WO2014007818A1

WO2014007818A1 - Injected protective toe cap

Info

Publication number: WO2014007818A1
Application number: PCT/US2012/045480
Authority: WO
Inventors: Romain JOANNY
Original assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
Priority date: 2012-07-05
Filing date: 2012-07-05
Publication date: 2014-01-09

Abstract

Embodiments may typically relate to non-metallic toe caps for use within protective footwear. Embodiments may employ supporting features on the inner surface of the toe cap to allow the toe cap to have sufficient strength for protection despite being a relatively thin-walled structure and/or not being required to employ a primarily vertical front wall design. The inner surface of such toe caps may have a stair-stepped portion and/or vertical support ribs, for example.

Description

TITLE

INJECTED PROTECTIVE TOE CAP

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] Not applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[0002] Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX

[0003] Not applicable.

FIELD

[0004] Embodiments relate generally to protective footwear, and more specifically to non-magnetic toe caps that may be integrated into protective footwear.

BACKGROUND

[0005] Steel toe caps have been used in protective footwear for a long period of time. More recently, non-metallic toe caps have been sought as an alternative to traditional steel- toe protective footwear. Non-metallic toe caps may offer the benefit of being non-magnetic, which may be useful in some contexts or environments, as well as possibly being lighter in weight, which may be beneficial for reducing user fatigue. To be effective, however, non- metallic toe caps would still need to provide adequate protection, for example against crushing and impact. Typically toe caps must meet minimum safety standards (such as EN20345 for example) regardless of the materials from which they are constructed, and this has proven challenging for non-metallic toe caps (since steel is generally a much stronger material than plastic, for example, and since other strong non-metallic materials are often cost prohibitive). Earlier efforts to produce effective plastic toe caps have encountered design difficulties, since they have been thick and have used an extensive vertical front wall to provide the required level of protection (typically having a vertical front wall with thickness between 8-10 mm for example). Such earlier efforts have proven to be of limited usefulness, since their thick vertical front wall often complicates integration of such plastic toe caps into protective footwear. Often such features limit toe space within the footwear and/or result in ungainly protrusion of such toe cap outside the protective shoe or boot design, greatly constraining new designs for protective footwear. Therefore, Applicant has developed a new non-metallic (non-magnetic) toe cap that may be significantly easier to incorporate into protective footwear designs.

SUMMARY

[0006] Embodiments generally relate to toe caps for protective footwear and may comprise one or more of the following features: a body (which could be described in some embodiments as a hollow shell with a cavity and shaped to be operable to cover a user's toes) having a closed front, an open rear, and an inner surface; wherein: the inner surface of the body comprises a stair-stepped portion having a plurality of steps, such that the body comprises a thickness for the stair-stepped portion varying between about 3-8 mm; the inner surface of the body further comprises a plurality of vertical support ribs; and the plurality of vertical support ribs fan out horizontally from the front while extending upward and rearward. Embodiment typically may be non-magnetic and/or non-metallic and may be formed of plastic, and in some embodiments the toe cap may be formed of Polycarbonate (PC), Polybutylene Terephtalate (PBT), polyamide (PA) and/or Polyethylene high density (PEhd).

[0007] In some embodiments, the stair-stepped portion of the inner surface may comprise between 8 and 10 steps (with 10 steps typically being preferred in some embodiments); the steps of the stair-stepped portion of the inner surface may not be uniform; and/or each of the steps may have a rise varying between approximately 1-1.5mm and a run varying between about 2.6-7mm. The average thickness of the body in embodiments may be between about 4.5-5 mm. In some embodiments, four vertical support ribs may be used. In some embodiments, the vertical support ribs may be approximately 9 mm apart at the front of the body and may be approximately 14 mm apart at the rear of the body; the vertical support ribs may have a width of about 3-4 mm for most of their length (and optionally the width of the vertical support ribs may decrease as the vertical support ribs near the front of the body to about 1 mm); the vertical support ribs may project inward beyond the stair-stepped portion of the inner surface between about l-4mm; the plurality of steps each may have a rise of about 1-1.5 mm, and the plurality of steps each may have a run between about 2.5-7 mm; and/or the plurality of steps may be horizontally-extending. In some embodiments, the body may further comprise an un-stepped portion ringing the bottom of the body. In some embodiments, the un-stepped portion of the body may have a thickness of about 4-5 mm and/or may extend upward from the bottom of the hollow shell about 15-25 mm. Persons of skill will understand the disclosed embodiments more fully by referencing the detailed description and the figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure, and for further details and advantages thereof, reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0009] FIG. 1A provides an illustrative example of a prior art toe cap external design shown in side view;

