FIELD OF INVENTION The present disclosure relates generally to footwear, and more particularly to a no-show sock, with methods and devices to prevent the sock from slipping into the shoe.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Many types of shoes are commonly worn without socks between the foot and the inside of the shoe. Some examples include women's pumps, flats, loafers, oxfords, boat shoes and high heels. However, wearing shoes without socks can cause discomfort to the wearer. The discomfort can be the direct result of several different issues.
One issue, for example, includes the buildup of moisture inside the shoe from the foot. This moisture can lead to the foot slipping within the shoe; potentially cause friction and blisters, and very possibly put the wearer at risk of injury due to compromised adherence of the shoe to the foot. Foot odor is another undesirable result of wearing shoes without socks; the natural accumulation of foot moisture over time can saturate the shoe, rendering it malodorous and unwearable.
A popular solution to prevent the issues listed above, and also be in step with today's fashion, is to wear no-show socks. However a serious limitation of no-show socks is the tendency to slip off of the heel of the foot and slide into the heel of the shoe; bunching underneath the sole of the foot and causing the wearer to frequently stop and adjust the sock. Additionally, to have the sock slide into the shoe and bunch underneath the foot is very uncomfortable and prevents the shoe from fitting properly, which could, in turn, present a hazard to the wearer.
Many solutions have been proposed to overcome the issue of socks slipping off of the foot heel and migrating to the inside of the shoe. Some socks have areas of anti-slip agents, such as silicone, added to the inside heels of the socks, but this is only effective a small part of the time and wear and tear can reduce the effectiveness of the anti-slip agent over time.
Other solutions include; an object, such as a pompom or other ornament, affixed to the upper edge of heel of the sock and protruding outside of the shoe. This iteration does not provide sufficient support or the stability to prevent the sock from collapsing at the heel and being pulled into the shoe, and the ornamentations often become dislodged after a few uses.
Another proposed construction is a sock with ankle straps and ties. This configuration limits the wearer to a certain style; bows, laces and straps around the ankle mean that the wearer must compromise a “no-show” look and the flexibility of ease of use, for a less flexible look with diminished ease of use.
Socks with heel flaps that fold over the heel of the shoe are unsightly and unreliable in the prevention of sock heels slipping into the shoe. The excess material comprising the flap bunches up and is drawn into the shoe heel during wear.
As a result, there is a need for a sock that can provide the stability of a reinforced, non-slip heel and the comfort and ease of use that are contained in the present embodiment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This summary is provided to introduce a new configuration of a foot garment. The present embodiment includes a foot covering which is comprised of a toe portion, a heel portion, and a central body portion interconnecting the heel and toe portions, and a foot opening.
The heel of the sock is reinforced with an element (or elements) attached to the heel portion and extends above the upper rear edge of the shoe. The reinforcing element(s) serve to prevent the heel of the sock from being pulled into the shoe while the wearer is walking or engaged in other activity.
The above summary of the present disclosure is not intended to describe each embodiment or every implementation of the present disclosure. Advantages and attainments, together with a more complete understanding of the present embodiment will become apparent and appreciated by referring to the following detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The features of the preferred embodiment will become more clearly understood from the following detailed description of the present disclosure read together with the drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a side view of a foot wearing a sock of the present embodiment, illustrating the reinforcing element.
FIG. 2 is a side view of the present embodiment with an alternative design of the reinforcing element.
FIG. 3 is a side view of a foot wearing a sock of the present embodiment inside of a shoe.
FIG. 4 is a rear view of heel of the sock of the present embodiment inside of a shoe.
FIG. 5 is a view of the rear portion of the sock of the present embodiment depicting a manner in which the reinforcing element may be attached to the sock.
FIG. 6 is a view of the rear portion of the sock of the present embodiment depicting an alternative manner in which the reinforcing element may be attached to the sock.
FIG. 7 is a view of the rear portion of the sock of the present embodiment depicting an alternative manner in which the reinforcing element can incorporate an embellishment and how it may be attached to the sock.
FIG. 8 is a view of the rear portion of the sock of the present embodiment depicting an alternative manner in which an alternative reinforcing element may be attached to the sock.
FIG. 9 is a view of the rear portion of the sock of the present embodiment depicting an alternative manner in which an alternative reinforcing element may be attached to the sock.
FIG. 10 is a view of the rear portion of the sock of the present embodiment depicting a manner in which an alternative reinforcing element may be attached to the sock including an opening for a removable embellishment.
FIG. 10A is a depiction of potential examples of removable embellishments that could be utilized in conjunction with the opening of the reinforcing element illustrated in FIG. 10.
FIG. 11 is a view of the rear portion of the sock of the present embodiment depicting an alternative manner in which the reinforcing element can incorporate an alternative embellishment and how it may be attached to the sock.
FIG. 12 is a view of the rear portion of the sock of the present embodiment depicting an alternative configuration in which a reinforcing element may be attached to the sock.
FIG. 13 is a view of the rear portion of the sock of the present embodiment depicting an alternative configuration in which a reinforcing element may be attached to the sock.
