Removable toe guard for sports shoes

Abstract

A toe cap guard for removable insertion within a toe cap of an athletic shoe to prevent an upper surface of the toe cap from wrinkling includes a central portion defining a toe cap guard front portion, and first and second opposing wing portions extending rearward of the central portion adjacent the central portion. The central portion and the first and second opposing wing portions define an upper edge and a lower edge of the toe guard and include a sandwich structure including outer and inner layers including a flexible cellular foam and an intermediate core layer including a reinforcement layer of a solid polymeric material. The lower edge of the middle core layer is inwardly spaced from the lower edge of the toe cap protector, the lower edge comprising a two-layer structure of a peripherally flexible unreinforced lower band, with the outer layer directly bonded to the inner layer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a removable toe protector for sports shoes, which can be removably inserted into the toe of the sports shoe to prevent the upper surface of the toe from wrinkling. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, sneakers (also known as ball shoes, fitness shoes, gym shoes, etc.) have become popular for use as casual shoes. Many sneakers are sold and purchased as high-cost fashion accessories produced by high-quality fashion and sportswear manufacturers. There is a thriving market for rare second-hand sneakers. Sneaker collectors, known as "sneakerheads," aim to keep their sneakers in top condition to preserve their physical appeal and commercial value.

[0003] Since sports shoes originated from sportswear and are designed primarily for flexibility and comfort, the toe cap and upper of sports shoes are flexible. The toe cap of a sports shoe (or other footwear) is the section of the sports shoe that surrounds and covers the toes. The upper of a sports shoe (or other footwear) covers the instep and extends backward from the toe cap, for example, toward a tightening mechanism such as a shoelace, a strap, etc. The upper surface of the rear portion of the toe cap covering the front portion of the instep of the foot, and / or the upper surface of the upper, often develop permanent wrinkles even after the sports shoe has been worn for only a short period of time. Such wrinkles are often considered undesirable in appearance and style, and may reduce the commercial value of the sports shoe.

[0004] It is known to produce removable toe protectors for sports shoes, which can be removably inserted into the toe of the sports shoe in order to prevent wrinkling of the toe and / or the upper surface of the upper.

[0005] For example, US11,266,205B2 discloses a wearable shoe former, which is a sheet of complex contours, which is configured to fit on a person's foot in the front part of a shoe. The shoe former includes a toe portion covering the front of the instep of the foot, an inner wing covering the medial edge of the foot, and an outer wing covering the outer edge of the foot. The wearable shoe former is provided as a pair of wearable shoe formers, one of which is shaped and constructed for the right foot of the user, and the other of which is shaped and constructed for the left foot of the user. The outer wing is provided with a cutout called the fifth toe vacancy, which is positioned above the fifth toe when worn to provide expansion of the foot during use. The upper edge of the toe portion typically rests on the instep at an approximately mid-position between the toes and the ankle in use, and the upper edge is provided with a raised portion called the inner undulation, which is conformable to the elevated height of the navicular bone of the human foot, and the upper edge is also provided with a cutout called the midfoot vacancy, which is arranged to avoid contact with the foot near the middle cuneiform during walking. The wearable shoe former is composed of an injection molded plastic (i.e., a polymer material) that is strong enough to prevent or inhibit the top and sidewall or front area of ​​the shoe from wrinkling or creases when walking. The wearable shoe former can be made of a plastic sheet that is thick enough to inhibit wrinkling, but thin enough to be cut with household scissors so that the wearable shoe former can be cut and shaped by the user to fit a variety of shoes. Although the wearable shoe former can prevent or reduce wrinkling, and is provided with additional cuts and raised portions to more accurately correspond to the contours of a person's foot, and can be cut and shaped, the user may experience discomfort when the wearable shoe former is inserted into a shoe, such as a pair of sneakers.

[0006] WO2009 / 017730A1 discloses a wearable shoe last to be inserted into the interior of a shoe, thereby helping to maintain the original shape of the shoe and preventing the front area (or toe area) and the side wall from wrinkling and creases over time. The wearable shoe last includes an insert having a toe area and two legs extending from the toe area, the insert providing a convex top surface that fits snugly to the inner surface of the upper, and follows the contour of the sole surface from the upper down to the upper where the sole meets the sole, and the two legs fit snugly into the inner surface of the shoe side wall via pressure tension. The insert is typically made of flexible plastic (i.e., polymer material) that can be cut and shaped by the user; alternatively, the insert can be made of non-plastic materials such as wood, rubber, metal or ceramic. Similarly, when the wearable shoe former is inserted into a shoe, such as a pair of sports shoes, the user may feel uncomfortable.

