Gaiter attachment of a shoe

Abstract

A shoe includes a sole, an upper connected to the sole, a foot cavity defined in part by an inside surface of the upper, a top gaiter receiving member positioned on a forefoot portion of the upper, a heel gaiter receiving member positioned on a heel portion of the upper, a lateral gaiter receiving member positioned on a lateral side portion of the upper, and a medial gaiter receiving member positioned on a medial side portion of the upper.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A shoe, comprising
 a sole;   an upper connected to the sole;   a foot cavity defined at least in part by an inside surface of the upper;   a top gaiter receiving member positioned on the forefoot portion of the shoe;   a heel gaiter receiving member positioned on the heel portion of the shoe;   a lateral gaiter receiving member positioned on the lateral side portion of the shoe; and   a medial gaiter receiving member positioned on the medial side portion of the shoe.   
     
     
         2 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the top gaiter receiving member includes a loop and a portion of flexible material disposed through the loop having a first end and a second end connected to the upper. 
     
     
         3 . The shoe of  claim 2 , wherein the top gaiter receiving member is centrally positioned on the forefoot portion of the shoe adjacent to a tongue of the shoe. 
     
     
         4 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the heel gaiter receiving member includes a portion of flexible material connected to the sole. 
     
     
         5 . The shoe of  claim 4 , wherein the heel gaiter receiving member is positioned on the heel portion of the shoe between the sole and a top edge of the heel portion of the shoe. 
     
     
         6 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the lateral gaiter receiving member includes a portion of flexible material connected to sole. 
     
     
         7 . The shoe of  claim 6 , wherein the lateral gaiter receiving member is positioned on the lateral side portion of the shoe substantially adjacent to the heel portion of the upper. 
     
     
         8 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the medial gaiter receiving member includes a portion of flexible material connected to the sole. 
     
     
         9 . The shoe of  claim 6 , wherein the medial gaiter receiving member is positioned on the medial side portion of the shoe substantially adjacent to the heel portion of the upper. 
     
     
         10 . A shoe gaiter system comprising:
 a shoe including;
 a sole; 
 an upper connected to the sole, the upper including a forefoot portion connected to a forefoot portion of the sole, a heel portion connected to a heel portion of the sole a lateral side portion connected to the forefoot portion of the upper, the heel portion of the upper, and a lateral side portion of the sole, and a medial side portion connected to the forefoot portion of the upper, the heel portion of the upper, and a medial side portion of the sole; 
 a foot cavity defined at least in part by an inside surface of the upper; 
 a top gaiter receiving member positioned on the forefoot portion of the upper; 
 a heel gaiter receiving member positioned on the heel portion of the upper; 
 a lateral gaiter receiving member positioned on the lateral side portion of the upper; and 
 a medial gaiter receiving member positioned on the medial side portion of the upper; and 
   a gaiter, including;
 a tube of flexible material having a top end opening and a bottom end opening, wherein the top end opening is sized to receive a lower leg of a user and wherein the bottom end opening is larger than the top end opening and is sized to cover at least a portion of the upper of the shoe; 
 four attachment components positioned at the bottom end opening, each of the four attachment components including a hook to releasably engage with one of the top gaiter receiving member, heel gaiter receiving member, lateral gaiter receiving member, and medial gaiter receiving member of the shoe when the gaiter is secured around a leg of a user and the attachment components are aligned with the receiving members of the shoe. 
   
     
     
         11 . The shoe gaiter system of  claim 10 , wherein the tube of flexible material comprising the gaiter is a sheet of flexible material having a first edge and a second edge connected to the first edge along the length thereof to define the tube. 
     
     
         12 . The shoe gaiter system of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the four attachment components of the gaiter are connected to another of the attachment components except via the flexible material of the gaiter and the shoe. 
     
     
         13 . The shoe gaiter system of  claim 10 , wherein the flexible material is a waterproof fabric. 
     
     
         14 . The shoe gaiter system of  claim 10 , wherein the flexible material is air permeable. 
     
     
         15 . A shoe gaiter system, comprising:
 a shoe, including:
 a sole; 
 an upper connected to the sole, including;
 a forefoot portion connected to a forefoot portion of the sole; 
 a heel portion connected to a heel portion of the sole; 
 a lateral side portion connected to the forefoot portion of the upper, the heel portion of the upper, and a lateral side portion of the sole; and 
 a medial side portion connected to the forefoot portion of the upper, the heel portion of the upper, and a medial side portion of the sole; 
 
