US20130255102A1

US20130255102A1 - Supplemental removable stick on cleat for footwear

Info

Publication number: US20130255102A1
Application number: US13/852,877
Authority: US
Inventors: Rayford Terrell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2012-04-02
Filing date: 2013-03-28
Publication date: 2013-10-03
Also published as: USD792076S1

Abstract

The present invention provides a stick on cleat for removably transforming a shoe into a functional pair of removable cleats having a flexible detachable base plate comprising an top surface and a bottom surface; at least 5 spikes depending from the bottom surface; an adhesive layer on the top surface, wherein the adhesive layer can be removably secured to a shoe sole; and a protective layer positioned over the adhesive layer.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority based on U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/618,924, filed Apr. 2, 2012. The contents of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to supplemental removable stick on cleat for footwear and more specifically to removable stick on cleat that can be reasonably secured to the sole of footwear for athletic use to convert the shoes to spikeless street shoes.

STATEMENT OF FEDERALLY FUNDED RESEARCH

None.

INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIALS FILED ON COMPACT DISC

None.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Without limiting the scope of the invention, its background is described in connection with golf shoes, and more particularly to converting spikeless street shoes into spiked golf shoes with a removable spike plate.
There are many types of athletic shoes which have spikes or cleats on the sole thereof to give fraction to the user of the shoes. One of the most common types of spiked athletic shoe is the golf shoe. One of the drawbacks to spiked athletic shoes is the amount of time required to remove the shoes and put on conventional street shoes in order to walk through most public places. In addition to the time required to change the shoes, it is necessary to carry a second pair of shoes in some fashion, and then to carry the golf shoes once they have been removed.
Another drawback to spiked athletic shoes is the rigid flat sole of the spiked athletic shoes. These rigid soles provide a surface for the spikes to be mounted and a foundation for the construction of the shoe. Although the inner surface does generally have padding, the rigid flat sole may irritate or injure the foot of the wearer, especially over prolonged periods of time, e.g., calluses, blisters, promote premature foot fatigue and flatten the wearer's foot due to the lack of arch support.
In addition, many junior golfers want to wear their designer sneakers while playing golf or cannot afford traditional golf shoes. Also individuals who enjoy golfing while traveling or on vacation can rent golf clubs at the golf course, but cannot rent golf cleats. Individuals must either purchase a new pair of golf cleats, which can be extremely expensive, or else go through the hassle and struggle of packing their golf cleats for travel. This is acerbated when traveling by plane since the airlines frequently charge extra fees for carry-on space, which may prevent many individuals from bringing bulky equipment such as golf cleats. Buying a new pair of golf cleats while on vacation is not cost-effective, and may be uncomfortable to wear during breaking in. Although there are some removable golf spikes available, these do not address all of the drawbacks in a single unit.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,948,261, entitled, “Supplemental Removable Stick on cleat for Footwear,” discloses a removable stick on cleat covering for the treaded bottom of an athletic foot covering provided in one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment the stick on cleat includes an elastically deformable band defining a continuous loop, the band having a top edge and a bottom edge, the bottom edge of the band forming the shape of the border of the treaded bottom of the athletic foot covering, a sole surface coupled to the bottom edge of the band, the sole surface configured in the shape of the treaded bottom of the athletic foot covering and a plurality of sport cleats protruding from the bottom side of the sole surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,032,386, entitled, “Golf Shoe with Removable Sole,” discloses a sport shoe, particularly suitable for golf, provides a shoe with a base section sole and an overlying sole that is selectively removable from the base section sole. The base section sole can be spikeless, or include one type of spikes, while one or more overlying soles can include different spike types or spikeless faces. In one example, the base section sole contains metal long spikes that seat within magnetic recesses of the overlying sole. The overlying sole includes short plastic spikes or a spikeless face.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,661,915, entitled, “Shoe with Removable Spike Plate,” discloses a shoe that includes a spike plate with spikes thereon, removably attached to a sole portion of the shoe to permit selective removal of the spike plate. The shoe includes a rib extending around the peripheral side wall of the sole, and the spike plate includes an upright wall extending around a peripheral edge of a base plate, the spike plate wall having a groove formed on an interior surface thereof cooperable with the rib to selectively connect the spike plate to the shoe. The spike plate includes a forward section pivotally connected to a rearward section along a transverse axis to permit the forward section to pivot downwardly generally orthogonal to the rearward section of the spike plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,600,901, entitled, “Spike Convertible Sport Shoes,” discloses an attachment for converting a non-spiked dress or sport shoe to a spiked shoe for golfing or other walking or running activities and includes two clam-shell like attachment halves which are pivotable and to mountable against the sides and bottom of an underlying shoe. The attachment has a longitudinally-extending slitted upper and vertically-extending slitted heel both of which mount suitable fastener elements such as hoops and loops elements or snap-on buttons or a lacing and eyelet fastener or a zipper fastener. After the attachment is pivotally opened up in the manner of a clam shell, the attachment is placed about the bottom and sides of the non-spiked dress or sports shoe on the user's foot and the fastener(s) cinched up to securely hold the attachment on the underlying shoe so that there is essentially no relative movement there between, when the user is walking or engaging in his or her golf swings.