...that Charles Goodyear performed some of his experiments on rubber while in debtor's prison? He was there so often he referred to it as his "hotel". Chronically in debt because of poor business sense and ill health, Goodyear depended on the generosity of friends and family. Even after he unlocked the secret to vulcanizing rubber, he was unable to improve his financial situation. When he died, his estate was $200,000 in debt.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8146273 | Dance shoe An article of footwear configured for use as a dance shoe is provided. The article of footwear can include an upper and a two-piece sole connected to the upper. The article can also include a cage support that surrounds a portion of the upper and aids in flexibility... | 04/03/2012 |
| 7165342 | Protective shoe cover The shoe cover is formed from two sheets of tough flexible material shaped to cooperatively shield a shoe. The first sheet forms a first shield member for protecting the metatarsal area of a foot or shoe. The second sheet forms a second shield member, adjustably att... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7087003 | Exercise system and method An exercise system and method of use to achieve numerous workout possibilities without requiring attachment of the device to a fixed object such as a door or wall. The system includes a specially designed shoe clip for attachment to the front end of an exercise or t... | 08/08/2006 |
| 7036244 | Rigid articulated Pointe shoe The invention is a Pointe shoe for ballet. It has a rigid mid-foot section and a rigid toe loop connected by a transverse axis joint located at the metatarsal-phalange joint (M-P). With the foot in Pointe position, the weight of the dancer is supported by the rigid ... | 05/02/2006 |
| 7021663 | Puck deflecting hockey skate covering A puck deflecting hockey skate covering includes a covering generally has the shape of a hockey skate and including a toe portion, a pair of side walls, a pair of ankle portions and a back wall. The covering has an open top side and an open bottom side. The covering... | 04/04/2006 |
| 7017286 | Steel toe shoe construction Footwear and its method of construction are provided. An insole forepart is attached to the bottom of the sock liner. An upper having a vamp lining with a toe part is provided where toe part is stitched to the sock liner such that the vamp lining and the sock liner ... | 03/28/2006 |
| 6954997 | Apparatus, system, and method for engaging toes in footwear Apparatuses, a system, and a method for engaging a wearer's toes within an interior of a footwear item are provided. A panel is configured to extend at least partially across a toebox of the interior of the footwear item. An attachment mechanism is configured to pos... | 10/18/2005 |
| 6941681 | Warmer for feet and toes A warming device for use in cold environments has a flexible pocket with at least one triangular side gusset for receiving a shoe or boot. The warming device has a receiver for receiving a heat generating packet or fuel stick heating device. The warming device may b... | 09/13/2005 |
| 6895694 | Toe shoe A toe shoe capable of providing support to a ballet dancer's foot while dancing en pointe. The toe shoe preferably includes a toe box in the toe of the toe shoe, an upper, and an outer sole. Support structure within the toe shoe includes a longitudinal support membe... | 05/24/2005 |
| 6854200 | Skate shields Skate shields have a resiliently flexible protective shell with an upper portion curved so as to cover a medial side of the boot from near the toe to the instep and at least from the sole plate on the inner (medial) side of the boot over the boot to the outer (later... | 02/15/2005 |
| 6810603 | Toe pad for ballet dancers A reversible toe pad used by dancers comprising a pad material and a bonded seamless fabric material. A fabric is bonded to the surface of a padding material on one side so as to form a reversible toe pad. The toe pad may be reversed so that the padding material is ... | 11/02/2004 |
| 6754983 | Article of footwear including a tented upper An article of footwear has an upper in a tented arrangement. The article of footwear includes a sole and an upper including a shroud. The article of footwear further includes a foot engaging system for joining a foot of a user to the sole, and a biasing system which... | 06/29/2004 |
| 6631569 | Internal cushioned metatarsal guard for safety footwear and method of making the same An improved safety boot or shoe is disclosed which integrally incorporates a cushioned metatarsal guard to protect the metatarsal region of the wearer's foot from injury caused by objects falling onto this region of the wearer's foot. The metatarsal guard... | 10/14/2003 |
| 6618962 | Metatarsal protector Footwear for protecting a wearer's foot includes an upper an upper that defines an opening for receiving a wearer's foot and an outsole attached to the upper, the upper further including a vamp having a proximal and a distal region, an elastic instep guar... | 09/16/2003 |
