Ballet shoe patch

Abstract

A patch for application to a pointe or demi-pointe ballet show platform comprising a single layer of knotted or interlocking yarn or thread. A crochet stitch or knitted stitch may be used. The thread

Description

The invention relates to a toe cap or patch to reinforce the end of a ballet shoe. Pointe and demi-pointe ballet shoes have a satin outer that encases the foot. Because of the fabric’s nature, it offers no grip and wears through easily. As a result, it is common practice for dancers to darn these shoes by hand. Not only does this protect the delicate satin but it also imparts grip particularly to the platform which is the part of the pointe shoe on which the dancer stands when en pointe. In addition, such stitching also extends the lifespan of the shoe. Over the years, the art of darning shoes by hand is fading as fewer people are confident at sewing. In addition, the darning is time consuming, difficult, and requires skill. As a result, many young dancers are not taught how to darn their shoes correctly and so seek alternative options. There are several such alternatives currently on the market including leather, suede or moleskin patches available from companies including Capezio, Grishko and Tendu, examples of which are illustrated in Figure 1. As can be seen, the patches have a curved end, opposite which is an arched end. The sides between the curve and arch either taper, or taper and then flare outwards, from the curve to the arch. The curved end fits the curvature at the upper edge of the platform while the arched end is shaped to fit against the curved end of the outer sole beneath the toe box. The patches are self-adhesive or may be stuck on with suitable glue. Illustrated in Figure 2 is a pointe shoe offered by Bloch which has a tapered platform that includes an integral suede toe cap. Of particular note is that the toe cap extends around the side edges of the box, unlike the patches of Figure 1. The inclusion of the toe cap is to reduce wear and tear on the platform and help prevent slipping on the corners of the platform. A big drawback of these patches is that the leather, suede or moleskin surface soon becomes smooth, slippery and without grip, leaving the dancer at risk of slipping or the need to change shoes entirely, sometimes before the end of their natural life. Similar to gymnasts who use chalk for grip, dancers use powdered resin for additional grip. The traditional darning provides a roughened surface, with holes formed between the stitches, which gives a good surface to which the resin adheres and is held. In contrast, once the leather, suede or moleskin on the patches is worn smooth, it is no longer possible for the resin to cover and provide grip. In addition, because the patches can only be glued - they are too tough for a needle to pass through, and any stitching would be highly visible - there is a concern that the patch may come loose or fall off altogether. Furthermore, as can be seen in Figure 1, these patches have a colouration which rarely matches the usual colours of a ballet shoe and have a textured finish that is very different to the accepted look of darning. Dancers are perfectionists and the aesthetic appearance of their shoes, particularly whilst performing on stage or in exams, is of the upmost importance. Ballet also has many traditions, one of which is darning pointe shoes, and it is not the accepted “norm” to apply unsightly patches to shoes. GB2409148 describes a pointe shoe protector that has a single layer of backing fabric to which a machined stitching pattern is applied in a spiral pattern that expands from the centre to the outer edge covering the whole extent of the backing fabric. The patch is described as having a generally elliptical shape that covers the toe area in use, and a squared off end portion which, in use, abuts the sole of the shoe. The patch may be self-adhesive or adhered using a suitable glue. A commercial embodiment of the protector described in this patent and sold by Point2point™ (www.pointeshoeprotectors.com) is shown in Figure 3. The patch of GB2409148 has a better colour match and is advocated as offering increased grip compared to the leather, suede and moleskin patches, probably because it mimics darning more closely. However, the stitching is flat and relatively smooth to the touch, providing less grip compared to a darn in and of itself, as well as less of a purchase for resin compared to a darn. In addition, the fabric backing is always visible, especially around the perimeter of the patch, making it obvious that the patch is glued on and significantly reducing its aesthetics. Accordingly, there remains a need for an alternative to darning that is quick and simple to apply, provides equivalent grip and longevity of use, is able to accept, hold and / or retain resin in its structure, and that also has a minimal visual impact on a ballet shoe. As a result, the present invention resides in a patch for application to a pointe or demi-pointe ballet shoe platform characterised in that the patch consists essentially of a single layer of knotted or interlocking looped yarn or thread. In other words, the patch is a single layer of a stitched fabric or material. Such a patch is both simple and easy to produce, as well as to apply to a shoe. In the context of the present invention, the terms “yarn” and “thread” are used interchangeably and encompass a strand of parallel continuous filaments or twisted staple fibres, a twisted ply, and single and multiple plies. In a particular example, the yarn or thread has a tight twist. This is because a tight twist imparts strength and durability to the yarn or thread, reducing fraying and breakage through wear. Knotted or interlocking looped yarn or thread has the advantage that it provides a rough or highly textured surface which, inherently, provides grip. In addition, the texture, in combination with holes between the stitches, offers an excellent surface to accept, hold and retain the resin that is used by dancers to add