[0010] FIG. IB illustrates a cross-sectional view of the prior art toe cap of Fig. 1A;

[0011] FIG. 2A illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of the present inventive disclosure showing the open rear end of the toe cap and its inner surface; [0012] FIG 2B illustrates another perspective view of an embodiment of the present inventive disclosure;

[0013] FIG. 3 illustrates a sectional slice of the embodiment of Fig. 2A along the centerline;

[0014] FIG. 4 illustrates a cut-away sectional view of the embodiment of Fig. 2A;

[0015] FIG. 5A illustrates a bottom view of an embodiment;

[0016] FIG. 5B illustrates a cut-away sectional view of the embodiment of Fig. 5A, removing the bottom flange;

[0017] FIG. 6 illustrates a rear view of an embodiment;

[0018] FIG. 7 illustrates a side view of an exemplary outer surface of an embodiment; and

[0019] FIG 8 illustrates an exemplary view of a toe cap within protective footwear.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The following brief definition of terms shall apply throughout the application:

[0021] The term "comprising" means including but not limited to, and should be interpreted in the manner it is typically used in the patent context;

[0022] The phrases "in one embodiment," "according to one embodiment," and the like generally mean that the particular feature, structure, or characteristic following the phrase may be included in at least one embodiment of the present invention, and may be included in more than one embodiment of the present invention (importantly, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment);

[0023] If the specification describes something as "exemplary" or an "example," it should be understood that refers to a non-exclusive example; [0024] The terms "about" or approximately" or the like, when used with a number, may mean that specific number, or alternatively, a range in proximity to the specific number, as understood by persons of skill in the art field; and

[0025] If the specification states a component or feature "may," "can," "could," "should," "preferably," "possibly," "typically," "optionally," "for example," or "might" (or other such language) be included or have a characteristic, that particular component or feature is not required to be included or to have the characteristic. Such component or feature may be optionally included in some embodiments, or it may be excluded.

[0026] Embodiments generally relate to non-magnetic (for example, non-metallic) toe caps for use within protective footwear such as safety shoes and boots. Embodiments typically may have an average thickness significantly smaller than that of prior art non- metallic toe caps, and especially a front wall thickness that may be reduced. Additionally, embodiments may allow for a wider range of outer surface shapes, rather than the extensive vertical front wall feature required by the prior art non-metallic toe caps. Thus, the embodiments disclosed herein represent an improved non-metallic toe cap for protective footwear.

[0027] Figs. 1A and IB illustrate an exemplary prior art plastic toe cap. As Figs. 1A and IB show, the prior art design employed a thick vertical front wall, which was thought to be necessary to allow the plastic toe cap to effectively resist crushing and impact forces to offer adequate protection. The outer surface of such prior art toe caps demonstrates a near vertical front wall shape over most of its height, with only minimal curvature near the top of the vertical front wall as it joins the top wall. Such a vertical structural design was thought necessary to effectively resist compressive forces. The vertical front wall of such prior art toe caps generally were between 8-10 mm thick, and in the prior art a decrease in thickness would result in drastic reduction in the resistance of the toe cap to crushing and/or impact (resulting in ineffective protection unable to meet safety standards). Thus, the thick prior art plastic toe caps were clunky and awkward, making integration into protective footwear complicated.