[0007] WO2022 / 15670A1 discloses a double-layer shoe shield, which includes a hard shoe shield body and a soft plastic inner layer. CN209473731U discloses a shoe shield, in which the inner adapter of the protective cover is provided with a silicone protective layer, and the inner front end of the protective cover is provided with a sponge reinforced protective layer in the form of two crescent-shaped blocks. KR10-2009-0110506A discloses a safety shoe having an integrated metal toe cap surrounding the top, side and bottom of the wearer's toes.

[0008] Currently available commercial products include removable toe protectors that are constructed from injection molded polymeric materials. TM In one commercial product sold, a removable toe protector comprises an outer layer of injection molded polymer material, particularly polypropylene, and an inner layer of a flexible thermoplastic gel which provides increased user comfort during use compared to a single layer of injection molded polymer material.

[0009] However, a problem with these known removable toe protectors is that, while wrinkling may be reduced or prevented, the toe protectors may be uncomfortable for the user. Summary of the invention

[0010] The present invention aims to provide a removable toe protector for sports shoes, which can be removably inserted into the toe of the sports shoe to prevent the upper surface of the toe from wrinkling, and during use, the protector shows high comfort to the user and high protection against wrinkling of the sports shoe.

[0011] The object of the present invention is also to provide a removable toe protector for sports shoes, which can be removably inserted into the toe of the sports shoe to prevent wrinkling of the upper surface of the toe, and compared with known removable toe protectors, the removable toe protector increases the comfort of the user without reducing the protection against wrinkling of the sports shoe during use.

[0012] These objects are met by the present invention which provides a removable toe protector for a sports shoe which can be removably inserted into the toe of the sports shoe to prevent wrinkling of the upper surface of the toe.

[0013] Therefore, the present invention provides a removable toe protector for sports shoes, which can be removably inserted into the toe of the sports shoe to prevent the upper surface of the toe from wrinkling, the toe protector comprising a central portion defining a front portion of the toe protector, and opposing first and second wing portions adjacent to the central portion, the opposing first and second wing portions extending rearward from the central portion from respective opposing sides of the central portion and defining a rear portion of the toe protector, wherein the central portion and the opposing first and second wing portions define an upper edge of the toe protector and a lower edge of the toe protector, the upper edge being shaped and configured The shoe is configured to be adjacent to the instep of a user's foot and arranged along the opposite sides of the instep, the lower edge being shaped and constructed to be arranged around at least a portion of the toes, the inner edge of the user's foot and the outer edge of the user's foot, wherein the central portion and the first and second opposing wing portions include a sandwich structure, the sandwich structure including an outer layer containing a flexible cellular foam, an inner layer containing a flexible cellular foam and an intermediate core layer containing a solid polymer material reinforcement layer, wherein the intermediate core layer has a lower edge spaced inwardly from the lower edge of the toe guard, whereby the lower edge of the toe guard includes a two-layer structure in the form of a peripheral flexible unreinforced lower band, wherein the outer layer is directly bonded to the inner layer.

[0014] Preferably, the toe guard also includes a cut-out portion located on one side of the toe guard and extending across the area of ​​the central part and the area of ​​the first wing portion, the first wing portion being shaped and constructed to be arranged adjacent to the outside of the user's foot, wherein in the cut-out portion, a portion of the lower edge of the toe guard is in the form of a curved arc that is raised relative to the lower edge at opposite ends of the cut-out portion, which are respectively positioned in the central part and the first wing portion, whereby when used in the sports shoe, the fifth toe of the user's foot extends through the opening formed by the cut-out portion in the toe guard.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, in the peripheral flexible non-reinforced lower band, the outer layer is bonded to the inner layer by a bonding zone extending across the transverse width of the peripheral flexible non-reinforced lower band.

