Shoe insert

Abstract

A shoe insert. A shape holding device for a shoe provided herein includes a toe cap fabric pocket and an upper fabric pocket; the toe cap fabric bag is suitable for containing the front portion of a shoe and used for keeping the shape of the shoe. The upper fabric pocket is adapted to receive an upper portion of a shoe for retaining the shape of the shoe.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the PCT international application PCT / US2018 / 013617 filed on January 12, 2018, which entered the Chinese national phase on July 11, 2019, and the invention patent application with Chinese patent application number 201880006667.9 and invention name “Shoe Inlay”.

[0002] Declaration of priority

[0003] This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 445,365, filed on January 12, 2017, entitled “Shoe Inserts,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0004] The invention relates to a device for maintaining the shape of shoes, in particular to a shoe insert. Background Art

[0005] Shoe lasts and shoe inserts have been used to maintain the shape of footwear for many years. When shoes sit without a secure foot replacement in place, they will naturally begin to lose their shape and often become wrinkled and wrinkled. Typically, shoe inserts address this problem by occupying portions of the shoe to support the structure of the shoe. Therefore, shoe inserts are important to the long-term care of the shoe as they serve to hinder the development of creases in the fabric of the shoe and help maintain the overall shape of the shoe.

[0006] The disadvantage of existing shoe inserts is that they cannot support various shoe shapes and sizes. For example, recycled molded cardboard and plastic inserts are rigid and do not provide compression that will allow them to form various shapes of different shoes. Preformed shoe inserts are custom molded and therefore usually only fit the style of the shoe they are packaged in. Wooden and spacer-style shoe inserts can achieve different lengths, but the toe member combined with the front part of the shoe is fixed and cannot be compressed to accommodate different toe boxes. In addition, wooden and spacer-style shoe inserts are expensive and require mechanical implementations that are not easy to incorporate into the shoe. Typically, such inserts only adapt to loafer-style shoes and cannot be used with high heels, flat shoes, boots or sandals.

[0007] It is also necessary to maintain the structure and aesthetics of various shoe types during photography. Shooting shoes without human feet to provide form requires a lot of manipulation of the shoe by the photographer. Therefore, a shoe insert is needed that will provide a natural appearance for the shoe. Existing materials (including batting, paper, tissue, etc.) used when photographing footwear are difficult to properly position and may release dust or fibers that can adhere to the outside of the shoe and are difficult to remove. In addition, cotton batting and tissue paper can each add additional bumps or textures to the outline of the shoe, which is difficult to manipulate once the shoe is styled. In some cases, smoothing the appearance of the shoe may require completely changing the style of the shoe.

[0008] Embodiments of the present disclosure described herein for a new and improved shoe insert overcome one or more of these disadvantages. Summary of the invention

[0009] The present disclosure generally relates to a device for maintaining the shape of a shoe. In some embodiments, a shoe insert includes a toe fabric bag adapted to fit into a front portion of the shoe, and a vamp fabric bag adapted to fit into an upper portion of the shoe. The fabric bag may have different sizes and / or shapes to fit shoes of different sizes and shapes.

[0010] Embodiments herein also describe a method of making a shoe insert, the method comprising forming a toe fabric pocket comprising a flexible material having a compressible form-fitting material dispersed therein; and forming an upper fabric pocket comprising a flexible material having a compressible form-fitting material dispersed therein. In some embodiments, the flexible material may be fabric or canvas.

[0011] Some embodiments describe a method of maintaining the shape of a shoe, the method comprising placing a toe fabric bag into a front portion of the shoe, and placing an upper fabric bag into an upper portion of the shoe.

[0012] Some embodiments describe a method of maintaining the shape of a shoe, the method comprising placing a toe fabric bag into a front portion of the shoe.

[0013] Some embodiments describe a shoe insert kit that includes a toe fabric bag configured for insertion into a front portion of a shoe and an upper fabric bag configured for insertion into an upper portion of a shoe.

[0014] Some embodiments describe a device for maintaining the shape of a shoe, the device comprising: a toe fabric bag adapted to be loaded into a front portion of a shoe for maintaining the shape of the shoe; and an upper fabric bag adapted to be loaded into an upper portion of a shoe for maintaining the shape of the shoe.

[0015] Some embodiments describe a method of making a shoe insert, the method comprising providing a toe fabric pocket and an upper fabric pocket, wherein each of the toe fabric pocket and the upper fabric pocket is formed of fabric and comprises a compressible, form-fitting material.

