1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a shoe protector which covers the bottom surface of the shoe and, more particularly, to such a protector having a sole protecting pad with a single adjustable loop secured thereon for easy insertion and extraction of a bowling shoe therein.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known that bowling shoes are constructed so that the floor engaging surface of the shoes gives the bowler control during his approach to the foul line of the bowling lane. Typically the final step of a bowler's approach is a sliding step whereby the shoe must slide across the finished surface of the approach. Typically, a right-handed bowler would slide his left foot toward the foul line as a final step before releasing the bowling ball toward the pins. Thus, the sole of the bowler's left shoe is made of leather or some other material which permits the shoe to be slid across the finished surface of the approach. On the other hand, the sole of the bowler's right shoe can be made of rubber or some other material which permits the shoe to frictionally engage the bowling lane. In order to perform their intended functions, the soles of the bowling shoe must remain dry. If the sole of the sliding shoe becomes wet, it will stick on the approach which can cause injury to the bowler and will certainly cause the ball to be improperly released. During the winter or wet season this is a particularly troublesome problem because snow and/or water will be tracked into the establishment and unless care is taken will be stepped into by bowlers.
Although many types of overshoes or shoe protectors are known, they are not well adapted for use in a bowling alley where the bowler must repeatedly advance to and depart from the bowling lane. For example, one previously known type of shoe covering comprises a single piece of flexible and preferably a plastic material foled to form an opening in which a shoe can be inserted. The opening can be provided with an elastic band so that the covering remains secured over the entire shoe. Although, this type of shoe covering is well adapted for use by medical persons in an operating room to prevent a transfer of harmful bacteria and the like from the operating room to other areas by contact with the street shoes worn by such personnel, it would be tedious and time consuming to repeatedly remove and don this type of convering from a bowling shoe as would be necessary each time the bowler approached and departed from the bowling lane.