[0016] Preferably, the peripheral flexible unreinforced lower band is configured to be manually cut to reduce the lateral width by manually cutting along the periphery of the bonding area, and the bonding area is configured to continue to bond the outer layer to the inner layer and form a sealed lower edge of the toe protector after removing part of the bonding area by manual cutting.

[0017] Preferably, the peripheral flexible unreinforced lower band is provided with a plurality of mutually spaced, peripherally extending marked cut lines, which are spaced inwardly from the lower edge of the toe guard and are substantially aligned with the lower edge of the toe guard. In a preferred embodiment, the cut lines are embossed in the lower band.

[0018] The cut line is typically formed on the inner surface of the toe guard.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the intermediate core layer has an upper edge which is spaced inwardly from the upper edge of the toe guard, whereby the upper edge of the toe guard comprises a two-layer structure in the form of a peripheral flexible unreinforced upper band, wherein the outer layer is directly bonded to the inner layer.

[0020] Preferably, the upper edge of the toe guard forms a smoothly curved U-shape that is shaped and configured to be adjacent to the instep of a user's foot and fit along opposite sides of the instep of the user's foot.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in the central part, the middle core layer has an upper rear portion and a lower front portion, wherein the upper rear portion is substantially flat and substantially parallel to the lower edge of the middle core layer, and the lower front portion is arched and extends downward from the curved front end of the upper rear portion, wherein the upper rear portion has a greater thickness and higher stiffness than the lower front portion.

[0022] Preferably, the lower front portion extends downwardly from the curved front end of the upper rear portion at an angle of from 30 to 60 degrees to the upper rear portion.

[0023] Preferably, the upper rear portion is shaped and configured to be positioned over the toes and the lower front portion is shaped and configured to be positioned in front of the user's toes.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the intermediate core layer has first and second wing portions extending into first and second opposing wing portions, respectively.

[0025] Preferably, in the first wing portion and the second wing portion, the intermediate core layer has a smaller thickness and lower stiffness than an upper rear portion of the intermediate core layer in the central portion.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, in the outer layer, the flexible cellular foam comprises a first ply of memory foam, and in the inner layer, the flexible cellular foam comprises a second ply of memory foam.

[0027] Preferably, the first and second memory foam plies each have a thickness of from 1.5 to 4 mm, more preferably from 2 to 3 mm, typically about 2 mm.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the outer layer further comprises an outermost fabric layup covering the flexible cellular foam in the outer layer, and the inner layer further comprises an innermost fabric layup covering the flexible cellular foam in the inner layer.

[0029] Preferably, the outermost fabric ply and the innermost fabric ply are composed of a synthetic wicking fabric, and optionally the synthetic wicking fabric is composed of polyester fibers.

[0030] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the intermediate core layer consists of a thermoplastic elastomer, and optionally, the thermoplastic elastomer comprises polyurethane.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the outer layer and the inner layer are directly bonded together around the entire peripheral edge of the toe guard in a sandwich construction.

[0032] Preferably, in a sandwich construction, the outer layer and the inner layer are directly bonded together around the entire peripheral edge of the toe protector by means of a pressure weld.

[0033] Preferably, the toe guard further comprises a plurality of ventilation holes extending through the central portion.

[0034] The present invention also provides a pair of toe protectors according to the present invention, wherein one of the toe protectors is configured to fit to a user's right foot and the other of the toe protectors is configured to fit to a user's left foot. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0036] Figure 1 is a plan view from above of a pair of removable toe protectors for a sports shoe according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 2 is from Figure 1 A plan view of the pair of toe guards as shown in FIG.

[0038] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 a perspective side view of one side of one of the toe guards shown in ;

[0039] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A perspective side view of the opposite side of the toe guard shown in FIG.

[0040] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 An exploded perspective side view of one side of the toe guard shown in FIG.

[0041] Figure 6 is from Figure 3 A plan view from above of the toe guard shown in FIG. 1 and showing in dotted lines the shape and configuration of the core reinforcement between the outer and inner layers of memory foam; and

[0042] Figure 7 It passes through Figure 6 The toe guard shown in FIG. 1 is an exploded cross-section along line XX. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] Figures 1 to 7 A pair of removable toe protectors 2a, 2b for sports shoes according to an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. One of the toe protectors 2a is configured to fit to the user's right foot, and the other of the toe protectors 2b is configured to fit to the user's left foot. Each toe protector 2a, 2b can be removably inserted into the toe of a sports shoe (not shown) to prevent the upper surface of the toe from wrinkling.