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,643,352, entitled, “Overshoe for Golf,” discloses an overshoe for use in playing golf and other sports. The overshoe is of the flexible resilient kind which is stretched over an ordinary shoe and it has a plurality of cleats to give good footing. The cleats are located within holes in the outer sole of the shoe and have threaded stems which are engaged within threaded openings in washers located on the inside of the overshoe. The washers are overlain by separate heel and sole pads which are in turn overlain by a complete insole.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,356,426, entitled, “Article of Footwear,” discloses a kit comprising at least one shoe and at least one detachable sole section. An article of footwear comprising a shoe and at least one means for connecting the shoe to at least one detachable sole section. An apparatus comprising at least one detachable sole section.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Stick on Cleats of the present invention can transform any pair of shoes or sneakers into a functional pair of golf cleats. The present invention is perfect for golfers who travel or who are on vacation and cannot bring their golf shoes with them due to limited packing space and extra luggage fees enforced by many airlines. The present invention ensures that an individual not miss out on a golfing opportunity simply because they have not been able to bring their golf shoes while traveling, and instead allows them to golf effectively wearing their favorite, most comfortable pair of shoes. Individuals will not have to purchase a new pair of golf cleats in order to golf, which can be extremely expensive, especially for only a round or two of golf. The present invention can attach securely to the bottom of any regular shoe or sneaker, and provides the grip and traction of a quality golf cleat. Instead of traveling with the extra bulk of golf cleats, individuals can save money and valuable space by picking up a pair of these disposable stick on cleats of the present invention for their vacation or travel golf outings. Anyone who travels or enjoys golf trips on vacation would benefit from this convenient and cost-effective product.
The present invention provides a stick on cleat for removably transforming a shoe into a functional pair of removable cleats having a flexible detachable base plate comprising a top surface and a bottom surface, at least 5 spikes depending from the bottom surface, an adhesive layer on the top surface, wherein the adhesive layer can be removably secured to a shoe sole, and a protective layer positioned over the adhesive layer. Generally, the flexible base plate has a shape that is in the shape of a shoe sole and generally planar. In addition the shape of the flexible base plate may be a general size and shape that may be used on many different size and type of shoes to reduce the cost of production and fitment.
The spikes may be soccer spikes, rugby spikes, baseball spikes, football spikes, track sprinter's spikes and turf knobs. Common examples include soft spikes and metal spikes for use in golf. Although there may be at least 5 spikes the total number of spikes may be varied depending on the application, the size of the shoe and sport in which they are used, the number of spikes may include a total of 7, 8, 9 or 10 spikes. Similarly, the location of the spikes may be varied depending on the application and the size of the shoe and sport in which they are used.
Although one embodiment of the present invention provides spikes that are affixed to the flexible base plate other embodiments include threaded apertures that are in the flexible base plate. The spikes may be soft spikes or metal spikes that include a threaded shaft and the flexible base plate further includes threaded apertures that threadably receive the threaded shaft of the spike to make the spikes replaceable. In such embodiments, the thickness of the flexible base plate will increase to accommodate the threaded insert. The threaded insert will have the standard tread dimensions to accommodate the commercially available spikes. For example, the threaded insert may be sized to accept the common soft spikes used in golf and sold at most golf shops.
The present invention provides a method of removably securing spikes to a pair of shoes by providing a pair of removable cleats wherein each of the pair of removable cleats comprising a flexible detachable base plate comprising a top surface and a bottom surface, at least 5 spikes depending from the bottom surface, an adhesive layer on the top surface, wherein the adhesive layer can be removably secured to a shoe sole and a protective layer positioned over the adhesive layer, removing the protective layer from the adhesive layer to expose an adhesive surface, aligning the flexible detachable base plate with the corresponding shoe sole, overlying the corresponding shoe sole with the adhesive surface, pressing the corresponding shoe sole to the flexible detachable base plate, and adhering the removable cleat to the shoe such that the at least 5 spikes extend from the bottom surface. The spikes may be soccer spikes, rugby spikes, baseball spikes, football spikes, track sprinter's spikes and turf knobs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the features and advantages of the present invention, reference is now made to the detailed description of the invention along with the accompanying figures and in which:

FIG. 1 is a bottom view of the removable cleat of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the removable cleat of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the back of the removable cleat and the protective backing being partially removed.

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the removable cleat being attached to the bottom of a standard sneaker.

FIGS. 5A-5C are various shoes with the removable cleat adhered to the sole.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While the making and using of various embodiments of the present invention are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts that can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention and do not delimit the scope of the invention.
To facilitate the understanding of this invention, a number of terms are defined below. Terms defined herein have meanings as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the areas relevant to the present invention. Terms such as “a”, “an” and “the” are not intended to refer to only a singular entity, but include the general class of which a specific example may be used for illustration. The terminology herein is used to describe specific embodiments of the invention, but their usage does not delimit the invention, except as outlined in the claims.
As used herein the term “spikes” denotes a general structure extending from the surface and is meant to include the common spikes seen on golf shoe soles, metal spikes commonly seen on golf shoes, soft spikes seen on golf shoes, flat buttons, turf knobs or molded-in-place or otherwise attached sole protuberances.
As used herein the term “shoe” denotes a surface that separates the user from the ground or surface. There are many different types of shoes that include tennis shoes, basketball shoes, rock climbing shoes, and some of these types of athletic shoes are used on grass, casual shoes, dress shoes, work shoes, sneakers, or even bear feet and thus the present invention includes cleats, such as football, baseball, soccer, track, and golf shoes. Additionally, the present invention includes shoes that are specifically made for a particular activity, such as a sport.
For example, the shoe attachment of the invention can take the form of a golf shoe attachment where a golfer may quickly slap-on the attachment with soft golf spikes on the sole button, so that he or she can use their current shoes.
In another example, the shoe attachment of the invention can take the form of a job site shoe attachment where a work-inspecting visitor may quickly slap-on the attachment with flat molded buttons on the sole button, so that he or she can protect their dress shoes and more safely traverse the mud, or slush, or dirt associated with a normal job site.
The present invention includes stick on cleats that can transform any pair of shoes into a functional pair of golf cleats. This innovative product is perfect for golfers who travel or who are on vacation and cannot bring their golf shoes with them due to limited packing space and extra luggage fees enforced by many airlines. The present invention solves this problem and instead of traveling with the extra bulk of golf cleats, individuals can save money and valuable space by picking up a pair of these disposable Stick on Cleats for their vacation or travel golf outings. This product ensures that an individual not miss out on a golfing opportunity simply because they have not been able to bring their golf shoes while traveling, and instead allows them to golf effectively wearing their favorite, most comfortable pair of shoes. Individuals will not have to purchase a new pair of golf cleats in order to golf, which can be extremely expensive, especially for only a round or two of golf. This product can attach securely to the bottom of any regular shoe and provides the grip and traction of a quality golf cleat. Anyone who travels or enjoys golf trips on vacation would benefit from this convenient and cost-effective product.
FIG. 1 is a bottom view of the removable cleat 1 that includes a base plate 2 has a plurality of generally circular spike areas 4 formed in spaced apart fashion in predetermined locations across the base plate 2. Each generally circular spike areas 4 includes a spike 6 that is removably mounted in circular spike area 4 in a conventional fashion well known in the art.
Base plate 2 is preferably formed of a plastic material which has resilient flexible characteristics, so as to conform to the sole portion (not shown) of the shoe (not shown). Obviously other materials such as metal or rubber, polymers, plastics or the like may be used as well. The base plate 2 having a plurality of spikes 6 depending from the bottom surface thereof is provided for removable attachment to a sole portion (not shown) of a shoe (not shown). A shoe (not shown) may then be utilized as a spiked golf shoe or the like, yet permits use as a conventional street shoe, by reversing the process to remove the base plate 2 from the sole portion (not shown) of shoe (not shown).
FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the removable cleat 1 that includes a base plate 2 has a plurality of generally circular spike areas 4 formed in spaced apart fashion in predetermined locations across the base plate 2. Each generally circular spike areas 4 includes a spike 6 that is removably mounted in circular spike area 4 in a conventional fashion well known in the art. Base plate 2 is preferably formed of a plastic material which has resilient flexible characteristics, so as to conform to the sole portion (not shown) of the shoe (not shown).
Obviously other materials such as metal or rubber, polymers, plastics or the like may be used as well. An adhesive layer 8 is positioned on the back of the base plate 2 to adhere the base plate 2 to the sole portion (not shown) of the shoe (not shown). A shoe (not shown) may then be utilized as a spiked golf shoe or the like, yet permits use as a conventional street shoe, by reversing the process to remove the base plate 2 from the sole portion (not shown) of shoe (not shown).
In operation, base plate 2 of the preferred length and material are fastened to the bottom of a shoe (not shown), for the particular sport for which the shoes will be utilized.
One embodiment of the removable cleat 1 includes the base plate 2 having a series of conventional long metal spikes (not shown) and the construction of such metal spikes (not shown) is well known.
Another embodiment removable cleat 1 includes the base plate 2 having a series of conventional soft golf spikes (not shown) and the construction of such soft golf spikes (not shown) is well known.
One embodiment of the removable cleat 1 includes a removable base plate 2 with numerous fixed spikes (not shown) that allows the removal of the removable cleat 1 but does not allow the removal or replacement of the numerous removable spikes (not shown). In general, it includes a base plate 2 having numerous spikes or soft spikes (not shown) affixed to the base plate 2 such that the numerous spikes or the soft spikes (not shown) are securely fixed to the base plate 2.
Typically the base plate 2 may be made of a plastic material such as ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) or of a rubber material permitting resilient flexibility.
Another embodiment of the removable cleat 1 includes a removable base plate 2 with numerous removable spikes (not shown) that allows the removal of the removable cleat 1 and allows the individual removal and/or replacement of the numerous removable spikes (not shown). In general, it includes a base plate 2 having numerous appropriate holes for receiving a threaded male stem (not shown) of a spike or a soft spike (not shown) using an insertion tool. The base plate 2 is provided with numerous conventional threaded inserts (not shown) each having female threaded holes (not shown) for receiving stems (not shown). The receiving stems (not shown) of the removable spikes (not shown) are inserted into the female threaded hole (not shown) and rotated to secure them in the female threaded hole (not shown). The removable spikes (not shown) are further secured with the insertion tool.
As described briefly above, the wearer can apply each of the removable cleat 1 directly to the shoe by hand, when needed, by simply aligning the base plate 2 with appropriate size and shape of the shoe (not shown) and firmly pressing the surfaces together. Alternatively, the wearer can apply each of the removable cleat 1 while wearing the shoe (not shown) by positioning the base plate 2 on the ground surface and simply aligning the base plate 2 with appropriate size and shape of the shoe (not shown) and firmly stepping on to the base plate 2 and the surfaces together. This can be accomplished while standing or sitting, by raising each shoe (not shown) and overlying the sole portion (not shown) of the shoe (not shown) with the base plate 2 and stepping onto the base plate 2. Various alignment structures, such as side guides can be provided on the overlying sole to assist in aligning it with the base plate 2. Removal of the base plate 2 is the reverse of application of the base plate 2. In general, the user lifts up his or her foot and physically pulls the removable cleat 1 away from the sole portion (not shown) of the shoe (not shown).
The removable cleat 1 may also include a treaded bottom which allows it to further grip the surface, the removable cleat 1 may include rubber, foam and other surfaces and may be both patterned and unpatterned.
FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the back of the removable cleat 1 and the protective backing being partially removed. The removable cleat 1 including the adhesive layer 8 is positioned on the base plate back 10 of the base plate (not shown) covered by a protective layer 12 that is used to protect the adhesive from being contaminated or being removed prior to use.
An adhesive layer 8 is positioned on the back of the base plate 2 to adhere the base plate 2 to the sole portion (not shown) of the shoe (not shown). The adhesive force is chosen based upon the strength of the actual adhesive used, and upon the amount and thickness of the adhesive used and their overall area of engagement to make the engagement between the base plate 2 and the shoe (not shown) sufficiently firm so that the sole will not become inadvertently removed during use, but weak enough to allow a pulling hand applying sufficient force to remove the base plate 2 from the shoe (not shown) when desired. In addition, the adhesive can be applied to the entire surface of the base plate 2 or a portion of the base plate 2. Other embodiments may use pressure-sensitive adhesives in conjunction with other mechanisms to secure the base plate 2 to the shoe (not shown). It is contemplated in alternative embodiments that adhesive can be substituted or enhanced with hook and loop fasteners, and polymers.
The adhesive layer 8 includes an adhesive used with the present invention which may include ABS cement, acrylic cement, balsa cement, cyanoacrylate, epoxy resin, polyester and polyvinyl resin, PVA glue, chlorosulfonated polyethylene synthetic rubber or rubber glues, e.g., acrobutylstyrene cement is an emulsion containing ABS and a solvent (usually MEK). ABS cement will also glue acrylic and polystyrene; acrylic cement uses dichloromethane, trichloroethane, or butanone to weld acrylic surfaces together; balsa cement usually contains some sort of synthetic resin which bonds the surfaces together using as an adhesive rather than a weld; cyanoacrylate glue sets in seconds and are extremely strong; epoxy is very strong resin glue, and it is both waterproof and solvent-proof; polyvinyl and polyester resins are synthetic resins that need to be mixed with a catalyzing agent (hardener) before use; synthetic resins can be used as a casting agent and combined with other materials to form resin composites; and polyvinyl acetate glue; rubber based glues. The adhesive may include a water insoluble polymer comprising polyvinyl chloride (PVC), chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) or an acrylonitrile butadiene-styrene polymer (ABS), or a mixture of two or more thereof. These adhesive compositions containing the water insoluble polymers generally are known in the industry and may be referred to herein as “solvent cements”. The amount of water insoluble polymers included in the adhesive compositions of the second embodiment depends in part on the particular water insoluble polymer and the intended use of the adhesive. In one embodiment, the adhesive compositions of the invention contains from about 1% to about 60% by weight of ABS, PVC, CPVC. In other embodiments, the adhesive compositions of the invention contain from about 1% to about 30% by weight or from about 10 to about 15% by weight of PVC, CPVC. In another embodiment the adhesive compositions may contain at least 5% of the water insoluble polymer. Non limiting adhesives include but are not limited to U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,399,091, 8,299,182, 7,473,753 the contents of each of which is incorporated herein by reference.
By adding the removable cleat 1 to the shoe (not shown), the shoe (not shown) may now be worn as a cleated shoe. Thus, the shoe (not shown) may be worn either with or without the removable cleat 1. When the removable cleat 1 is not on the shoe, (not shown) the shoe (not shown) may be used for day to day activities, and when the removable cleat 1 is added to the shoe, (not shown) it may be used for athletic competitions requiring spikes of cleats such as golf, soccer, baseball and football.
FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the removable cleat being attached to the bottom of a standard sneaker. The removable cleat 1 includes a base plate 2 has a plurality of generally circular spike areas (not shown) formed in spaced apart fashion in predetermined locations across the base plate 2. Each generally circular spike area (not shown) includes a spike 6 that is mounted in the circular spike area (not shown). Base plate 2 is preferably formed of a resilient flexible material, so as to conform to the sole portion 14 of the shoe 16. The base plate 2 includes the adhesive layer 8 and is positioned on the base plate back 10 of the base plate 2 with the protective layer (not shown) removed. The base plate 2 having a plurality of spikes 6 depending from the bottom surface thereof is provided for removable attachment to a sole portion 14 of a shoe 16. A shoe 16 may then be utilized as a spiked golf shoe or the like, yet permits use as a conventional street shoe, by reversing the process to remove the removable cleat 1 from the sole portion 14 of shoe 12.