[0028] The presently disclosed embodiments, on the other hand, use a thinner wall design while still providing adequate protection. To accomplish this, embodiments may use a stair- stepped inner surface design and/or vertical support ribs (with both features most often being used in combination). One or more of these features may provide adequate strength to the toe cap despite walls that are thinner on average than those of the prior art toe caps of FIGS. 1A and IB, and may allow a broader range of outer surface configurations (for example, not being limited to a vertical front wall shape). Thus, embodiments may result in a non-metallic toe cap that is easier to integrate into a wider range of protective footwear designs.

[0029] FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a toe cap 100. The toe cap 100 has a rearwardly opening shoe toe-shaped toe cap body 200 including a top 290 that blends smoothly into opposite side walls 295 (for example, by the use of a rounded edge) and a front wall 225, and an open rear end 240. In other words, the body 200 is shaped to be operable to cover a user's toes, having a closed front 240, an open rear 240, an inner surface 260, an outer surface 280, and in some embodiments a centerline 250. In some embodiments, the body 200 might also have a bottom flange 298 extending inward horizontally from the bottom of the front and side walls. Thus, the body 200 of the toe cap of Fig. 2A may have a cavity allowing insertion of the toes of a user's foot, so that during usage the toe cap can protect the user's toes from crushing and/or impact. The body 200 of the toe cap 100 of Fig. 2A typically has an average thickness between about 4.5-5 mm. The inner surface 260 of the body 200 of Fig. 2A has one or more features that may allow the average thickness of the body 200 to be significantly thinner than the thickness of the prior art designs. [0030] Specifically, the inner surface 260 of the body 200 comprises a stair-stepped portion 263 (which may be seen more clearly in Figs. 3 and 4 below) having a plurality of steps 265. Thus, the thickness 205 of the body 200 of Fig. 2A is not uniform or constant, but tends to vary in a step-wise fashion for at least a portion of the body 200. In Fig. 2A, the body 200 would typically have a thickness for the stair-stepped portion varying between about 3-7 mm, or in other embodiments about 4-5 mm. The embodiment of Figs. 2A and 2B typically may have 8-10 steps, for example. The steps are generally horizontally-extending (for example, extending laterally across the inner surface of the front 225 and/or top 290 walls and then wrapping down the inner surface of the side walls 295), and in the embodiment of Fig. 2A the thickness of the body 200 would be approximately uniform across a particular step 265.

[0031] As Fig. 2A demonstrates, the toe cap 100 may be ringed along its bottom edges (for example along the bottom edges of the front wall and the side walls) with a portion of approximately uniform thickness. In other words, the stair-stepped portion 263 typically does not extend over the entire inner surface 260 of the toe cap body 200, leaving an un-stepped portion (262) of approximately uniform thickness along the bottom edges of the body 200. Embodiments typically might have an un-stepped portion 262 with a thickness of about 4- 5mm. Such an un-stepped portion (262) for embodiments might typically extend from the bottom of the body to a height of about 15 mm or more (typically between about 20-25 mm in the embodiment of Fig. 2A). Typically, the stair-stepped portion 263 may span the portion of the body 200 that experiences flexing forces when in use (resisting crushing and/or impact), while the unstopped portion 262 might relate to the portion of the body that primarily would experience compression forces.

[0032] In the embodiment of Fig. 2A, the inner surface 260 also comprises a plurality of vertical support ribs 300 (with between about 3 and 6 vertical support ribs 300 being typical for embodiments). Each of the vertical support ribs 300 of Fig. 2A typically extend vertically (or at least primarily vertically) up the inner surface 260 of the front wall 225 and then wrap onto the inner surface of the top wall 290 (extending primarily longitudinally across the inner surface of the top wall 290). In the embodiment of Fig. 2A, the inner surface 260 includes four (4) vertical support ribs 300. In the embodiment of Fig. 2A, one of the vertical support ribs 300 might be located approximately in the impact area (which might be defined by one or more safety standards), with the remaining ribs 300 spaced about it (although other arrangements/locations of the ribs 300 might be possible so long as stresses experienced by the toe cap would be effectively addressed). In Fig. 2A, the vertical support ribs 300 run from approximately the (bottom) front 220 of the inner surface 260 of the toe cap to approximately the (top) rear 240 of the toe cap. So unlike the stair-stepped portion 263, the vertical support ribs typically will extend all the way down to the bottom of the front of the body inner surface.

