Universal heeled shoe protector

Abstract

A universal heeled shoe protector for mounting to a heeled shoe to protect the heeled shoe from moisture and other potentially damaging elements. The protector includes a relatively flexible covering for surrounding the heeled shoe. The covering is water resistant and defines an opening at a top end. A sole is secured to a bottom end of the covering. The sole includes a top surface and a gripping surface providing traction with a ground surface. The sole includes a ball portion, an arch portion and a heel portion. A memory material is mounted to the top surface in the heel portion and at least partially in the arch portion. The memory material has a relaxed height and a compressed height. The relaxed height is greater than the compressed height. The memory material is generally positioned at the relaxed height when the heeled shoe is not positioned on the memory material.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A universal heeled shoe protector for mounting to a heeled shoe to protect the heeled shoe from moisture and other potentially damaging elements, the protector comprising:
 a relatively flexible covering for surrounding the heeled shoe, the covering being water resistant and defining an opening at a top end;   a sole secured to a bottom end of the covering, the sole including a top surface and a gripping surface providing traction with a ground surface, the sole including a ball portion, an arch portion and a heel portion; and   a memory material mounted to the top surface in the heel portion and at least partially in the arch portion, the memory material having a relaxed height and a compressed height, the relaxed height being greater than the compressed height, the memory material is generally positioned at the relaxed height when the heeled shoe is not positioned on the memory material.   
     
     
         2 . The universal heeled shoe protector of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a fastening mechanism mounted to the covering proximate the opening, the fastening mechanism movable from a lock position to a release position.   
     
     
         3 . The universal heeled shoe protector of  claim 1 , wherein the relaxed height is approximately five inches (5″). 
     
     
         4 . The universal heeled shoe protector of  claim 1 , wherein the memory material has a wedge-shaped portion and a block-shaped portion, the block-shaped portion positioned adjacent the heel portion. 
     
     
         5 . The universal heeled shoe protector of  claim 1 , wherein the memory material is comprised of a foam memory material. 
     
     
         6 . The universal heeled shoe protector of  claim 5 , wherein the foam memory material is constructed of a polyurethane material. 
     
     
         7 . The universal heeled shoe protector of  claim 1 , wherein the arch portion is separate from the heel portion, the arch portion being secured to the heel portion by at least one of the memory material and the covering. 
     
     
         8 . The universal heeled shoe protector of  claim 1 , wherein the opening is selectively expandable to an insertion configuration wherein a user's foot may be inserted into the universal heeled shoe protector and is contractible from the insertion configuration to a mounted configuration to secure the user's foot in the universal heeled shoe protector. 
     
     
         9 . The universal heeled shoe protector of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a fastening mechanism mounted to the covering proximate the opening, the fastening mechanism being in a release position to facilitate expansion and contraction of the opening, the fastening mechanism being in a lock position to secure the user's foot in the universal heeled shoe protector.   
     
     
         10 . The universal heeled shoe protector of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a fastening mechanism comprised of hook and loop material mounted to the covering proximate the opening.   
     
     
         11 . The universal heeled shoe protector of  claim 1 , wherein the memory material has a block-shaped portion and a wedge-shaped portion, the relaxed height and the compressed height being measured in the block-shaped portion. 
     
     
         12 . A universal heeled shoe protector for mounting to a heeled shoe to protect the heeled shoe from moisture and other potentially damaging elements, the protector comprising:
 a relatively flexible covering for surrounding the heeled shoe, the covering being water resistant and defining an opening at a top end, the opening having a mounted configuration and an insertion configuration;   a fastening mechanism mounted to the covering proximate the opening, the fastening mechanism movable from a lock position to a release position, the fastening mechanism limiting expansion of the opening in the lock position;   a sole secured to a bottom end of the covering, the sole including a top surface and a gripping surface providing traction with a ground surface, the sole including a ball portion, an arch portion and a heel portion; and   a memory material mounted to the top surface in the heel portion and at least partially in the arch portion, the memory material including a block-shaped portion proximate the heel portion and a wedge-shaped portion proximate the arch portion, the memory material having a relaxed height and a compressed height, the relaxed height being greater than the compressed height, the memory material is generally positioned at the relaxed height when the heeled shoe is not positioned on the memory material.   
     
     
         13 . The universal heeled shoe protector of  claim 12 , wherein the memory material is comprised of a foam memory material. 
     
     
         14 . The universal heeled shoe protector of  claim 12 , wherein the memory material is comprised of a polyurethane material. 
     
     
         15 . The universal heeled shoe protector of  claim 12 , wherein the relaxed height is approximately five inches (5″). 
     
     
         16 . The universal heeled shoe protector of  claim 12 , wherein the fastener is comprised of hook and loop material. 
     
     
         17 . The universal heeled shoe protector of  claim 12 , wherein the fastener is comprised of a zipper. 
     
     
         18 . The universal heeled shoe protector of  claim 12 , wherein the covering is constructed of a substantially transparent polymeric material. 
     
     
         19 . A method of protecting a heeled shoe with a universal heeled shoe protector having a relatively flexible covering with an opening, a sole, a memory material having a relaxed height and a compressed height and a fastening mechanism, the method comprising the steps of:
 a) inserting a heeled shoe into the opening such that a bottom of the shoe is positioned proximate a top surface of the sole, the memory material moving from the relaxed height to the compressed height when the bottom of the shoe is positioned proximate the top surface;   b) manipulating the covering to secure the protector to the heeled shoe;   c) moving the fastening mechanism to a lock position;   d) moving the fastening mechanism to a relaxed position;   e) moving the heeled shoe out of the opening, thereby permitting the memory material to move from the compressed height to the relaxed height.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the relaxed height is greater than the compressed height, the relaxed height being at least five inches (5″).