FIG. 14 is a view of the rear portion of the sock of the present embodiment depicting an alternative configuration in which a reinforcing element may be attached to the sock.
FIG. 15 is a standalone view of the reinforcing element as a separate element to add to sock at time of production.
FIG. 16 is a view of a separate, add-on, stand-alone clip for sock. Clip is independent of sock and can be added and removed.
FIG. 17 is a view of a possible method for attaching the embellishment to the base of the reinforcing element.
FIG. 18 is an alternate view of a possible method for attaching the embellishment to the base of the reinforcing element.
FIG. 19 is an alternate view of a possible method for attaching the embellishment to the base of the reinforcing element.
FIG. 20 is an alternate view of a possible method for attaching the embellishment to the base of the reinforcing element.
FIG. 21 is an alternate view of a possible method for attaching the embellishment to the base of the reinforcing element.
FIG. 22 is a view of the rear portion of the sock of the present embodiment depicting the reinforcing element attached to the sock.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Although preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are explained in detail, it is to be understood that other embodiments are contemplated. Accordingly is not intended that the present embodiment is limited in its scope to the details of construction and arrangements of components set forth in the following description of illustrated in the drawings. The present embodiment is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways.
All illustrations and drawings included are for the purpose of describing the current embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the preferred and current embodiment.
For the purpose of this description; going forward, the terms “reinforcing element(s),” “reinforcing and embellishment element(s) and/or ornaments,” “reinforcing element(s) and/or embellishment(s) and ornaments” may also be referred to as “the element(s).”
All embodiments represented here, and as part of any other future scope may or may not include an adhesive, non-slip component applied to the inside of the heel portion.
A foot garment is identified herein as a non-slip, reinforced-heel sock, device and element for the same, which provides a sock that readily covers the foot, from the toes, to the foot bottom and the heel and includes a reinforcing element attached to the heel of the sock to prevent the sock from slipping into the shoe while being worn.
The preferred embodiment has a reinforced heel that includes an attached ornament or embellishment that is positioned above the back of the heel of the shoe, preventing the sock heel from slipping into the wearer's shoe while wearing. The sock resembles a standard sock, with additional elements; that are not limited to any particular materials, fabrics or decorative elements, embellishments or ornaments; which are affixed to the heel of the sock. The reinforcing element is two-fold; the addition of the fabric (or other material) strip provides additional stability to the heel itself by stiffening it, and the ornament or embellishment acts as a “stopper.” Additionally, an adhesive, non-slip component, which can be of any type of suitable material, may or may not, be added to the inside of the heel portion of the reinforcing element to increase the non-slip-heel property of the sock even further.
Referring to FIG. 1; the sock, according to one embodiment will now be described. The sock covers the toes, bottom of foot and heel portion of the foot. In this embodiment, the top of the foot is exposed. The sock can be slipped over the foot. In reference to FIG. 3-FIG. 4, the heel portion of the sock has been reinforced with a strip of fabric that extends above the back of a shoe heel and includes an added ornament or embellishment, again, which is configured to lie above the top of the shoe back and protrude out over the shoe back and hold up the sock. This configuration may or may not include an adhesive, non-slip component applied to the inside of the heel portion.
The reinforcing and embellishment element can be attached to the heel of the sock in a variety of ways; such as being sewn on, fused or glued on, or woven into the garment at the time of production. The method of attachment is not limited to those mentioned here.
In FIG. 2; and in this embodiment, the sock also covers the same area of the foot, and depicts a different method of design and construction of the reinforcing element and accompanying ornament/embellishment. This iteration of the sock with the reinforcing element consists of an all-in-one piece reinforcing strip, or self-element, in which the embellishment is incorporated into it. Possible methods for incorporating a self-element include, but are not limited to knotting the end of the strip or rolling the end and affixing it at the top, creating the “stopper” that prevents the sock from creeping into the shoe.
FIG. 5 includes a view of a possible attachment method of the reinforcing element and/or embellishment with the dotted line indicating that the reinforcing element covers the inside of the sock heel and the solid line indicates that the reinforcing element covers the outside of the sock heel.
FIG. 6 illustrates another possible method of attachment, where the element is affixed on the inside of the sock heel only; indicated by the dotted line. This embodiment may or may not include an adhesive, non-slip component applied to the inside of the heel portion.
In reference to FIG. 7, this iteration of the sock with the reinforcing element consists of an additional version of an all-in-one piece reinforcing strip, or self-element, in which the embellishment is incorporated into it. In this figure in particular, the all-in-one self-element shows that the strip is knotted to create the “stopper” embellishment. The solid line at the heel portion of the sock is intended to indicate that the element is affixed to the outside of the sock and the dotted lines indicate that the element is affixed to the inside of the sock as well. This embodiment may or may not include an adhesive, non-slip component applied to the inside of the heel portion.