[0033] In Fig. 2A, the vertical support ribs 300 are not parallel, but instead fan out horizontally (laterally) while extending upward and rearward from the front 220 of the toe cap (i.e. the gap spacing between the ribs typically widens from front to back of the toe cap). Thus, the vertical support ribs 300 of Fig. 2A are closer together (with gaps of about 9mm) near the front 220 and are further apart (with gaps of about 14 mm) near the rear 240. It should be noted that while spacing between the vertical support ribs need not be horizontally uniform in all embodiments, in the embodiment of Fig. 2A, the spacing between the vertical ribs 300 typically is horizontally uniform (such that the spacing between vertical support ribs 300 near the front 220 might all be 9mm for example, while the spacing near the rear 240 might all be 14 mm for example). The vertical support ribs 300 of Fig. 2A might have a width of about 3 mm along most or all of their lengths. In some embodiments, however, the width of vertical support ribs 300 might narrow near the front 220 (for example narrowing to about 1 mm at the front bottom of the inner surface of the toe cap). The vertical support ribs 300 of Fig. 2A typically may have a thickness (extending inward) of about 1-4 mm beyond the inner surface 260 (including the stair-stepped portion). In other embodiments, more than four vertical support ribs 300 could be included on the inner surface 260, in which case the width of each rib might typically be reduced.

[0034] So the embodiment of Fig. 2A typically includes horizontal and vertical structural reinforcements to allow a thinner walled toe cap body 200 to provide effective toe protection. For example, the embodiment of Fig. 2A (made of non-metallic materials, perhaps plastic as described below) might be able to effectively meet crushing and impact standards (for example resisting 1.5KN crushing force and 200J impact force). Furthermore, the inner surface features of Fig. 2A may allow for a variety of external (outer) surface shapes, which might not be limited to having a primarily vertical front wall. For example, the thinner hollow shell might allow for additional curvature for the outer surface 280, perhaps improving integration of the toe cap 100 within protective footwear.

[0035] FIG. 3 shows a sectional slice of the embodiment of Fig. 2A along the centerline 250 of the toe cap 100, highlighting the stair-stepped portion 263 of the inner surface 260. In Fig. 3, the un-stepped portion 262 of the front wall 225 would typically have a thickness between about 4-5mm. The outer surface 280 of the front wall 225 of embodiments may have curvature between ¼ to ½ of its height, between 1/3 to ½ its height, or perhaps even more than ½ its height up to its entirety, although certainly the outer surface may also have less curvature in some embodiments (since the more vertical (less curved) the front wall design, the more resistant the toe cap may be); the inner surface feature(s) of disclosed embodiments may allow greater design flexibility regarding the outer surface 280. While the support features of Fig. 2A may allow for curvature up to the entire height of the front wall, typically the front wall of embodiments might have an approximately vertical height of 15mm or more (perhaps between 15-25mm for example) before substantial curvature.

[0036] As Fig. 3 shows, a bottom flange 298 may extend inward from the bottom of the body 200. Fig. 3 clearly illustrates an embodiment of the stair-stepped portion 263 of the body inner surface 260. In the embodiment of Fig. 3, the stair-stepped portion 263 includes between 8-10 steps 265 (most typically 10 steps), with each step having a vertical rise 266 and a horizontal run 267. In Fig. 3, the steps are not uniform, but vary in size. So for example, the steps might each have a rise varying in a range between about 1-1.5mm (or in other embodiments between about 1.3- 1.5mm), and a run varying in a range between about 2.6-7mm (or in other embodiments between about 5-7mm). As Fig. 3 illustrates, the thickness of the body of the embodiment of Fig. 3 varies longitudinally, typically between about 3-7 mm.

