Interchangeable athletic shoe cover pad

Abstract

An athletic shoe system includes an athletic shoe having an upper, one or more insert pads attached to a region of the upper, and one or more cover pads having substantially the same dimensions as at least one of the insert pads. Each of the one or more insert pads includes a first part of a releasable attachment system. Further, each of the one or more cover pads includes a second part of the releasable attachment system on a lower surface and an ornamental decoration on an upper surface. The cover pads are arranged to be releasably attached to the one or more insert pads using the releasable attachment system. Accordingly, an ornamentation of the athletic shoe is customized by interchanging the cover pad(s) releasably attached to the athletic shoe.

1 . An athletic shoe system, comprising: 
 an athletic shoe having an upper;    at least one insert pad attached to a region of the upper, the at least one insert pad comprising a first part of a releasable attachment system; and    at least one cover pad having substantially the same dimensions as the at least one insert pad, wherein the at least one cover pad comprises a second part of the releasable attachment system and is arranged to be releasably attached to the at least one insert pad using the releasable attachment system.    
     
     
         2 . The athletic shoe system of  claim 1 , wherein the releasable attachment system comprises: 
 an adhesive attachment system; and    an interlock attachment system.    
     
     
         3 . The athletic shoe system of  claim 2 , wherein the adhesive attachment system comprises: 
 a first adhesive strip attached to a perimeter of an upper surface of the at least one insert pad; and    a second adhesive strip attached to a perimeter of a lower surface of the at least one cover pad and arranged to be adhesively attached to the first adhesive strip.    
     
     
         4 . The athletic shoe system of  claim 2 , wherein the interlock attachment system comprises: 
 at least one insert channel attached to an upper surface of the at least one insert pad; and    at least one stud attached to a lower surface of the at least one cover pad and arranged to be interlockingly attached to the at least one insert channel.    
     
     
         5 . The athletic shoe system of  claim 2 , wherein the adhesive attachment system is a hook and loop fastener system.  
     
     
         6 . The athletic shoe system of  claim 2 , wherein the interlock attachment system is a slot and track fastener system.  
     
     
         7 . The athletic shoe system of  claim 2 , wherein the interlock attachment system is a press and lock fastener system.  
     
     
         8 . The athletic shoe system of  claim 2 , wherein the interlock attachment system is formed of one selected from a plastic material and a rubber material.  
     
     
         9 . The athletic shoe system of  claim 1 , wherein the first part of the releasable attachment system comprises: 
 an adhesive strip attached to a perimeter of an upper surface of the at least one insert pad; and    at least one insert channel attached to an upper surface of the at least one insert pad.    
     
     
         10 . The athletic shoe system of  claim 1 , wherein the second part of the releasable attachment system comprises: 
 an adhesive strip attached to a perimeter of a lower surface of the at least one cover pad; and    at least one stud attached to a lower surface of the at least one cover pad.    
     
     
         11 . The athletic shoe system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one insert pad comprises a backing having an upper surface, and wherein the first part of the releasable attachment system is attached to the upper surface.  
     
     
         12 . The athletic shoe system of  claim 11 , wherein the backing is formed of one selected from a flexible synthetic rubber material or a flexible synthetic plastic material.  
     
     
         13 . The athletic shoe system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one cover pad comprises a backing having a lower surface, and wherein the second part of the releasable attachment system is attached to the lower surface.  
     
     
         14 . The athletic shoe system of  claim 13 , wherein the backing comprises an upper surface having an ornamental decoration.  
     
     
         15 . The athletic shoe system of  claim 14 , the backing comprising: 
 a first layer having the ornamental decoration; and    a second layer having the second part of the releasable attachment system, wherein the second layer is juxtaposed to and attached to the first layer.    
     
     
         16 . The athletic shoe system of  claim 15 , wherein the first layer is formed of a synthetic leather material.  
     
     
         17 . The athletic shoe system of  claim 15 , wherein the second layer is formed of one selected from of a flexible synthetic plastic material and a flexible synthetic rubber material.  
     
     
         18 . An athletic shoe set, comprising: 
 a plurality of cover pads;    a pair of athletic shoes, each athletic shoe comprising: 
 an upper; and  
 at least one insert pad attached to a region of the upper and having substantially the same dimensions of at least one of the cover pads,  
   wherein the at least one insert pad of each of the pair of athletic shoes is arranged to be releasably attached to at least one cover pad of the plurality of cover pads.    
     
     
         19 . The athletic shoe set of  claim 18 , wherein each cover pad of the plurality of cover pads comprises a unique ornamental decoration, and wherein an ornamentation of athletic shoe set is changed by replacing the cover pad attached to the at least one insert pad of at least one athletic shoe of the pair of athletic shoes with another cover pad of the plurality of cover pads.  
     
     
         20 . The athletic shoe set of  claim 19 , wherein each of the at least one insert pads comprises: 
 an adhesive strip attached to a perimeter of the at least one insert pad; and    at least one insert channel attached to a surface of the at least one insert pad.    
     
     
         21 . The athletic shoe set of  claim 20 , wherein each cover pad of the plurality of cover pads comprises: 
 an adhesive strip attached to a perimeter of the at least one cover pad; and    at least one stud attached to a surface of the at least one cover pad.    
     
     
         22 . The athletic shoe set of  claim 21 , wherein the adhesive strip of each of the at least one insert pads is releasably attachable to the adhesive strip of at least one cover pad of the plurality of cover pads, and wherein the at least one insert channel of each of the at least one insert pads is releasably attachable to at least one stud of at least one cover pad of the plurality of cover pads.  
     
     
         23 . A method for ornamenting an athletic shoe, comprising: 
 releasably attaching a first cover pad having an first ornamental decoration to an insert pad disposed on the athletic shoe,    wherein releasably attaching the cover pad comprises: 
 interlockingly attaching the cover pad to the insert pad using a interlock attachment system; and  
 adhesively attaching the cover pad to the insert pad using an adhesive attachment system.  
   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein an ornamentation of the athletic shoe is changed by replacing the first cover pad with the first ornamental decoration with a second cover pad having a second ornamental decoration.