 a foot cavity defined at least in part by an interior surface of the upper; 
 a top gaiter receiving member connected to the forefoot portion of the upper; 
 a heel gaiter receiving member connected to the heel portion of the upper; 
 a lateral gaiter receiving member connected to the lateral side portion of the upper; 
 a medial gaiter receiving member connected to the medial side portion of the upper; and 
   a gaiter, including:
 a portion of flexible material defining a first, top end opening and a second, bottom end opening, wherein the bottom end opening has a diameter larger than a diameter of the top end opening; 
 an elastic material surrounding the top end opening and to secure the top end opening around a leg of a user; 
 a flap that extends outwardly from the flexible material at the bottom end opening; 
 a front attachment component positioned on the flap to releasably engaged the top gaiter receiving member when the gaiter is secured around the leg of the user and the front attachment component is aligned with the top gaiter receiving member; 
 a rear attachment component positioned adjacent to the bottom end opening opposite the flap to releasably engage the heel gaiter receiving member when the gaiter is secured around the leg of the user and the rear attachment component is aligned with the heel gaiter receiving member; 
 a lateral attachment component positioned adjacent to the bottom end opening between the flap and the rear attachment component to releasably engage the lateral gaiter receiving member when the gaiter is secured around the leg of a user and the lateral attachment component is aligned with the lateral gaiter receiving member; and 
 a medial attachment member positioned adjacent to the bottom end opening between the flap and the rear attachment member to releasably engage the medial gaiter receiving member when the gaiter is secured around the leg of a user and the medial attachment component is aligned with the medial gaiter receiving member. 
   
     
     
         16 . The shoe gaiter system of  claim 15 , wherein the flexible material of the gaiter is a stretchable waterproof and air permeable material. 
     
     
         17 . The shoe gaiter system of  claim 15 , wherein the heel gaiter receiving member, the lateral gaiter receiving member, and the medial gaiter receiving member each include a portion of flexible material connected to the upper, wherein an inside surface of the flexible material and the upper collectively form an opening. 
     
     
         18 . The shoe gaiter system of  claim 17 , wherein the heel attachment member, the lateral attachment member, and the medial attachment member of the gaiter each include a hook to releasably engage with the opening of the heel gaiter receiving member, lateral gaiter receiving member, or medial gaiter receiving member to thereby secure the gaiter to the shoe. 
     
     
         19 . The shoe gaiter system of  claim 14 , wherein the shoe is a running shoe. 
     
     
         20 . A shoe gaiter system, comprising
 a running shoe, including:
 a sole; 
 an upper connected to the sole, the upper including;
 a forefoot portion connected to a forefoot portion of the sole; 
 a heel portion connected to a heel portion of the sole; 
 a lateral side portion connected to the forefoot portion of the upper, the heel portion of the upper, and a lateral side portion of the sole; and 
 a medial side portion connected to the forefoot portion of the upper, the heel portion of the upper, and a medial side portion of the sole; 
 
 a foot cavity defined at least in part by an interior surface of the upper; 
 a top gaiter receiving member including a loop and a portion of flexible material disposed through the loop having a first end and a second end connected to the forefoot portion upper to thereby attach the loop to the upper; 
 a heel gaiter receiving member including a portion of flexible material connected to the heel portion of the upper, wherein an inside surface of the flexible material and the upper collectively form an opening; 
 a lateral gaiter receiving member including a portion of flexible material connected to the lateral side portion of the upper, wherein an inside surface of the flexible material and the upper collectively form an opening; and 
 a medial gaiter receiving member including a portion of flexible material connected to the medial side portion of the upper, wherein an inside surface of the flexible material and the upper collectively form an opening; 
   a gaiter, including:
 a tube of flexible material defining a first, top end opening and a second, bottom end opening, wherein the top end opening is sized to receive a leg of a user and wherein the bottom end opening is larger than the top end opening; 
 an elastic material surrounding the top end opening and to secure the top end opening around the leg of the user; 
 a flap that extends outwardly from the tube of flexible material at the bottom end opening; 
 a front attachment component positioned on the flap to releasably engaged the top gaiter receiving member when the gaiter is secured around the leg of the user and the front attachment component is aligned with the top gaiter receiving member; 
 a rear attachment component positioned adjacent to the bottom end opening opposite the flap to releasably engage the heel gaiter receiving member when the gaiter is secured around the leg of the user and the rear attachment component is aligned with the heel gaiter receiving member; 
 a lateral attachment component positioned adjacent to the bottom end opening between the flap and the rear attachment component to releasably engage the lateral gaiter receiving member when the gaiter is secured around the leg of a user and the lateral attachment component is aligned with the lateral gaiter receiving member; and 
 a medial attachment member positioned adjacent to the bottom end opening between the flap and the rear attachment member to releasably engage the medial gaiter receiving member when the gaiter is secured around the leg of a user and the medial attachment component is aligned with the medial gaiter receiving member.