Removable shoe coverings

A gaitor interface for releasably connecting a gaitor to a shoe, the gaitor interface comprising:

• a track including a pair of arms and a flange, the pair of arms having upper ends curved towards one another defining an interior region of the track, the flange being adapted for attachment to a surface of the shoe;
• and
• a connector comprising an attachment section and a connection section, the attachment section being attachable to a surface of the gaitor, and the connection section being adapted to be slidably inserted into and removed from the interior region of the track;
• wherein the track further includes a stopping member disposed on the flange opposite an opening into the interior region of the track, and when the connector is received within the interior region, the stopping member prevents accidental removal of the connector.

A shoe, comprising:

• an outsole for contacting the ground;
• an upper connected to the outsole;
• and
• a pair of tracks disposed on the shoe, the tracks each including an elongated pathway adapted to slidably receive a gaitor, the elongated pathway having a first end and a second end remote from the first end, the first end having an arcuate ramped opening adapted to receive a connector from a gaitor, the arcuate ramped opening extending from a top section of the elongated pathway to a base section thereof;
• wherein the arcuate ramped opening provides a guided region for the gaitor connector to enter the elongated pathway.

A shoe, comprising:

• an outsole for contacting the ground;
• an upper connected to the outsole;
• and
• a pair of tracks disposed on the shoe, the tracks each including an elongated pathway adapted to slidably receive a gaitor;
• wherein the tracks each comprise a pair of arms and a flange, the pair of arms having upper ends curved towards one another to defining the elongated pathway, the flange being adapted for attachment to a shoe surface, and
• wherein at least one of the tracks further includes a hinge disposed on the flange opposite an opening into the elongated pathway of the track, and when a connector of the gaitor connector is received within the elongated pathway the hinge prevents removal of the gaitor connector.

A shoe, comprising:

• a gaitor adapted to cover at least a portion of the shoe, the gaitor including a covering, a pair of connectors secured to the covering, and a gaitor fastener secured to the covering;
• an outsole for contacting the ground;
• an upper connected to the outsole;
• and
• a pair of receptacles disposed on the upper or the outsole, the receptacles each including an elongated pathway adapted to slidably receive one of the connectors;
• at least one of the receptacles being disposed on the upper, the at least one receptacle being adapted to receive the gaitor fastener to secure the gaitor to the upper.

A shoe, comprising:

• a gaitor adapted to cover at least a portion of the shoe, the gaitor including a covering and a pair of connectors;
• an outsole for contacting the ground;
• an upper connected to the outsole;
• and
• a pair of receptacles disposed on the upper or the outsole, the receptacles each including an elongated pathway adapted to slidably receive one of the connectors;
• wherein a first one of the receptacles further includes a flexible stopper disposed opposite an opening into the elongated pathway, and when a selected one of the connectors is received within the first receptacle, the flexible stopper prevents accidental disengagement of the selected connector from the first receptacle.

A gaitor for covering at least a portion of a shoe, the gaitor comprising:

• a covering;
• a pair of elongated connectors, a first one of the elongated connectors being disposed along a medial side of the covering, and a second one of the elongated connectors being disposed along a lateral side of the covering;
• and
• at least one gaitor fastener being disposed along the cover between the pair of elongated connectors, the at least one gaitor fastener being adapted to removably secure the gaitor to a receptacle disposed on an upper of the shoe;
• wherein the connectors are adapted to slidably engage an elongated track of the shoe.

A method of connecting a gaitor to a shoe, the gaitor including an elongated connection member and the shoe including a track, the track having an elongated pathway having a first end and a second end remote from the first end, the first end having an arcuate ramped opening thereat, the method comprising:

• aligning the elongated connection member with the arcuate ramped opening of the track;
• sliding the elongated connection member along the arcuate ramped opening;
• and
• sliding the elongated connection member into the track until at least 50% of the elongated connection member is received within the track.