[0044] Each toe guard 2a, 2b comprises a central portion 4 defining a front portion 6 of the toe guard 2a, 2b and first and second opposite wing portions 8, 10 adjacent to the central portion 4, extending from respective opposite sides of the central portion 4 behind the central portion 6. The first and second opposite wing portions 8, 10 define a rear portion 12 of the toe guard 2a, 2b.

[0045] The central portion 4 and the first and second opposing wing portions 8, 10 define an upper edge 14 of the toe protector 2a, 2b and a lower edge 16 of the toe protector 2a, 2b. The upper edge 14 of the toe protector 2a, 2b is shaped and configured to be adjacent to the instep of the user's foot and arranged along the opposite sides of the instep. The upper edge 14 of the toe protector 2a, 2b forms a smoothly curved U-shape, which is shaped and configured to be adjacent to the instep of the user's foot and adapted along the opposite sides of the instep. The lower edge 16 of the toe protector 2a, 2b is shaped and configured to be arranged around at least a portion of the toes, the medial edge of the user's foot and the lateral edge of the user's foot. In use, the lower edge 16 is placed along the joint between the upper of the sports shoe and the sole (not shown) of the sports shoe.

[0046] The cut-out portion 18 is located on one side of the toe protector 2a, 2b and extends across the area of ​​the central portion 4 and the area of ​​the first wing portion 8. The first wing portion 8 is shaped and configured to be disposed adjacent to the outside of the foot of the user. In the cut-out portion 18, a portion of the lower edge 16 is in the form of a curved arc 20 that is convex relative to the lower edge 16 at opposite ends 22, 24 of the cut-out portion 18, which are located in the central portion 4 and the first wing portion 8, respectively. Thus, when used in the sports shoe, the fifth toe of the user's foot extends through the opening 26 in the toe protector 2a, 2b formed by the cut-out portion 18.

[0047] A plurality of ventilation holes 82 extend through the central portion 4 to help ventilate the front of the user's foot when covered by the toe guards 2a, 2b.

[0048] With particular reference Figures 5 to 7, the central part 4 and the relative first wing part 8 and the second wing part 10 include a sandwich structure 28. The sandwich structure 28 includes an outer layer 30 containing a flexible cellular foam 32, an inner layer 34 containing a flexible cellular foam 36 and an intermediate core layer 38 containing a solid polymer material reinforcement layer 40. Typically, the outer layer, the intermediate core layer and the inner layer of the sandwich structure 28 are adhered together by an adhesive layer (not shown), and the adhesive layer adheres the entire adjacent surfaces that are in contact with each other. Suitable adhesives for combining polymer materials together are well known to those skilled in the art. As an alternative to adhesive bonding, thermal bonding can be adopted to form the sandwich structure 28.

[0049] In the outer layer 30, the flexible cellular foam 32 includes a first ply 42 of flexible cellular foam, preferably memory foam, and in the inner layer 34, the flexible cellular foam 36 includes a second ply 44 of flexible cellular foam, preferably memory foam.

[0050] The first and second plies 42, 44 of flexible cellular foam, preferably memory foam, each have a thickness of from 1.5 mm to 4 mm, preferably from 2 mm to 3 mm, for example about 2 mm.

[0051] The outer layer 30 also includes an outermost fabric ply 46 covering the flexible cellular foam 32 in the outer layer 30, and the inner layer 32 also includes an innermost fabric ply 48 covering the flexible cellular foam 36 in the inner layer 32. The outermost fabric ply 46 and the innermost fabric ply 48 are composed of synthetic wicking fabrics, and typically the synthetic wicking fabrics are composed of polyester fibers.

[0052] The intermediate core layer 38 is composed of a thermoplastic elastomer, and typically the thermoplastic elastomer comprises polyurethane. Typically, the intermediate core layer 38 is injection molded to form a three-dimensionally shaped molded article having the desired shape and configuration of the final toe protector 2a, 2b.