[0016] Some embodiments describe a method of maintaining a shape of a shoe, the method comprising: providing a toe fabric bag and an upper fabric bag; and placing the toe fabric bag into a front portion of the shoe and placing the upper fabric bag into an upper portion of the shoe.

[0017] In some embodiments of the present invention, the toe fabric pocket has a length of about 0.5 inches to about 6 inches.

[0018] In some embodiments of the present invention, the upper fabric bag has a length of about 1 inch to about 7 inches.

[0019] In some embodiments of the present invention, the toe fabric pocket has a width of about 1.5 inches to about 6 inches.

[0020] In some embodiments of the present invention, the upper fabric bag has a front width of about 1.5 inches to about 6 inches and a rear width of about 2 inches and 10 inches.

[0021] In some embodiments of the present invention, the toe fabric pocket and the upper fabric pocket each comprise a compressible, form-fitting material.

[0022] In some embodiments of the present invention, the compressible shape-fitting material is selected from the group consisting of sand, silica, foam pellets, chopped foam, polystyrene particles, popped styrene pellets, plastic pellets, cedar chips, polyurethane, polyurethane foam, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), thermoplastic foam, cotton, memory foam, rubber, fabric bags filled with pellets, PVC foam (polyvinyl chloride), EPE foam (polyethylene), latex foam, silicone, antimicrobial materials, polyolefins, and combinations thereof.

[0023] In some embodiments of the present invention, the toe fabric pocket and the upper fabric pocket are each formed of fabric.

[0024] In some embodiments of the present invention, the fabric is selected from the group consisting of canvas, fleece, silk, cotton, cashmere, linen, rayon, satin, burlap, and combinations thereof.

[0025] In some embodiments of the present invention, each of the toe fabric pocket and the upper fabric pocket includes one or more seams secured by stitching, gluing, tape bonding, liquid stitching, clamping, needle bonding, using hook and loop closures, stapling, or a combination thereof. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] For a more complete understanding of the nature and advantages of the present disclosure, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0027] Figure 1 is a side perspective view of a shoe insert having a toe fabric pocket facing downward and an upper fabric pocket facing upward.

[0028] Figure 2 It is a front elevational view of the toe fabric pocket on the right and the upper fabric pocket on the left.

[0029] Figure 3 is a rear elevational view of the toe fabric pocket on the left and the upper fabric pocket on the right.

[0030] Figure 4 is a right side elevational view of a shoe insert having a toe fabric pocket on the right and an upper fabric pocket on the left.

[0031] Figure 5 is a left side elevational view of a shoe insert having a toe fabric pocket on the left and an upper fabric pocket on the right.

[0032] Figure 6 is a top elevational view of a shoe insert having a toe fabric pocket at a lower portion and an upper fabric pocket at an upper portion.

[0033] Figure 7 is a bottom elevation view of a shoe insert having a toe fabric pocket on an upper portion and an upper fabric pocket on a lower portion.

[0034] Figure 8 is a perspective view of a shoe insert as used within a shoe. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] Before describing the apparatus and method of the present invention, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the specific process, apparatus or method described, because these can change. It should also be understood that the terms used in the specification are only used for the purpose of describing a specific version or embodiment, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, which is only limited by the appended claims. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used in this article have the same meaning, as those of ordinary skill in the art generally understand. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described in this article can be used in the practice or test of the embodiments of the present disclosure, what is described now is preferred methods, apparatus and materials. All publications mentioned in this article are incorporated by reference as a whole. Any content in this article should not be interpreted as recognizing that the present disclosure has no right to be disclosed prior to this by prior disclosure.

[0036] It must also be noted that, as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to "a fabric" refers to one or more fabrics and equivalents thereof known to those skilled in the art, and so forth.

[0037] As used herein, the term "about" means plus or minus 10% of the numerical value of the number it is being used in. Thus, about 12 inches means within the range of 10.8 inches to 13.2 inches.

[0038] The present disclosure is directed to shoe inserts, and the term "shoe" should be understood to refer to all footwear, including but not limited to dress shoes, casual shoes, single shoes, flat shoes, high heels, sneakers, sandals, wedge sandals, platform shoes, loafers, boat shoes, boots, slippers, sneakers, golf shoes, ballet shoes, cleats and Latin shoes.