In FIG. 8; and in this embodiment, the sock also covers the same area of the foot, and depicts a different method of design and construction of the reinforcing element and accompanying ornament/embellishment. This iteration of the sock with the reinforcing element consists of a reinforcing strip that acts as a hook to curl over the back of the shoe to prevent the sock from slipping into the shoe. The solid line at the heel indicates that the element is attached to the sock on the outside and the dotted line at the heel indicates that the element is attached to the inside of the sock heel. FIG. 9 is a similar iteration of FIG. 8, the only difference being that in this version; the element is attached only to the inside of the sock heel, indicated by the dotted lines. Both of these embodiments may or may not include an adhesive, non-slip component applied to the inside of the heel portion.
In reference to FIG. 10, this iteration of the sock has a reinforcing element with an opening to allow for the use of separate and removable embellishments or ornaments that act as the “stopper”. The reinforcing element; i.e., the fabric (or other material) strip is attached to the sock at the time of manufacture/production and is configured with an opening, such as a buttonhole (but not limited to that type of opening) in which a separate ornament or embellishment can be added, changed or removed. The solid line at the heel portion of the sock is intended to indicate that the element is affixed to the outside of the sock and the dotted lines indicate that the element is affixed to the inside of the sock as well. This embodiment may or may not include an adhesive, non-slip component applied to the inside of the heel portion.
FIG. 10A is a depiction of potential examples of removable embellishments that could be utilized in conjunction with the opening of the reinforcing element illustrated in FIG. 10. These embellishments and ornaments would be created specifically for use with the sock and reinforcing element and are not limited to the shapes shown here, or to any particular type of ornament, material, or attachment shape or method of attachment.
FIG. 11 includes a view of another type of embellishment or ornament, such as a button or any other type of decorative element attached to the reinforcing element. The dotted line indicates that the reinforcing element covers the inside of the sock heel and the solid line indicates that the reinforcing element covers the outside of the sock heel. This embodiment may or may not include an adhesive, non-slip component applied to the inside of the heel portion.
FIG. 12 illustrates another possible configuration of the element; where the element is affixed only half way down on the inside of the sock heel only; indicated by the dotted line, and only halfway down on the outside of the sock heel, indicated by the solid line. This embodiment may or may not include an adhesive, non-slip component applied to the inside of the heel portion.
FIG. 13 illustrates another possible configuration of the element; where the element is affixed to the upper portion of the edge of the heel portion. The inside of the sock heel only; indicated by the dotted line, and the outside of the sock heel, indicated by the solid line. This embodiment may or may not include an adhesive, non-slip component applied to the inside of the heel portion.
FIG. 14 includes a view of another type of embellishment or ornament, in this version, a tab or other such part is woven into the edge of the sock heel itself and the embellishment/ornament is attached to the tab or part. The crossed lines on the heel of the sock indicate that an ad such as a button or any other type of decorative element attached to the reinforcing element. The dotted line indicates an adhesive, non-slip component applied to the inside of the heel portion. However, in other embodiments of this configuration, an adhesive, non-slip component may or may not be applied to the inside of the heel portion.
FIG. 15 depicts a separate reinforcing element, with or without an attached embellishment or ornament to add to sock at the time of manufacture. The reinforcement element and element can be made as one piece and attached to the sock, or the reinforcing strip and the embellishment or ornament can be made separately and combined together to be added to the sock. The element is represented as a stand-alone piece that can be manufactured separately or purchased separately to be added to an existing foot garment. This element may or may not include an adhesive, non-slip component applied to the inside of the element.
FIG. 16 is a stand-alone clip for a sock that can be added and removed by the wearer at any time. The clip depicts a separate, stand-alone component that acts as a reinforcing element in the form of a clip-on or add-on, to be purchased separate from the sock. The stand-alone reinforcing element can be made with or without an attached embellishment or ornament, which can be added in a separate step. Or the reinforcing element can be made as one piece. This embodiment is an element represented as a stand-alone piece to be manufactured separately and purchased separately to be added to any existing foot garment. This element may or may not include an adhesive, non-slip component applied to the inside of the element.
FIG. 17-FIG. 19 Detail a possible method in which to attach an embellishment to a reinforcing strip. The reinforcing strip is cut into 3 strands and the embellishment or ornament is threaded onto one of the strips. The entire piece is folded over the back heel portion of the sock and attached by sewing, gluing, fusing or by any other appropriate, achievable means. This embodiment may or may not include an adhesive, non-slip component applied to the inside of the heel portion.
FIG. 20-FIG. 21 Detail another possible method in which to attach an embellishment to a reinforcing strip. The embellishment or ornament is threaded onto a thinner strand of material, not limited to any particular material, and then affixed, in any appropriate, achievable manner, to a larger strip, creating a layering effect. The entire piece is folded over the back heel portion of the sock and attached by sewing, gluing, fusing or by any other appropriate, achievable means. This embodiment may or may not include an adhesive, non-slip component applied to the inside of the heel portion.
FIG. 22 is the embodiment of the sock using the attachment method described in FIGS. 20 and 21. In the depiction in FIG. 22, the smaller strip with the embellishment attached to it, which is then attached to a larger strip and then affixed to the sock is depicted here. This embodiment may or may not include an adhesive, non-slip component applied to the inside of the heel portion.