[0053] The intermediate core layer 38 has a lower edge 50 which is spaced inwardly from the lower edge 16 of the toe protectors 2a, 2b. The lower edge 16 of the toe protectors 2a, 2b thus comprises a two-layer structure 52 in the form of a peripheral flexible unreinforced lower band 54, wherein the outer layer 30 comprising the first layer 42 of flexible cellular foam and the outermost textile ply 46 is directly bonded to the inner layer 32, the two layers referring to the outer layer 30 and the inner layer 32 comprising the second layer 44 of flexible cellular foam and the innermost textile ply 48.

[0054] In the peripheral flexible unreinforced lower band 54 , the outer layer 30 is bonded to the inner layer 32 by a bond area 56 that extends across the lateral width of the peripheral flexible unreinforced lower band 54 .

[0055] The peripheral flexible unreinforced lower band 54 is configured to be manually cut to reduce the lateral width by manually cutting around the perimeter along the bonded area 56. The bonded area 56 is configured to continue to bond the outer layer 30 to the inner layer 32 and form a sealed lower edge after a portion of the bonded area 54 is removed by manual cutting.

[0056] The peripheral flexible unreinforced lower band 54 is provided with a plurality of mutually spaced, peripherally extending marking cut lines 58, Figure 5 , these cut lines 58 are spaced inwardly from and substantially aligned with the lower edge 16 of the toe guard 2a, 2b. Typically, the cut lines 58 are embossed into the lower band 54. Preferably, the cut lines 58 are formed on the inner surface 60 of the toe guard 2a, 2b.

[0057] The intermediate core layer 38 has an upper edge 62 which is spaced inwardly from the upper edge 14 of the toe protectors 2a, 2b. The upper edge 14 of the toe protectors 2a, 2b thus comprises a two-layer structure 64 in the form of a peripheral flexible unreinforced upper band 66, wherein the outer layer 30 comprising the first layer 42 of flexible cellular foam and the outermost textile ply 46 is directly bonded to the inner layer 32, the two layers being referred to as the outer layer 30 and the inner layer 32 comprising the second layer 44 of flexible cellular foam and the innermost textile ply 48.

[0058] In the two-layer structure 52, 64, the outer layer 30 and the inner layer 32 are directly bonded together by a pressure weld 80 around the entire peripheral edge of the toe guard 2a, 2b.

[0059] In the central portion 4, the intermediate core layer 38 has an upper rear portion 68 and a lower front portion 70. The upper rear portion 68 is substantially flat and substantially parallel to the lower edge 16. The lower front portion 70 is arcuate and extends downward from a curved front end 72 of the upper rear portion 68. The lower front portion 70 extends downward from the curved front end 72 of the upper rear portion 68 at an angle of 30 to 60 degrees, for example, about 45 degrees, to the upper rear portion 68. The upper rear portion 68 has a greater thickness and higher stiffness than the lower front portion 70. The difference in thickness is Figure 7 Although for the sake of clarity, Figure 7 The thickness of the layers is not shown to scale. The upper rear portion 68 is shaped and configured to be over the toes, and the lower front portion 70 is shaped and configured to be disposed in front of the toes of the user's foot.

[0060] The intermediate core layer 38 has a first wing portion 82 and a second wing portion 84 that extend into the opposing first wing portion 8 and second wing portion 10, respectively.

[0061] In the first wing portion 82 and the second wing portion 84 , the intermediate core layer 38 has a smaller thickness and lower rigidity than the upper rear portion 68 of the intermediate core layer 38 in the middle section 4 .

[0062] To make the toe protector of the illustrated embodiment, the outer layer and inner layer are cut into the desired two-dimensional shape, each of which includes a memory foam layer and a cover fabric layer. The inner faces of the outer layer and inner layer are then coated with adhesive, and these adhesive faces are then applied to the opposite faces of the injection molded intermediate core of the three-dimensional shape. The adhesive is allowed to cure. If necessary, the peripheral edges of the toe protector can be trimmed and / or heat sealed. The outer and inner faces of the toe protector can include embossing to form marked cut lines and any other markings, such as right side marking / left side marking; the embossing can be performed before or after the inner and outer layers are assembled to the intermediate core layer.

[0063] Preferred embodiments of the present invention can provide a removable toe protector for a sports shoe, which can be removably inserted into the toe of the sports shoe to prevent wrinkling of the upper surface of the toe, and compared with known removable toe protectors, the removable toe protector exhibits increased user comfort without reducing the protection against wrinkling of the sports shoe during use.