FIGS. 5A-5C are various shoes with the removable cleat adhered to the sole. The removable cleat and base plate are sized for the specific shoe (not shown) in these embodiments, although it may be sized to cover a variety of athletic shoe (not shown), the sizes change in both configuration and in foot size.
A supplemental removable cleat for footwear has been provided. While various embodiments have been presented above, other embodiments are also plausible without straying from the spirit or scope of the present invention.
The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The exemplary embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the present invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the present invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
It is contemplated that any embodiment discussed in this specification can be implemented with respect to any method, kit, reagent, or composition of the invention, and vice versa. Furthermore, compositions of the invention can be used to achieve methods of the invention.
It will be understood that particular embodiments described herein are shown by way of illustration and not as limitations of the invention. The principal features of this invention can be employed in various embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, numerous equivalents to the specific procedures described herein. Such equivalents are considered to be within the scope of this invention and are covered by the claims.
All publications and patent applications mentioned in the specification are indicative of the level of skill of those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains. All publications and patent applications are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.
The use of the word “a” or “an” when used in conjunction with the term “comprising” in the claims and/or the specification may mean “one,” but it is also consistent with the meaning of “one or more,” “at least one,” and “one or more than one.” The use of the term “or” in the claims is used to mean “and/or” unless explicitly indicated to refer to alternatives only or the alternatives are mutually exclusive, although the disclosure supports a definition that refers to only alternatives and “and/or.” Throughout this application, the term “about” is used to indicate that a value includes the inherent variation of error for the device, the method being employed to determine the value, or the variation that exists among the study subjects.
As used in this specification and claim(s), the words “comprising” (and any form of comprising, such as “comprise” and “comprises”), “having” (and any form of having, such as “have” and “has”), “including” (and any form of including, such as “includes” and “include”) or “containing” (and any form of containing, such as “contains” and “contain”) are inclusive or open-ended and do not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps.
The term “or combinations thereof” as used herein refers to all permutations and combinations of the listed items preceding the term. For example, “A, B, C, or combinations thereof” is intended to include at least one of: A, B, C, AB, AC, BC, or ABC, and if order is important in a particular context, also BA, CA, CB, CBA, BCA, ACB, BAC, or CAB. Continuing with this example, expressly included are combinations that contain repeats of one or more item or term, such as BB, AAA, MB, BBC, AAABCCCC, CBBAAA, CABABB, and so forth. The skilled artisan will understand that typically there is no limit on the number of items or terms in any combination, unless otherwise apparent from the context.
All of the compositions and/or methods disclosed and claimed herein can be made and executed without undue experimentation in light of the present disclosure. While the compositions and methods of this invention have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that variations may be applied to the compositions and/or methods and in the steps or in the sequence of steps of the method described herein without departing from the concept, spirit and scope of the invention. All such similar substitutes and modifications apparent to those skilled in the art are deemed to be within the spirit, scope and concept of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A stick on cleat for removably transforming a shoe into a functional pair of removable cleats comprising:

a flexible detachable base plate comprising a top surface and a bottom surface;

at least 5 spikes depending from the bottom surface;

an adhesive layer on the top surface, wherein the adhesive layer can be removably secured to a shoe sole; and

a protective layer positioned over the adhesive layer.

2. The stick on cleat of claim 1, wherein the flexible detachable base plate is made of a plastic, a rubber, a polymer composition, a resin, or a combination thereof.

3. The stick on cleat of claim 1, wherein the adhesive layer comprises ABS cement, acrylic cement, balsa cement, cyanoacrylate, epoxy resin, polyester and polyvinyl resin, PVA glue, chlorosulfonated polyethylene synthetic rubber, rubber glues, or a combination thereof.

4. The stick on cleat of claim 1, wherein the flexible base plate has a shape that is generally in the shape of a shoe sole.

5. The stick on cleat of claim 1, wherein the flexible base plate is generally planar.

6. The stick on cleat of claim 1, wherein the at least 5 spikes are soccer spikes, rugby spikes, baseball spikes, football spikes, track sprinter's spikes and turf knobs.

7. The stick on cleat of claim 1, wherein at least 5 spikes includes a total of 7, 8, 9 or 10 spikes.

8. The stick on cleat of claim 1, wherein the at least 5 spikes are soft spikes.

9. The cleat of claim 1, wherein the at least 5 spikes are metal spikes.

10. The stick on cleat of claim 1, wherein the at least 5 spikes are metal spikes comprise a threaded shaft and the flexible base plate further comprising at least 5 threaded apertures that threadably receive the threaded shaft of the at least 5 spikes to make the at least 5 spikes replaceable.

11. A method of removably securing spikes to a pair of shoes comprising the steps of:

providing a pair of removable cleats wherein each of the pair of removable cleats comprising a flexible detachable base plate comprising a top surface and a bottom surface, at least 5 spikes depending from the bottom surface, an adhesive layer on the top surface, wherein the adhesive layer can be removably secured to a shoe sole and a protective layer positioned over the adhesive layer;

providing a pair of shoes;

removing the protective layer from the adhesive layer to expose an adhesive surface;

aligning the flexible detachable base plate with the corresponding shoe sole;

overlying the corresponding shoe sole with the adhesive surface;

pressing the corresponding shoe sole to the flexible detachable base plate; and

adhering the removable cleat to the shoe such that the at least 5 spikes extend from the bottom surface.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least 5 spikes are soccer spikes, rugby spikes, baseball spikes, football spikes, track sprinter's spikes and turf knobs.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein at least 5 spikes includes a total of 7, 8, 9 or 10 spikes.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least 5 spikes are soft spikes.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least 5 spikes are metal spikes.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least 5 spikes further comprise a threaded shaft and the flexible base plate further comprising at least 5 threaded apertures and the method further comprises the step of threadably inserting the threaded shaft of each of the at least 5 spikes into the threaded aperture and rotating to secure each of the at least 5 spikes to the flexible base plate to make the at least 5 spikes replaceable.