further grip. The surface also has an inherent strength and so requires no backing or stiffening fabric or paper. Additionally, knotted or interlocking loops have an inherent elasticity that enables the patch to be formed around and matched to the shape of the shoe platform when being attached to the shoe. Furthermore, the visual impact of such a surface can be highly similar to that of darning, making the patch far less obtrusive, visually. In one example, the knotted yarn or thread may be formed as a crochet stitch. The advantage of using a crochet stitch is that the stitch is completed before the next stitch is created. As a result, if a stitch works loose or breaks, the neighbouring stitches remain complete, and the resulting hole is limited to a single stitch and does not spread. It will be appreciated that any stitch may be used, including one or more selected from double crochet (known as single crochet in the US), half treble (known as half double in the US), treble (known as double in the US), and double treble (known as treble or triple in the US). Similarly, it will be appreciated that other, more complex, stitches are also suitable, as well as mixes of stitches. For the present invention, a double crochet stitch has been found to be suitable. In an alternative, the interlocking looped yarn or thread may be formed as a knitted stitch. The advantage of using a knitted stitch is the patch may be created by a machine and complex shapes may be created. As with a crochet stitch, any stitch and combination of stitches may be used. Stocking stitch is an example of a suitable stitch, not least because it provides one flat side and a rougher, more textured second side. The flat side is then the side of the patch that is attached to the fabric of the ballet shoe, with the rougher textured side providing the outer, gripping side. Yarns and threads are categorised in many different ways depending on whether the use is for knitting or crocheting, as well as the country of instruction. The Craft Yarn Council in the US (www.craftyarncouncil.com) provides a standard that defines yarns in terms of a numbered symbol and lists the yarns and threads that fall within the scope of each of these symbols. In an example of the present invention, the yarn may be a lace weight, superfine, fingering or crochet thread or equivalent thereof. Such yarns fall within the category symbols 0, 1 and 2. Threads may be measured by weight and given a crochet thread size number, with the higher the number corresponding to the thinner the thread. Thus, in an alternative example, the yarn or thread may also be defined has having a crochet thread size of between about 5 and about 30 or equivalent thereof. A yarn’s weight may also be determined by measuring the diameter, or the thickness, of a strand of yarn. The most common way to measure a strand’s diameter is with a method called wraps per inch, or WPI. WPI is a count of the number of times a yarn wraps around an implement, such as a pencil, ruler or WPI tool, within one inch. For example, if a yarn wraps around a ruler ten times in one inch, then the yarn has a WPI of 10. Thus, in accordance with the present invention, the yarn or thread may be further defined as having a thickness of between about 20 and about 55 WPI. As an illustration, a Size 5 Crochet Thread has approximately 23 WPI and falls with the Craft Yarn Council symbol 1, also called Super Fine. Similarly, a Size 8 Crochet Thread has approximately 36 WPI and falls with the Craft Yarn Council symbol 0, also called Lace. One example of a suitable yarn is offered by Tendu, Anchor and DMC categorised as a Size 20 crochet thread. An advantage of the Tendu crochet thread is it is sold in colours suitable for suitable darning pointe ballet shoes. It will be appreciated that the choice of yarn or thread is a balance between a yarn or thread that is thick enough to withstand the wear and tear applied through its use on a ballet shoe, and which is thin enough to be stitched so that the yarn or thread lays substantially flat. In a specific example, the yarn or thread is cotton, optionally mercerised cotton. Cotton is used to darn pointe shoes because it provides sufficient grip and is suitably hard wearing. Mercerised cotton is formed by passing threads under tension through a cold solution of 20% caustic soda. This causes swelling of the fibres and adds approximately 12% tensile strength when compared to non-mercerised equivalents. In another example, the patch may be shaped substantially to match the shape of a pointe ballet shoe platform, extend under the platform (in use) and abut an outer sole of the shoe. Such a shape is akin to the leather, suede and moleskin patches of the prior art. For example, the patch may be around 60mm between its furthest or longest extremities, those being a convex top edge that, in use, matches the shape of the platform where it meets the vamp, and a concave edge that fits against the outer sole underneath the shoe when attached. The distance between the convex and concave edges may be about 52mm and the patch may have a width of about 45mm. In an alternative example, the patch may be substantially circular in shape. The diameter of a circular shape will be dictated by the size of the shoe platform to which the patch is applied. In general, a circular shape having a diameter of between about 45mm to about 52mm has been found to be suitable. A diameter of this size has been found to be suitable for all shoe sizes. In an alternative or additional example, the patch may further include an adhesive applied to one surface of the patch. It will be appreciated that, if the patch has a rough side and a smooth side, the adhesive will be applied to the smooth side, which is the side that is placed against the satin of the shoe in use. Optionally, a protective layer may be provided on top of the adhesive to protect the adhesive from adhering to other articles before being fixed to the shoe. In other words, the protective layer is located on the adhesive surface of the patch