[0064] Firstly, the inner layer adjacent the user's foot during use comprises a flexible cellular foam, preferably a memory foam, which increases the comfort of the user compared to an injection moulded polymer body.

[0065] Second, the middle core layer comprising a reinforcement layer of a solid polymer material provides reinforcement of the toe guard, but is provided in a sandwich structure between an outer layer and an inner layer comprising flexible cellular foam. Thus, when a foot contacts the inner layer comprising flexible cellular foam, a reinforcement can be provided to prevent or reduce wrinkling of the upper of the sports shoe.

[0066] Thirdly, the reinforcement layer of solid polymer material has an upper edge and a lower edge, which are spaced inwardly from the upper edge and the lower edge of the toe protector, respectively. Thus, the upper edge of the toe protector comprises a peripheral flexible unreinforced upper band, which is formed by an outer layer and an inner layer comprising flexible cellular foam and an outer and inner layer fabric ply. Since the upper band is not reinforced, the upper band is highly flexible and therefore feels comfortable against the instep even after long-term wearing of the sports shoe. Correspondingly, the lower edge of the toe protector comprises a peripheral flexible unreinforced lower band, which is also formed by an outer layer and an inner layer comprising flexible cellular foam and an outer and inner layer fabric ply. Since the lower band is also unreinforced, the lower band is also highly flexible and therefore feels comfortable against the toe end even after long-term wearing of the sports shoe.

[0067] Fourth, the intermediate core layer sandwiched between the outer layer and the inner layer is provided with areas of different thickness and stiffness, which can help achieve the dual purpose of preventing wrinkling of the toe and upper of the sports shoe and providing comfort to the user. By providing a reinforcement using a relatively thick and relatively rigid upper rear portion of the intermediate core layer, which is arranged above the toes of the user and contacts the inner surface of the upper of the toe, and optionally contacts a portion of the upper of the sports shoe, wrinkling is prevented, and additionally by providing a reinforcement including a relatively thin and relatively flexible lower front portion of the intermediate core layer, which is arranged in front of the toes of the user and contacts the inner surface of the front end of the toe of the sports shoe, comfort is not reduced by the reinforcement. In addition, the relatively thin and relatively flexible portion of the reinforcement extends into the wing portion of the toe protector to provide additional strength and reinforcement without compromising comfort.

[0068] In general, by using an intermediate core layer provided with areas of varying thickness and stiffness, sandwiched between outer and inner layers comprising flexible memory foam, enhanced performance can be achieved, achieving protection against wrinkling and user comfort.

[0069] Fifth, providing a self-wicking fabric as the outermost and innermost layers of the toe protector further increases the comfort of the user, especially after extended wear periods.

[0070] Various modifications to the toe protector of the preferred embodiment will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may fall within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A toe protector for a sports shoe, the toe protector being removably insertable into the toe of the sports shoe to prevent the upper surface of the toe from wrinkling, the toe protector comprising a central portion defining a front portion of the toe protector, and opposing first and second wing portions adjacent to the central portion, the opposing first and second wing portions extending from respective opposing sides of the central portion behind the central portion and defining a rear portion of the toe protector, wherein the central portion and the opposing first and second wing portions define a front portion of the toe protector. an upper edge of a head guard and a lower edge of the toe guard, the upper edge being shaped and configured to be disposed adjacent to and along opposite sides of an instep of a user's foot, the lower edge being shaped and configured to be disposed around at least a portion of a toe, an inner edge of the user's foot, and an outer edge of the user's foot, wherein the central portion and the opposing first and second wing portions comprise a sandwich structure comprising an outer layer comprising a flexible cellular foam, an inner layer comprising a flexible cellular foam, and an intermediate core layer comprising a reinforcement layer of a solid polymer material, wherein The intermediate core layer has a lower edge which is spaced inwardly relative to the lower edge of the toe guard, whereby the lower edge of the toe guard comprises a two-layer structure in the form of a peripheral flexible unreinforced lower band, wherein the outer layer is directly bonded to the inner layer.

