to attach to the first strips of hook and loop fastening material 82. The display strips 30 may be interchanged with any number of other indicia display strips 30 in order to display different types of indicia on the band 72.

FIG. 8 is a seventh embodiment of the invention 80. The display strips are attached to the first strips of hook and loop fastening material 82 that are affixed to the band 72. The exterior surface 84 of each of the display strips 30 has decorative indicia 90 disposed thereon. The interior surface 86 of each of the strips has a mating second strip of hook and loop fastening material 88 attached thereto. The interior surface 86 of the display strips may then be releasably attached to the first strips of hook and loop fastening material 82. A plurality of female snaps 92 are affixed to the first end 74 of the band 72. A plurality of mating male snaps 94 are attached to the second end 76 of the band 72. The female snaps 92 are releasably connected to the male snaps 94 to maintain the band 72 about the user's lower leg.

FIG. 9 is an eighth embodiment of footwear accessory 100. The fabric body 12 of the accessory 100 includes the upper band 72 having a lower band 102 integrally attached to the upper band 72. The end of the lower band 102 is lined with a strip of hook and loop fastening material 110. When the user puts the band 72 about the user's lower leg, the lower band 102 is situated under the user's foot and attaches to the ends 74 and 76 of the upper band 72.

Display strips 30 are affixed to the upper band 72. The first end 74 of the upper band 72 has an interior-facing strip of hook and loop fastening material 104 and the second end 76 of the upper band 72 has an exterior-facing strip of hook and loop fastening material 106. When the invention 100 is placed about a user's lower leg, the interior-facing strip of hook and loop fastening material 104 of the first end 74 releasably attaches to the exterior-facing strip of hook and loop fastening material 106 of the second end 76.

The first end 74 of the upper band 72 also has a second exterior-facing strip of hook and loop fastening material 108 that faces outward when the first 74 and second 76 ends of the upper band 72 are affixed to one another. The lower band strip of hook and loop fastening material 110 is adapted to fasten to the second exterior-facing strip of hook and loop fastening material 108 on the first end 74. Thus, when the upper band 72 is placed about a user's lower leg, the lower band 102 is placed under the user's foot and attaches to the second exterior-facing strip of hook and loop fastening material 108.

FIG. 10 is a ninth embodiment of the footwear 200 showing a unitary body 12 of elastomeric fabric, for example, neoprene. Attached at a front and rear top portion of the footwear 200 are removable or non-removable multiple display strips 30 for displaying indicia as previously disclosed in this application. Removable display strips may utilize a hook and loop fastening system as previously disclosed. In each of the following FIGS. 10 through 16, a lower band 20 extends from a lower central portion of the footwear 200 under the sole of the user and the cut out portions for receiving a user's heel H and instep I extend in an upward direction from the lower portion of lower band 20. The cut out portions for receiving the user's heel H and instep I are configured such that lower band 20 is the only portion of footwear 200 received within a shoe when said the footwear 200 is worn by a user.

FIG. 11 is a tenth embodiment of the invention, similar to footwear 200 of FIG. 10, but including a vertically oriented zipper 302 positioned between the front and rear portions to fasten the footwear 300 onto a user's ankle.

FIG. 12 is an eleventh embodiment of the invention, similar to footwear 300 of FIG. 11 but replacing the zipper 302 with a resilient stretchable elastomeric webbing 402. Webbing 402 allows a user to expand the top opening of footwear 400 by stretching the elastomeric webbing 402 upon insertion of a user's foot. Additionally, the resilient stretchable elastomeric webbing, as described here and below, only allows stretching in one planar direction of the webbing. In this configuration, the webbing is oriented to allow expansion only in a direction between the forward and rearward portion of the elastomeric fabric, that is, in a circumferential direction of the elastomeric material of body 12, but not in a vertical direction.

FIG. 13 is a twelfth embodiment of the invention showing footwear 500 having resilient stretchable elastomeric webbing 502 on two side of the body 12. A first portion 502 of resilient stretchable elastomeric webbing is located on the front of footwear 500 above and including a portion of the instep I opening. A second portion 504 of resilient stretchable elastomeric webbing is located on the rear of footwear 500 above and including a portion of the heel H opening. In this embodiment, the elastomeric webbing is allowed to stretch in a direction from side to side, that is, in a circumferential direction of the elastomeric material of body 12, but not in a vertical direction.

FIG. 14 is a thirteenth embodiment of the footwear 600 as shown in FIG. 13 now including a zipper 602 located on the body 12 between the first portion 502 and second portion 504 of the resilient stretchable elastomeric webbing material. Again, in this embodiment, the elastomeric webbing is allowed to stretch in a direction from side to side, that is, in a circumferential direction of the elastomeric material of body 12, but not in a vertical direction.

FIG. 15 is a fourteenth embodiment of the footwear 700 including a resilient stretchable elastomeric webbing 702 located on an upper rear portion of body 12. In this embodiment, a rear facing display strip 30 is a attached via a hook and loop fastening system to the resilient stretchable elastomeric webbing 702. In this embodiment, the elastomeric webbing is allowed to stretch in a direction from side to side, that is, in a circumferential direction of the elastomeric material of body 12, but not in a vertical direction.