[0039] Referring now in detail to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts throughout the several views, an exemplary embodiment is shown in FIG. Figure 1, which illustrates a shoe insert 100. The shoe insert 100 is made of two separate fabric bag structures, namely, an upper fabric bag 101 and a separate toe fabric bag 102. Each fabric bag includes a compressible, ductile, moldable shape-matching material dispersed therein, which allows the shoe insert 100 to occupy a series of shoe shapes and sizes of toe parts and / or upper parts by forming the outline of such a shoe. As used in this article, "upper" means any part of a shoe or boot after the front part, including but not limited to the middle part or heel part of a shoe or boot, or a combination thereof. The upper fabric bag can be added to serve as a counterweight for the toe fabric bag and can be placed in the upper part of the shoe. In some embodiments, for example, in the case where the upper fabric bag 101 is not required to be embedded to maintain / keep the shape of the shoe, such as for some high-heeled shoes, the toe fabric bag 102 can be used alone. The outer surface 23 of the toe fabric bag 102 and the outer surface 13 of the upper fabric bag 101 can include wrinkle-free, durable and ductile fabrics. Placing toe fabric pocket 102 in the toe portion of the shoe and placing a separately inserted upper fabric pocket 101 in the upper portion of the shoe applies pressure to the wall of the shoe to maintain the natural shape or fullness of the shoe. In some embodiments, the total length of shoe insert 100, including both the length of toe fabric pocket 102 and the length of upper fabric pocket 101, is about 1.5 inches, about 2 inches, about 2.5 inches, about 3 inches, about 3.5 inches, about 4 inches, about 4.5 inches, about 5 inches, about 5.5 inches, about 6 inches, about 6.5 inches, about 7 inches, about 7.5 inches, about 8 inches, about 8.5 inches, about 9 inches, about 9.5 inches, about 10 inches, about 10.5 inches, about 11 inches, about 11.5 inches, about 12 inches, about 12.5 inches, about 13 inches, or in a range between any two of these values.

[0040] Figure 2 A front elevation view of a shoe insert 100 is provided, wherein an upper fabric pocket 101 has a flat, curved front surface 10, and a toe fabric pocket 102 has a curved front surface 20. Upper fabric pocket 101 has a front width 15. In some embodiments, front width 15 is about 1.5 inches, about 2 inches, about 2.5 inches, about 3 inches, about 3.5 inches, about 4 inches, about 4.5 inches, about 5 inches, about 5.5 inches, about 6 inches, or in a range between any two of these values.

[0041] Figure 3 A rear elevation view of shoe insert 100 is provided. Figure 3As shown, the upper fabric bag 101 has a flat, curved rear surface 11, and the toe fabric bag 102 has a flat, curved rear surface 21. The upper fabric bag 101 has a height 18. In some embodiments, the height 18 is about 1 inch, about 1.5 inches, about 2 inches, about 2.5 inches, about 3 inches, about 3.5 inches, about 4 inches, about 4.5 inches, about 5 inches, about 5.5 inches, about 6 inches, about 6.5 inches, about 7 inches, about 7.5 inches, about 8 inches, about 8.5 inches, about 9 inches, about 9.5 inches, about 10 inches, or in a range between any two of these values. The toe fabric bag 102 has a height 28. In some embodiments, height 28 is about 0.5 inches, about 1 inch, about 1.5 inches, about 2 inches, about 2.5 inches, about 3 inches, about 3.5 inches, about 4 inches, about 4.5 inches, about 5 inches, about 5.5 inches, about 6 inches, about 6.5 inches, about 7 inches, about 7.5 inches, about 8 inches, or in a range between any two of these values. In addition, upper fabric pocket 101 has rear width 14. In some embodiments, rear width 14 is about 2 inches, about 2.5 inches, about 3 inches, about 3.5 inches, about 4 inches, about 4.5 inches, about 5 inches, about 5.5 inches, about 6 inches, about 6.5 inches, about 7 inches, about 7.5 inches, about 8 inches, about 8.5 inches, about 9 inches, about 9.5 inches, about 10 inches, or in a range between any two of these values. Toe fabric pocket 102 has width 24. In some embodiments, the rear width 24 is about 1.5 inches, about 2 inches, about 2.5 inches, about 3 inches, about 3.5 inches, about 4 inches, about 4.5 inches, about 5 inches, about 5.5 inches, about 6 inches, or within a range between any two of these values.

[0042] In some embodiments, the surface area of ​​the front surface 10 of the upper fabric pocket 101 is smaller than the surface area of ​​the rear surface 11 of the upper fabric pocket 101 .