that is opposite the yarn or thread, thereby creating a three-tiered structure having a yarn or thread layer, on top of which may be an adhesive layer, on top of which may be a protective layer. It is envisioned that the protective layer is a silicone paper or the like that is easily released from the adhesive. The present invention will now be described further with reference to the following, nonlimiting examples and figures, in which: Figure 1: images of suede patches of the prior art, in which Figure 1A is an example provided by Capezio® and Figure 1B shows an example provided by Grishko™. Figure 2: image of a Triomphe pointe ballet shoe with an integral suede platform covering provided by Bloch™. Figure 3: image of a stitched pointe shoe patch of the prior art provided by Point2point™. Figure 4: image of a crocheted patch of the present invention. Figure 5: image of a knitted patch of the present invention in which Figure 5A shows a smooth side of the patch which is laid against the fabric of a shoe when attached, and Figure 5B shows the rougher side of the patch that is the surface that is danced on in use. Figure 6: outline of an alternative shape of the patch of the present invention. The patch of the present invention is a reinforcement patch for attachment to the toe, or platform, of a pointe shoe. As illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, the patch is made solely of a stitched yarn or thread. In contrast to the stitched patch provided by Point2point™ shown in Figure 3), the patch of the present invention is stitched with a yarn or thread that is knotted or interlocking loops. The patch shown in Figure 4 is a crocheted circle of double crochet (known as single crochet in the US) stitch in a cotton crochet yarn Size 8 (41 WPI). The patch of Figure 5 is a knitted circle in stocking stitch having a smooth purl side (Figure 5A) and a looped knit side (Figure 5B). A knitted or crocheted patch mimics the chain-stitch of a hand-stitched darn much more closely and so has greater aesthetic appeal in a field in which appearance is important and highly regarded. The yarn in both examples is a pink colour that is substantially the same as the pink of a standard pointe shoe. It will be appreciated that pointe shoes are manufactured in a variety of other colours and so the patch may be stitched in a yarn that substantially matches that of the shoe. Cotton yarn has been selected because cotton is hard wearing and is known to withstand the wear of dance. In addition, although cotton has little inherent elasticity, cotton when crocheted or knitted is sufficiently elastic to allow the patch to be stretched and shaped around the platform of the shoe on fixing. The patch has a diameter of approximately 48-50mm and is sized so the circumference is a suitable match to the arch of the uppermost edge of the platform. A circle also allows the patch to be folded around the sides and underside of the platform, thereby extending the gripping surface. The outline of an alternative shape for the patch is shown in Figure 6, the shape of which mimics the shape of the suede patches of the prior art shown in Figure 1. In the outline illustrated, the patch has a maximum length of 60mm between the peak of the convex top edge and the end points of the concave lower edge. The curve of the convex top edge is shaped to match the arch of the uppermost edge of the platform while the curve of the lower convex edge is such to match the shape of the outer sole. In this way, there is smooth surface between the sole of the shoe and the patch. Similarly, the patch should not be shaped to protrude above the profile of the platform. The distance between the peak of convex and concave arcs is 52mm and the patch has a width that matches the width of a platform, namely 45mm. In such a patch, the stitch pattern will be horizontal, to mimic a hand-stitched darn. In use, the patch is offered up to the platform of a pointe shoe with the curve of the patch first being placed against the contour of the platform where it meets the vamp. The circumference of the patch is then shaped and teased by hand to overlay the contours of the platform. The patch may be fixed by stitching, for example with a simple running stitch, 5 and / or may be glued. The patch may be supplied with an adhesive layer on one side which may further include a release paper to protect the adhesive.

Claims

1. A patch for application to a pointe or demi-pointe ballet shoe platform characterised in that the patch consists essentially of a single layer of knotted or interlocking looped yarn or thread.

2. The patch according to claim 1, wherein the knotted yarn or thread is formed as a crochet stitch.

3. The patch according to claim 1, wherein the interlocking looped yarn or thread is formed as a knitted stitch.

4. The patch according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the yarn or thread is a lace weight, superfine, fingering or crochet thread or equivalent thereof.

5. The patch according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the yarn has a thickness of between about 20 and about 55 WPI (Wraps Per Inch).

6. The patch according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the yarn is cotton, optionally mercerised cotton.

7. The patch according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the patch is shaped substantially to match the shape of a pointe ballet shoe platform, extend under the platform (in use) and abut an outer sole of the shoe.

8. The patch according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the patch is substantially circular in shape.

9. The patch according to claim 8, wherein the circular shape has a diameter of between about 45mm to about 52mm.

10. The patch according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the patch further includes an adhesive applied to one surface and, optionally, a protective layer on top of the adhesive, on the adhesive surface that is opposite the yarn or thread.

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