Waterproof protective overshoe for golf shoes

Abstract

A waterproof protective overshoe or boot adapted to be worn over a standard rubber or plastic blunted smooth bottom cleated golf shoe, the overshoe having a rugged outsole with a protruding patterned grid tread, a smooth resilient compressible flexible conforming insole for receiving the rubber or plastic cleats of a golf shoe into a corresponding number of recesses formed by the compression of the insole by the cleats locking the golf shoe in place within the protective overshoe, a double gusseted front creating a wide opening mouth for ease of putting on or taking off the boot, and a plurality of adjustable fasteners for securing the boot to the shoe clad foot of a golfer, the boot being of unitary construction and extending above the ankle of a golfer so as to be impervious to water intrusion, particularly when worn in combination with rain pants.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application is a Continuation-in-Part of a non-provisional patent application having Ser. No. 10 / 794,614 and a Filing Date of Mar. 5, 2004, now abandoned.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates generally to protective waterproof overshoes. More particularly, the present invention relates to protective boots or overshoes adapted to be worn over rubber or plastic cleated golf shoes with blunted or smooth, instead of sharp-edged, bottoms for the purpose of keeping a golfer's feet dry when playing golf on a wet golf course and to provide sufficient traction for play. [0003] A conventional golf shoe is not waterproof and may have moisture or water, when a golfer plays in the rain or on a course that has been soaked by rainfall, seep into the shoe or overflow the shoe sides. Additionally, sometimes a golfer begins a round of golf on a clear day but rain or dew remains on the ground producing a highly concentrated ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0016] The present invention is a waterproof overshoe boot specifically adapted for use with a conventional rubber or plastic blunted or smooth bottom cleated golf shoe. The overshoe boot is of a unitary construction, with the sole portion and boot portion forming an integral and leak free enclosure. The inside of the boot includes a smooth, resilient, conforming insole of sufficient depth and flexibility to compress upon insertion of the golf shoe and entrap the rubber or plastic cleats of varying arrays and geometries located on the outsole of a conventional golf shoe, locking the golf shoe in place, and preventing the golf shoe from sliding around inside the boot. The conforming insole is also sufficiently resilient to rebound to its original smooth shape along its upper surface once the overshoe boot is removed, so that other golf shoe cleat patterns and geometries can be accommodated in the same boot. Additionally, the instep height of the overshoe is dimensioned to be capable of fitting a cleated golf shoe.

[0017] The upper portion of the overshoe boot of the present invention extends over the foot to above the ankle, so that rain water running off rain pants will also run off the outside of the boot. Also, the closure system of the boot provides for a snug fit around the ankle that does not interfere with the pant leg of the golfer. The boot sole is sufficiently thick to give structural rigidity and to support a patterned grid tread similar to that found on hiking overshoes. The outsole tread provides traction on wet grass, in mud, in wet sand, and even on wet pavement.

[0018] The overshoe boot of the present invention is adapted for easy entry of a golf shoe clad foot due to its double gusseted opening front. A longitudinal expansion gap runs down the front of the boot for almost its entire length, from the mouth to the tip of the toe. Bridging the expansion gap, and integrally connected along its length, is a tongue in cooperation with two gusset flaps. When the boot is worn, the gusset flaps and tongue tuck neatly back behind the boot upper and inside the overshoe boot, which is fastened closed by engaging a plurality of mating hook and loop tabs, or another equivalent set of adjustable fasteners. The adjustable fasteners extend across the instep and ankle and must be closed tightly in order to provide a is sufficient downward force which would prevent the golf shoe and boot portion from separating and coming out of place during play. The conforming insole captures the golf shoe cleats, and since the boot upper is waterproof due to its integral construction, the fasteners can be adjusted by the user for comfort.

[0019] To enable insertion of a rubber or plastic cleated golf shoe into the overshoe boot, the fasteners are disengaged and the boot mouth opens widely as the tongue and gusset flaps unfold from within the overshoe boot. When the boot is fully opened, a shoed foot can readily be inserted thereinto with the cleated shoe sole planted firmly into the conforming insole of the boot. A shoed foot can be just as easily removed, by disengaging the fasteners and lifting the foot out of the overshoe boot.

Problems solved by technology

A conventional golf shoe is not waterproof and may have moisture or water, when a golfer plays in the rain or on a course that has been soaked by rainfall, seep into the shoe or overflow the shoe sides.

Additionally, sometimes a golfer begins a round of golf on a clear day but rain or dew remains on the ground producing a highly concentrated moisture seepage problem for which most golf shoes are ill equipped to rebuff.

While some more expensive golf shoes are designed to be water resistant, they are typically low cut shoes that stop below the ankle.

Thus, even if such shoes do not allow water to penetrate through the sole, the upper, or the seams, water may enter the shoes from the mouth of the shoe below the ankle and the golfer's foot and shoe will still get wet.

Further, these water resistant shoes are much more costly that conventional golf shoes having leather or synthetic uppers.

A typical overshoe, made from rubber or other similar material, has a flimsy sole that does not provide good traction, particularly on grassy or muddy surfaces.

Additionally, a boot or overshoe can be difficult to put on over a regular shoe, and especially over a rubber or plastic cleated golf shoe, which requires the overshoe to have a higher instep height than does an ordinary shoe.

Moreover, many of the past overshoes work only with metal or sharp-edged cleats or spikes, which would not accommodate the new style plastic blunt-edged or smooth bottom cleats, and are also no longer allowed on amateur golf courses.

Further still, many boots or overshoes do not secure snugly about a user's shoe, allowing the shoe to slide around within the boot.

A poorly secured overshoe may make it uncomfortable and tiring to walk any significant distance and may cause the user to be less surefooted on wet or dry surfaces.

The drawbacks of this design are that overshoe does not cover and enclose the entire golf shoe leaving the shoe exposed to moisture.

Further, this type of outsole can only be used with metal or plastic sharp-edged cleats as it is not capable of engaging the blunted or smooth bottom cleats that are now being used with all golf shoes for the reason that he spaces between each upstanding projections will only accommodate the sharp-edged cleat.

Additionally, the insole array of upstanding projections does not have the ability to retain the new style cleats in position because of the lack of space between and among the projections resulting in the upstanding projections being crushed downward and outward by the new larger blunted smooth bottom cleats so that these new cleats will ride atop the crushed projections rather than be accommodated between the projections as intended for the sharp-edged metal cleats of earlier sports shoes.

The drawbacks to this overshoe design are that the overshoe does not cover the entire foot of the golfer exposing the golf shoe to moisture.

Further, the overshoe only accommodates metal or plastic sharp-edged cleats that are no longer allowed on the golf courses, and which will not accommodate the currently used blunted or smooth bottom cleats.

Finally, the overshoe utilizes longitudinally extending ribs that are unable to accommodate the new blunted smooth bottom cleats.

The drawbacks of this design are that the overshoe does not extend above the ankle of the wearer.

Additionally, the overshoe lacks any internal means to accommodate the spikes of a golf shoe and to prevent the sliding of the golf shoe within the overshoe.

In addition to the drawbacks of being low cut, this overshoe will permit intrusion of water from below into the space between the overshoe and the golf shoe through the bottom openings in the overshoe, eventually allowing water to soak into the golf shoe and cause the golfer's sock and foot to become wet.

While this design provides means to snug the rim of the overshoe against the golf shoe sole to seal against water intrusion, such a seal is necessarily imperfect.

However, the flaps may not prevent water from entering the overshoe if the golfer steps into a puddle or a section of very soggy turf or very deep wet grass.

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