[0037] FIG. 4 illustrates a cut-away sectional view of the embodiment of Fig. 2A along the centerline. On Fig. 4, both the stair-stepped portion 263 of the inner surface 260 and the vertical support ribs 300 are visible. So in Fig. 4 the step-wise variation in thickness of the body 200 is evident, along with the inward projecting vertical support ribs 300. The vertical support ribs 300 typically have a smooth inner surface projecting beyond the stair-step body inner wall. Also, in Fig. 4 the vertical support ribs 300 and the horizontal stair-stepped inner surface of the body are integrally formed, so that the toe cap 100 is a single unified structure. The embodiment of Fig. 4 has a rear height of the inner surface of about 40mm.

[0038] FIG. 5A presents a bottom view of the embodiment of Fig. 2A. Fig. 5A clearly illustrates the bottom flange 298, the vertical support ribs 300 on the inner surface 260 of the toe cap, and the horizontal steps 265. The bottom flange of Fig. 5A typically extends inward about 6-20mm. Each step 265 of Fig. 5A is approximately uniform horizontally (such that the thickness of the hollow shell 200 is horizontally uniform for any particular longitudinal coordinate). Fig. 5A also shows that the vertical support ribs 300 may be located symmetrically about the centerline 250 of the toe cap. In the embodiment of Fig. 5A, the vertical support ribs 300 are not parallel, but fan, angle, or curve outward horizontally as extending from the front 220 to the rear 240 of the toe cap. The width of each vertical support rib 300 of Fig. 5A is about 3 mm along most of its length. The distance between each of the vertical support ribs 300 at the rear 240 of the toe cap in Fig. 5A is about 14 mm.

[0039] FIG. 5B illustrates a cut-away sectional view of the embodiment of Fig. 2A, essentially removing the bottom flange 298 to fully show the bottom view of the inner surface of the toe cap. While this figure is quite similar to that of Fig. 5A, removing the bottom flange 298 illustrates that the vertical support ribs 300 each narrow near the (bottom) front 220 of the toe cap to about 1 mm width. Additionally, Fig. 5B shows that the space between the vertical support ribs 300 near the (bottom) front 220 of the toe cap is about 9mm.

[0040] FIG. 6 provides a rear view of an embodiment of a non-metallic (typically plastic) toe cap. This illustration is similar to that of Fig. 2A, with similar stair-stepped portion 263 of the inner surface 260, along with four vertical support ribs 300 on the inner surface 260 fanning out as they extend from the front bottom of the toe cap to the rear top of the toe cap. Perhaps the different angle of this figure may provide additional insight into the structure, elements, and inter-relationships thereof.

[0041] FIG. 7 is a side view of an exemplary outer surface 280 of an embodiment of a toe cap. As Fig. 7 demonstrates, embodiments may have a great deal more external curvature (than permitted by prior art plastic toe caps), and are not limited to using a vertical front wall design. For example, Fig. 7 demonstrates that the outer surface 280 of embodiment could even have curvature over its entire length. It should be understood, however, that embodiments may make use of a wide variety of outer surface designs, which may aid in integration into a variety of protective footwear designs. For example, alternate embodiments may have a front wall with a lower, vertical portion extending upward about 15-25mm, with an upper, curved portion for the remainder of the front wall. Embodiments typically may have a smooth outer surface 280. Typically, embodiments would not have indentations, ridges, steps, grooves, ribbing, and/or other external support elements on the outer surface (although in some embodiments such exterior elements might also be optionally included).

[0042] FIG. 8 shows an exemplary toe cap embodiment integrated within a protective safety shoe. The toe cap embodiments disclosed herein may provide increased design flexibility, particularly with regard to the thickness of the toe cap body, the exterior surface curvature allowed (particularly with respect to the front wall), and/or the ability to perform structurally without the need for a vertical front wall (or with a front wall of a much less vertical nature). Thus, the disclosed embodiments may improve and/or simplify integration of the toe cap into a variety of different protective footwear designs.

