Dive boot

#When swimming, snorkeling or scuba diving, dive boots are often worn to protect the feet from injury on foreign objects, as well as for warmth in colder waters. Dive boots are shaped to be worn together with swim fins or flippers of the type having a toe entry pocket and means for heel attachment, such as a strap or heel cup.

#Entry into the water from the shore is difficult while wearing swim fins, particularly in a heavy surf. The diver usually enters the water on foot, carrying the swim fins and then puts them on after negotiating the shallow water. Entry on foot is difficult, and sometimes dangerous, due to foreign objects in the water, which are often slippery. The diver may encounter rocks covered with barnacles and algae, seaweed, shells, and other dangerous debris such as broken glass. Prior art dive boots normally are made with synthetic rubber soles having corrugated bottoms or treads. While these offer protection to the feet and are puncture resistant, the soles of prior art dive boots are notably slippery in spite of the corrugated treads. Also the rubber soles are flexible and produce fatigue when used with fins for a long time.

#Wading shoes or wading boots are also known, which offer improved traction on slippery surfaces. Wading shoes or boots are available with felt soles having an instep and heel configured in the manner of an ordinary walking shoe. The soles of prior art wading shoes have a peripheral rim extending beyond the toe piece of the upper boot member and are not suitable for use as diving boots.

#The invention, both as to organization and method of practice, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

#FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a prior art dive boot,

#FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the dive boot according to the present invention,

#Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawing, a prior art dive boot 10 comprises an upper boot member 12, which is manufactured of water resistant fabric, which may be stretchable fabric and provided with a side closure member such as a zipper (not shown). Dive boot 10 has a heavy sole 14 of natural or synthetic rubber, molded to include corrugations or ridges 16 to prevent slipping and add traction. The corrugations 16 run laterally across the boot and provide flexibility at the arch 18. When used with a swim fin, the flexible arch 18 sometimes increases fatigue because of the effort required to move the foot against the resistance of the water to the swim fin.

#FIG. 2 illustrates the dive boot of the present invention, which is shown generally at 20, to comprise an upper boot member 22, an intermediate sole member 24 and a bottom sole member 26. Upper boot member 22 comprises a toe piece 28 and an ankle sheath 30, the latter being supplied with a closure device such as a zipper 32. The upper boot member is made of water resistant, flexible fabric, such as woven Neoprene material, which may also be stretchable.

#Intermediate sole member 24 is preferably made of synthetic rubber and is attached to the bottom of the upper boot member by adhesive in a manner well known in the art.