[0043] Figure 4 is a right side elevation view of the shoe insert 100, and Figure 5 1 is a left side elevation view of the shoe insert 100. The upper fabric bag 101 has a curved surface 13 and a flat bottom surface 12. The toe fabric bag 102 has a curved surface 23 connected to the curved front surface 20 and a flat bottom surface 22. Figure 6 As shown, the cross-sectional area of ​​the curved surface 23 of the toe fabric pocket 102 gradually decreases toward the curved front surface 20. In some embodiments, the surface area of ​​the flat, curved rear surface 21 of the toe fabric pocket 102 is equal to the surface area of ​​the flat, curved front surface 10 of the upper fabric pocket 101.

[0044] Figure 71 is a bottom elevation view of the shoe insert 100. Figure 7 As shown, the bottom surface 12 of the upper fabric bag 101 can be a trapezoid consisting of two parallel sides, a rear width 14 and a front width 15, wherein the front width 15 is shorter than the rear width 14, and the lengths 16 and 17 are equal. In some embodiments, the lengths 16 and 17 are about 1 inch, about 1.5 inches, about 2 inches, about 2.5 inches, about 3 inches, about 3.5 inches, about 4 inches, about 4.5 inches, about 5 inches, about 5.5 inches, about 6 inches, 6.5 inches, about 7 inches, or in a range between any two of these values. Figure 7 Also shown is the shape of the bottom surface 22 of the toe fabric pocket 102. The toe fabric pocket 102 has a length 25. In some embodiments, the length 25 is 0.5 inches, about 1 inch, about 1.5 inches, about 2 inches, about 2.5 inches, about 3 inches, about 3.5 inches, about 4 inches, about 4.5 inches, about 5 inches, about 5.5 inches, about 6 inches, or in a range between any two of these values.

[0045] Figure 8 A perspective view of a shoe insert 100 is provided inside a shoe, including a toe fabric pocket 102 located at the front of the shoe and an upper fabric pocket 101 located below the tongue and laces.

[0046] In some embodiments described herein, the toe fabric bag 102 and the upper fabric bag 101 are constructed as modular fabric bags. The fabric bag can provide a natural appearance for shoes and fully fill the way of shoes. In some embodiments described herein, the fabric bag is constructed by a flexible material. In some embodiments, the flexible material is durable, fine enough to not add extra texture to the shoes, and / or plastic enough to manipulate in various shoe types. In some embodiments, the flexible material is a fabric. The fabric can be selected from canvas, fleece, silk, cotton, cashmere, linen, rayon, satin, burlap, any other fabric, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the fabric can be selected to minimize the formation of wrinkles.

[0047] In some embodiments, the fabric bag further comprises a lining. In some embodiments, the lining can be selected from canvas, fleece, silk, cotton, cashmere, linen, rayon, satin, burlap, any other fabric, or a combination thereof.

[0048] In some embodiments described herein, the fabric bag is manufactured with minimal seams to ensure a smooth surface inside the shoe. In some embodiments described herein, the seams formed are secured by stitching, glue, tape, liquid stitch, clips, pins, hook and loop closures, staples, or a combination thereof.

[0049] In some embodiments described herein, the toe and upper fabric pockets are each filled with a compressible shape-fitting material. In some embodiments, the compressible shape-fitting material is fine enough not to add additional texture to the shoe and / or is sufficiently plastic to manipulate within various shoe types. In some embodiments described herein, the compressible shape-fitting material is selected from sand, silica, foam beads, shredded foam, polystyrene particles, popped styrene beads, plastic pellets, cedar chips, polyurethane, polyurethane foam, cotton, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), thermo-moldable foam, memory foam, rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) foam, polyethylene (EPE) foam, latex foam, silicone gel, or a combination thereof.

[0050] In some embodiments, the toe fabric pocket 102 and / or the upper fabric pocket 101 include one or more seams secured by stitching, gluing, taping, liquid stitching, clipping, pinning, using hook and loop closures, stapling, or a combination thereof. Other forms of attaching fabric to fabric known to those skilled in the art are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0051] In some embodiments, toe fabric pocket 102 and upper fabric pocket 101 of the shoe inlay may contain fragrance or antimicrobial components.

[0052] In some embodiments, the shoe insert includes both a toe fabric pocket and an upper fabric pocket, only a toe fabric pocket, or only an upper fabric pocket.

