Foot guard

Abstract

A foot guard that provides shock absorption on a metatarsal region of a shoe, such as a cleat, or a foot is disclosed.

1 . A foot guard and footwear assembly, comprising:
 a footwear having a front portion and a rear portion and a metatarsal region, and   a foot guard including
 a cover, 
 an impact pad positioned in the cover, 
 the impact pad including a primary pad and secondary pad integrally connected to the primary pad at a joint, the primary pad being positioned rearward on the footwear relative to the secondary pad, and 
 at least one band attached to the cover defining a first opening receiving the rear portion of the footwear and a second opening receiving the front portion of the footwear to secure the impact pad on the metatarsal region of the footwear. 
   
     
     
         2 . The foot guard and footwear assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the primary pad includes a first plate and the secondary pad includes a secondary plate spaced apart from the first plate. 
     
     
         3 . The foot guard and footwear assembly of  claim 2 , wherein a rear end of the first plate is concave. 
     
     
         4 . The foot guard and footwear assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the impact pad further includes a first layer of foam and a second layer of foam and the first and second plates are positioned between the first layer of foam and the second layer of foam. 
     
     
         5 . The foot guard and footwear assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the joint is hourglass shaped. 
     
     
         6 . The foot guard and footwear assembly of  claim 1 , wherein a rear end of the impact pad is concave. 
     
     
         7 . The foot guard and footwear assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the secondary pad has a flexible tip having a longitudinal length that is greater that a longitudinal length of the joint. 
     
     
         8 . A foot guard and footwear assembly, comprising:
 a footwear having a front portion and a rear portion and a metatarsal region, and   a foot guard including   a cover,   an impact pad positioned in the cover,   at least one band attached to the cover defining a first opening receiving the rear portion of the footwear and a second opening receiving the front portion of the footwear to secure the impact pad on the metatarsal region of the footwear,   at least one band including a first band having a first end coupled to a first side of the cover, a middle portion, and a second end coupled to a second side of the cover, the second side being opposite of the first side of the cover, the first end of the first band having a split with a first portion of the first end coupled to the first side of the cover at a first location and a second portion of the first end coupled to the first side of the cover at a second location, the second location being rearward of the first location.   
     
     
         9 . The foot guard and footwear assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the first end of the first band includes a first branch and a second branch with the split positioned therebetween, and the first branch, the second branch and the middle portion of the first band cooperate to define a Y-shaped. 
     
     
         10 . The foot guard and footwear assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the first end of the first band is permanently coupled to the cover and the second end of the first band is removably coupled to the cover. 
     
     
         11 . The foot guard and footwear assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the split is polygon shaped. 
     
     
         12 . The foot guard and footwear assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the polygonal shape is triangle shaped. 
     
     
         13 . The foot guard and footwear assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the split is devoid of material. 
     
     
         14 . A foot guard and footwear assembly, comprising:
 a footwear having a front portion and a rear portion and a metatarsal region, and   a foot guard including   a cover,   an impact pad positioned in the cover,   a first band attached to the cover defining a first opening receiving the rear portion of the footwear and a second opening receiving the front portion of the footwear to secure the impact pad on the metatarsal region of the footwear, and a second band attached to the cover and extending around the rear portion of the footwear, the second band extending in a downward direction from the rear portion of the footwear toward the first band.   
     
     
         15 . The foot guard and footwear assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the footwear is a low-top footwear. 
     
     
         16 . The foot guard and footwear assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the first band extends under the footwear, the first band includes a first end removably coupled to the cover at a first location, the second band includes a first end removably coupled to the first band at a second location. 
     
     
         17 . The foot guard and footwear assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the first location is positioned forward of the second location. 
     
     
         18 . The foot guard and footwear assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the footwear has a maximum height defined a top and a bottom of the footwear and the second location is positioned about halfway between the top and bottom of the footwear.