FIG. 16 is a fifteenth embodiment of the footwear 800 including a resilient stretchable elastomeric webbing 802 on the front portion of said body 12. In this embodiment, a forward facing display strip 30 is attached via a hook and loop fastening system to the resilient stretchable elastomeric webbing 802. Additionally, a portion 804 of resilient stretchable elastomeric webbing is located on the rear of footwear 500 above and including a portion of the heel H opening similar to FIGS. 13 & 14. Again, in this embodiment, the elastomeric webbing is allowed to stretch in a direction from side to side, that is, in a circumferential direction of the elastomeric material of body 12, but not in a vertical direction.

While various fastening methods are used to illustrate the manner in which the user is to affix the footwear accessory to the user's leg, it is to be understood that any of a number of fasteners may be used to maintain the footwear accessory about the user's leg.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A footwear accessory, comprising:

an elasticized band of flexible material adapted to encircle a user's lower leg;

at least one first fastener attached to an outward-facing surface of said elasticized band; and

at least one display strip having an exterior surface and an interior surface, said exterior surface of said display strip having indicia displayed thereon and said interior surface of said display strip having a mating second fastener attached to said display strip, said display strip fastener being releasably attached to said first fastener.

2. The footwear accessory according to claim 1, wherein said first fastener comprises a first strip of hook and loop fastening material and said display strip fastener comprises a mating second strip of hook and loop fastening material.

3. The footwear accessory according to claim 1, wherein said band has a first end and a second end, said first end being releasably attached to said second end.

4. The footwear accessory according to claim 3, further comprising a zipper, said zipper having mating portions attached to said first end and said second end of said band, said zipper releasably connecting said first and second ends of said band.

5. The footwear accessory according to claim 3, further comprising a plurality of snap fasteners attached to said first end of said band and a plurality of mating snap fasteners attached to said second end of said band, said snap fasteners releasably fastening said ends of said band together to form an annular band.

6. The footwear accessory according to claim 3, further comprising a lower band having a free end releasably attached to said first upper band.

7. The footwear accessory according to claim 6, wherein said first end of said upper band has a first upper band attachment fastener attached to said first end and said second end of said upper band has a second upper band attachment fastener, said first upper band attachment fastener being releasably attached to said second upper band attachment fastener.

8. The footwear accessory according to claim 6, wherein a first lower band attachment fastener is attached to said first end of said upper band and said second lower band attachment fastener is attached to said free end of said lower band.

9. A footwear accessory, comprising:

an elasticized band of flexible material adapted to encircle a user's lower leg;

a strap portion of flexible material extending from two opposing sides of a lower portion of said elasticized band adapted to extend around a user's sole;

at least one first fastener attached to an outward-facing surface of said elasticized band; and

at least one display strip having an exterior surface and an interior surface, said exterior surface of said display strip having indicia displayed thereon and said interior surface of said display strip having a mating second fastener attached to said display strip, said display strip fastener being releasably attached to said first fastener.

10. The footwear accessory of claim 9, wherein said at least one first fastener is attached to an upper forward facing portion of said elasticized band.

11. The footwear accessory of claim 9, wherein said at least one first fastener is attached to an upper rearward facing portion of said elasticized band.

12. The footwear accessory of claim 9, further comprising a vertically oriented zipper located between a forward and a rearward portion of said elasticized band.

13. The footwear accessory of claim 9, further comprising an elastomeric webbing positioned between a forward and a rearward portion of said elasticized band, said elastomeric webbing expanding only in a direction between said forward and said rearward portions of said elasticized band.

14. The footwear accessory of claim 9, further comprising an elastomeric webbing positioned on a lower front portion of said elasticized band proximate said strap portion, said elastomeric webbing expanding only in the circumferential direction of said elasticized band.

15. The footwear accessory of claim 9, further comprising an elastomeric webbing positioned on a lower rear portion of said elasticized band proximate said strap portion, said elastomeric webbing expanding only in the circumferential direction of said elasticized band.

16. The footwear accessory of claim 9, further comprising:

a first portion of elastomeric webbing positioned on a lower front portion of said elasticized band proximate said strap portion; and

a second portion elastomeric webbing positioned on a lower rear portion of said elasticized band proximate said strap portion;

wherein said elastomeric webbing expands only in the circumferential direction of said elasticized band.

17. The footwear accessory of claim 9, further comprising:

an elastomeric webbing on an upper rearward portion of said elasticized band, wherein said elastomeric webbing expands only in the circumferential direction of said elasticized band;

said at least one first fastener attached to an outward-facing surface of said elastomeric webbing.

18. The footwear accessory of claim 9, further comprising:

an elastomeric webbing on an upper forward portion of said elasticized band, wherein said elastomeric webbing expands only in the circumferential direction of said elasticized band;

said at least one first fastener attached to an outward-facing surface of said elastomeric webbing.

19. The footwear accessory of claim 9, wherein said elasticized band and said strap portion of the are constructed of neoprene.