[0053] Some embodiments herein are directed to a method of manufacturing a shoe insert, the method comprising forming a toe fabric pocket comprising a flexible material and having a compressible shape-fitting material dispersed therein; and forming an upper fabric pocket comprising a flexible material and having a compressible shape-fitting material dispersed therein. In some embodiments, the flexible material can be a fabric. In some embodiments, the fabric can be selected from canvas, fleece, silk, cotton, cashmere, linen, rayon, satin, burlap, any other fabric, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments described herein, the compressible shape-fitting material is selected from sand, silica, foam pellets, chopped foam, polystyrene pellets, popped styrene pellets, plastic pellets, cedar chips, polyurethane, polyurethane foam, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), thermoplastic foam, memory foam, rubber, PVC polyvinyl chloride (PVC) foam (polyvinyl chloride), polyethylene (EPE) foam (polyethylene), latex foam, silicone, or a combination thereof.

[0054] In some embodiments, forming the toe fabric pocket includes securing one or more seams of the toe fabric pocket. In some embodiments, forming the upper fabric pocket includes securing one or more seams of the upper fabric pocket. In some embodiments, securing the one or more seams includes stitching, gluing, strapping, liquid stitching, clamping, stitching, using hook and loop closures, stapling, or a combination thereof. Other forms of attaching fabric to fabric known to those skilled in the art are also considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0055] Embodiments described herein include a method of maintaining the shape of a shoe, the method comprising: providing a toe fabric bag and an upper fabric bag, and placing the toe fabric bag in a front portion of a shoe, and placing the upper fabric bag in an upper portion of a shoe. In some embodiments, the method of maintaining the shape of a shoe comprises providing a toe fabric bag and placing the toe fabric bag in a front portion of a shoe. In some embodiments, the method of maintaining the shape of a shoe comprises providing an upper fabric bag and placing the upper fabric bag in an upper portion of a shoe.

[0056] Some embodiments describe a method of maintaining the shape of a shoe, the method comprising placing a toe fabric bag of the embodiments herein into the front portion of the shoe, and placing an upper fabric bag of the embodiments herein into the upper portion of the shoe. Some embodiments describe a method of maintaining the shape of a shoe, the method comprising placing a toe fabric bag of the embodiments herein into the front portion of the shoe. Some embodiments describe a method of maintaining the shape of a shoe, the method comprising placing an upper fabric bag of the embodiments herein into the upper portion of the shoe. In some embodiments, the method of maintaining is used in conjunction with photography, display, transportation, styling, storage, or a combination thereof.

[0057] Some embodiments describe a shoe insert kit that includes a toe fabric bag configured for insertion into a front portion of a shoe and an upper fabric bag configured for insertion into an upper portion of a shoe of embodiments herein.

[0058] In the above detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the present invention. Unless the context indicates otherwise, similar symbols in the drawings generally identify similar components. The illustrated embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings and claims are not meant to be restrictive. Other embodiments may be used and other changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented herein. It is readily understood that the various features of the present disclosure, as generally described herein and illustrated in the drawings, may be arranged, replaced, combined, separated and designed in a variety of different configurations, all of which are expressly contemplated herein.

[0059] The present disclosure is not limited by the specific embodiments described in this application, and the specific embodiments are intended as illustrations of various features. Without departing from its spirit and scope, many modifications and changes can be made, which are obvious to those skilled in the art. From the above description, in addition to those listed herein, functionally equivalent methods and instruments within the scope of the present disclosure will be obvious to those skilled in the art. These modifications and changes are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims. The present disclosure is only limited to the terms of the appended claims, and the full range of equivalents of the rights granted by these claims. It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to specific methods, reagents, compounds, compositions or biological systems, which can certainly change. It should also be understood that the terms used in this article are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, and are not intended to be limited.

[0060] With respect to the use of substantially any plural and / or singular terms herein, those skilled in the art may convert from the plural to the singular and / or from the singular to the plural as appropriate to the context and / or usage. For the sake of clarity, various singular / plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein.

[0061] Those skilled in the art will understand that, in general, the terms used herein, and particularly in the appended claims (e.g., the bodies of the appended claims), are generally intended to be used as "open" terms (e.g., the term "comprising" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to," the term "having" should be interpreted as "having at least," the term "including" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to," etc.). Although various compositions, methods, and apparatus are described in terms of "comprising" various components or steps (interpreted to mean "including but not limited to"), the compositions, methods, and apparatus may also "consist essentially of" or "consist of" the various components and steps, and these terms should be interpreted as defining groups of substantially closed components. Those skilled in the art will also understand that if a specific number of an introduced claim descriptor is intended, this intent will be explicitly described in the claim, and in the absence of such a descriptor, no such intent exists.