2. The toe protector according to claim 1 further includes a cut-out portion located on one side of the toe protector and extending across the central portion area and the first wing portion area, the first wing portion being shaped and constructed to be arranged adjacent to the outside of the user's foot, wherein in the cut-out portion, a portion of the lower edge of the toe protector is in the form of a curved arc, and the curved arc is raised relative to the lower edge at opposite ends of the cut-out portion, which are respectively positioned in the central portion and the first wing portion, so that when used in the sports shoe, the fifth toe of the user's foot extends through the opening formed by the cut-out portion in the toe protector.

3. The toe protector according to claim 1, wherein: In the peripheral flexible non-reinforced lower band, the outer layer is bonded to the inner layer by a bond zone extending across the lateral width of the peripheral flexible non-reinforced lower band.

4. The toe protector according to claim 3, wherein: The peripheral flexible unreinforced lower band is configured to be manually cut to reduce the lateral width by manually cutting along the periphery of the bonding area, and the bonding area is configured to continue to bond the outer layer to the inner layer and form a sealed lower edge after a portion of the bonding area is removed by manual cutting.

5. The toe protector according to claim 4, wherein: The peripheral flexible unreinforced lower band is provided with a plurality of mutually spaced, peripherally extending marking cut lines which are spaced inwardly relative to and substantially aligned with the lower edge of the toe guard.

6. The toe protector according to claim 1, wherein: The intermediate core layer has an upper edge which is spaced inwardly relative to the upper edge of the toe guard, whereby the upper edge of the toe guard comprises a two-layer structure in the form of a peripheral flexible unreinforced upper band, wherein the outer layer is directly bonded to the inner layer.

7. The toe protector according to claim 1, wherein: The upper edge of the toe guard forms a smoothly curved U-shape that is shaped and configured to be adjacent to an instep of a user's foot and fit along opposite sides of the instep.

8. The toe protector according to claim 1, wherein: In the central portion, the middle core layer has an upper rear portion and a lower front portion, wherein the upper rear portion is substantially flat and substantially parallel to the lower edge of the middle core layer, and the lower front portion is arched and extends downward from a curved front end of the upper rear portion, wherein the upper rear portion has a greater thickness and higher stiffness than the lower front portion.

9. The toe protector according to claim 8, wherein: The lower front portion extends downward from the curved front end of the upper rear portion and forms an angle of 30 to 60 degrees with the upper rear portion.

10. The toe protector according to claim 8, wherein: The upper rear portion is shaped and configured to be positioned over the toes, and the lower front portion is shaped and configured to be positioned in front of the toes of the user's foot.

11. The toe protector according to claim 8, wherein: The intermediate core layer has first and second wing portions extending into opposing first and second wing portions, respectively.

12. The toe protector according to claim 11, wherein: In the first and second wing portions, the intermediate core layer has a smaller thickness and lower rigidity than an upper rear portion of the intermediate core layer in the central portion.

13. The toe protector according to claim 1, wherein: In the outer layer, the flexible cellular foam comprises a first memory foam ply and in the inner layer, the flexible cellular foam comprises a second memory foam ply.

14. The toe protector according to claim 13, wherein: The first and second memory foam plies each have a thickness of from 1.5 mm to 4 mm or from 2 mm to 3 mm.

15. The toe protector according to claim 1, wherein: The outer layer further includes an outermost fabric layup covering the flexible cellular foam in the outer layer, and the inner layer further includes an innermost fabric layup covering the flexible cellular foam in the inner layer.

16. The toe protector according to claim 15, wherein: The outermost fabric ply and the innermost fabric ply are comprised of a synthetic wicking fabric, and optionally, the synthetic wicking fabric is comprised of polyester fibers.

17. The toe protector according to claim 1, wherein: The intermediate core layer is composed of a thermoplastic elastomer, and optionally, the thermoplastic elastomer comprises polyurethane.

18. The toe protector according to claim 1, wherein: In the sandwich structure, the outer layer and the inner layer are directly bonded together around the entire peripheral edge of the toe guard.

19. The toe protector according to claim 18, wherein: In the sandwich construction, the outer layer and the inner layer are directly bonded together around the entire peripheral edge of the toe protector by a pressure weld.

20. A pair of toe protectors according to claim 1, wherein: One of the toe guards is configured to fit to a user's right foot, and the other of the toe guards is configured to fit to a user's left foot.

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