| 6594918 | Article of footwear including a tented upper An article of footwear has an upper in a tented arrangement. The article of footwear includes a sole and an upper including a shroud. The article of footwear further includes a foot engaging system for joining a foot of a user to the sole, and a biasing s... | 07/22/2003 |
| 6581304 | Safety shoe A safety shoe includes an upper, a steel toe, an outsole and a partial insole tuck for preventing rearward movement of the steel toe.... | 06/24/2003 |
| 6539647 | Safety shoe An improved safety shoe for protecting a person's foot from harmful injury including a high impact resistant outer shell, an inner dense foam insert, a solid toe cap, a heel cup, an inner sole, an outer sole and a moisture dissipating material surrounding... | 04/01/2003 |
| 6493965 | Sandal with toe guard A toe guard for an open toe sandal is presented. The toe guard is formed of a curved panel of rigid plastic extending around and over the front toe portion of the foot bed of the sandal and can have a base wall disposed between an upper innersole and a lo... | 12/17/2002 |
| 6412195 | Protective footwear for use with running shoes, sneakers A one-piece toe plate is removably placeable inside the toe box of a shoe such as a running shoe, a sneaker or the like to protect the wearer's toes. The footwear can thus be used in a work situation requiring foot protection, but will be comfortable and ... | 07/02/2002 |
| 6381876 | Metatarsal protectors for footwear A metatarsal protector for footwear consists of a body molded from resilient plastics material, thus facilitating walking and kneeling, the material being sufficiently flexible that it can be molded flat and bent to the required saddle shape when it is in... | 05/07/2002 |
| 6367168 | Article of footwear including a tented upper An article of footwear has an upper in a tented arrangement. The article of footwear includes a sole and an upper including a shroud. The article of footwear further includes a foot engaging system for joining a foot of a user to the sole, and a biasing s... | 04/09/2002 |
| 6131312 | Safety shoe with detachable steel toe box A safety shoe with detachable steel toe box, particularly a toe box made of steel plate, is fixed to invest surface of an original toe box in a shoe with a drawstring for protecting the latter and a worker's toes against impairment in working.... | 10/17/2000 |
| 6067732 | Shoe construction with steel toe Footwear and its method of manufacture are provided. The footwear includes an upper having a vamp lining with a toe part disposed along an inner surface of the upper is provided. A relatively rigid insole forepart member is attached to a sock liner, the l... | 05/30/2000 |
| 6014822 | Foot cover inserts for sandals A foot cover insert (1) adapted to be slid over a wearer's foot (2) and to cover the instep and sides of the foot for keeping feet inside straps (3) of sandal shoes (4). The foot cover insert having an upper (5) consisting of a clear, smooth, firm, pliabl... | 01/18/2000 |
| 5987778 | Protective footwear and lower leg covering A protective footwear and lower leg covering protects the shoes and lower trousers or legs of a wearer while using a mower, string trimmer, chain saw, or other equipment which may discharge objects at high speed. The covering also serves to protect the us... | 11/23/1999 |
| 4624015 | Karate and kick boxing protective boot A protective fighting boot provides for a neat appearance and for the fitting of feet of a range of sizes. A leg protector includes a thick sheet of resilient foam which covers the ankle of the wearer, and which is protected on the outside by a cloth whic... | 11/25/1986 |
| 4598486 | Protective sole assembly A sole construction for protective shoes comprises a protective mid-sole and an integrally molded insole and heel plug, the plug portion including a top surface, a recessed bed in the top surface, spaced-apart anchoring projections in the recessed bed and... | 07/08/1986 |
| 4583303 | Bunion brace This invention is a pad for wearing inside a shoe, and positioning against a bunion; the pad being contoured on one side to fit the bunion, and contoured on its other side to fit the shoe.... | 04/22/1986 |
| 4253252 | Ski boot A ski boot comprising an outer boot having a sole on which an improved foot supporting insert rests, the insert including a footbed supported by a rear heel balance post, a central metatarsal balance pad and a forward toe balance pad, the insert forming a... | 03/03/1981 |
| 4144658 | Viscous, flowable, pressure-compensating fitting materials and their use, including their use in boots Pressure-compensating fitting pads having, among other things therein, glass microbeads, which pads are adapted for a variety of uses, including, but not limited to, use with or in sports footwear, or, more particularly, boots or ski boots, and, when so u... | 03/20/1979 |
| 4001955 | Mudguard style shoe construction A shoe construction including an upper member preferably divided into two pieces, an upper and a mudguard piece in which the mudguard piece has a pair of depending side portions extending beneath the upper and joined along longitudinal abutting edges betw... | 01/11/1977 |