[0062] For example, as an aid to understanding, the appended claims may include usage of the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce claim descriptors. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that a claim descriptor introduced by the indefinite article "a" or "an" limits any particular claim containing such an introduced claim descriptor to embodiments containing only one such descriptor, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases "one or more" or "at least one" and an indefinite article such as "a" or "an" (e.g., "a" and / or "an" should be construed to mean "at least one" or "one or more"); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim descriptors.

[0063] Furthermore, even if a specific number of an elicited claim descriptor is explicitly recited, one skilled in the art will recognize that such descriptors should be interpreted as meaning at least the recited number (e.g., a bare descriptor without other modifiers, "two descriptors" means at least two descriptors or more than two descriptors). Moreover, in those cases where examples similar to "at least one of A, B, and C, etc." are used, generally speaking, one skilled in the art will understand the meaning of the examples to be intended to refer to such a configuration (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, and C" would include, but is not limited to: a system having A alone, a system having B alone, a system having C alone, a system having A and B together, a system having A and C together, a system having B and C together, and / or a system having A, B, and C together, etc.). In those cases where examples similar to "at least one of A, B, or C, etc." are used, generally speaking, one skilled in the art will understand the meaning of the examples to be intended to refer to such a configuration (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, or C" would include, but is not limited to, a system having A alone, a system having B alone, a system having C alone, a system having A and B together, a system having A and C together, a system having B and C together, and / or a system having A, B, and C together, etc.). One skilled in the art will further understand that virtually any disjunctive word and / or phrase (in the specification, claims, or drawings) presenting two or more alternative terms should be understood to encompass the possibility of including one of the terms, any one of the terms, or all of the terms. For example, the phrase "A or B" should be understood to include the possibility of "A" or "B" or "A and B."

[0064] In addition, where features of the disclosure are described in terms of Markush groups, those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosure is also thereby described in terms of any individual member or subgroup of multiple members of the Markush group.

[0065] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, for any and all purposes, such as in terms of providing a written description, all ranges disclosed herein also include any and all possible sub-ranges and combinations of sub-ranges thereof. Any listed range can be easily considered as being sufficient to describe and implement the same range being divided into at least equal two, three, four, five, ten, etc. As a non-limiting example, each range discussed herein can be easily divided into a lower third, a middle third, a higher third, etc. As those skilled in the art will also appreciate, all expressions such as "at most", "at least", etc. include the numerals of elaboration, and refer to the ranges that can be subsequently decomposed into the sub-ranges discussed above. Finally, as those skilled in the art will appreciate, a range includes each single member. Thus, for example, a group with 1-3 members (cell) refers to a group with 1, 2 or 3 members. Similarly, a group with 1-5 members refers to a group with 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 members, etc.

[0066] Various of the above disclosed and other features and functions or their alternatives may be combined into many other different systems or applications. Various currently unforeseen or unanticipated substitutions, modifications, changes or improvements may subsequently be made by those skilled in the art, each of which is also intended to be included in the disclosed embodiments.

Claims

1. A device for maintaining the shape of a shoe, the device comprising: A toe fabric bag, the toe fabric bag is suitable for being loaded into the front part of the shoe to maintain the shape of the shoe; as well as The shoe upper fabric bag is suitable for being loaded into the shoe upper part of the shoe to maintain the shape of the shoe.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the toe fabric pocket has a length of about 0.5 inches to about 6 inches.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the upper fabric bag has a length of about 1 inch to about 7 inches.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the toe fabric pocket has a width of about 1.5 inches to about 6 inches.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the upper fabric bag has a front width of about 1.5 inches to about 6 inches and a rear width of about 2 inches and 10 inches.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the toe fabric pocket and the upper fabric pocket each comprise a compressible, form-fitting material.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the compressible, form-fitting material is selected from the group consisting of sand, silica, foam pellets, shredded foam, polystyrene pellets, popped styrene pellets, plastic pellets, cedar chips, polyurethane, polyurethane foam, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), thermoplastic foam, cotton, memory foam, rubber, a fabric bag filled with pellets, PVC foam (polyvinyl chloride), EPE foam (polyethylene), latex foam, silicone, antimicrobial materials, polyolefins, and combinations thereof.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the toe fabric pocket and the upper fabric pocket are each formed of fabric.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the fabric is selected from the group consisting of canvas, fleece, silk, cotton, cashmere, linen, rayon, satin, burlap, and combinations thereof.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the toe fabric pocket and the upper fabric pocket includes one or more seams secured by stitching, gluing, strapping, liquid stitching, clamping, stitching, using hook and loop closures, stapling, or a combination thereof.

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