[0043] Embodiments typically are formed of non-metallic and/or non-magnetic materials. Typically, embodiments are formed of plastic materials. For example, embodiments may be formed of polycarbonate (PC), an elastomer (such as polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), for example), polyamide (PA), polyethylene high density (PEhd), and/or combinations thereof. The embodiment of Fig. 2A typically may be formed of a mixture of PC and PBT, for example. An exemplary mixture of such plastic materials that could be used in some embodiments of described toe caps might be Xenoy.TM by Alchem. Typically, the toe cap of the embodiments might be formed of plastic material without fibers (so for example, the material of the toe cap might be a homogenous plastic material without any fibers or other separate reinforcing elements or components materials added therein). Alternatively, toe cap embodiments could be formed of composite material, which could for example be based on fiberglass fabric reinforcement and/or Kevlar or aramid textile reinforcement that could be placed in a plastic (such as polyamide, for example). In some embodiments, the vertical support ribs are integrally formed into the inner surface of the toe cap (although it is possible that in other embodiments the vertical support ribs might be added on separately). Regardless, the toe cap 100 of the embodiments would typically be a rigid structure, and typically embodiments would be a single integrated rigid structure, with all elements formed into a single unified piece.

[0044] While various embodiments in accordance with the principles disclosed herein have been shown and described above, modifications thereof may be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and the teachings of the disclosure. The embodiments described herein are representative only and are not intended to be limiting. Many variations, combinations, and modifications are possible and are within the scope of the disclosure. Alternative embodiments that result from combining, integrating, and/or omitting features of the embodiment(s) are also within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, the scope of protection is not limited by the description set out above, but is defined by the claims which follow, that scope including all equivalents of the subject matter of the claims. Each and every claim is incorporated as further disclosure into the specification and the claims are embodiment(s) of the present invention(s). Furthermore, any advantages and features described above may relate to specific embodiments, but shall not limit the application of such issued claims to processes and structures accomplishing any or all of the above advantages or having any or all of the above features.

[0045] Additionally, the section headings used herein are provided for consistency with the suggestions under 37 C.F.R. 1.77 or to otherwise provide organizational cues. These headings shall not limit or characterize the invention(s) set out in any claims that may issue from this disclosure. Specifically and by way of example, although the headings might refer to a "Field," the claims should not be limited by the language chosen under this heading to describe the so-called field. Further, a description of a technology in the "Background" is not to be construed as an admission that certain technology is prior art to any invention(s) in this disclosure. Neither is the "Summary" to be considered as a limiting characterization of the invention(s) set forth in issued claims. Furthermore, any reference in this disclosure to "invention" in the singular should not be used to argue that there is only a single point of novelty in this disclosure. Multiple inventions may be set forth according to the limitations of the multiple claims issuing from this disclosure, and such claims accordingly define the invention(s), and their equivalents, that are protected thereby. In all instances, the scope of the claims shall be considered on their own merits in light of this disclosure, but should not be constrained by the headings set forth herein.

[0046] Use of broader terms such as comprises, includes, and having should be understood to provide support for narrower terms such as consisting of, consisting essentially of, and comprised substantially of. Use of the term "optionally," "may," "might," "possibly," and the like with respect to any element of an embodiment means that the element is not required, or alternatively, the element is required, both alternatives being within the scope of the embodiment(s). Also, references to examples are merely provided for illustrative purposes, and are not intended to be exclusive.

Claims

1. A toe cap (100) for protective footwear comprising:

a body (200) shaped to be operable to cover a user's toes and having a closed front (220), an open rear (240), and an inner surface (260);

wherein:

the inner surface (260) of the body (200) comprises a stair-stepped portion (263) having a plurality of steps (265);

the inner surface (260) of the body further comprises a plurality of vertical support ribs (300); and

the plurality of vertical support ribs (300) fan out horizontally from the front while extending upward and rearward.

2. The toe cap of claim 1 wherein the toe cap (100) is formed of plastic or composite material.

The toe cap of claim 2 wherein the toe cap (100) is formed of a mixture of PC, PA, PEhd, or combinations thereof.

4. The toe cap of claim 2 wherein the body (200) comprises a thickness for the stair- stepped portion (260) varying between about 3-8 mm.

5. The toe cap of claim 1 wherein the stair-stepped portion (263) of the inner surface comprises between 8 and 10 steps.

6. The toe cap of claim 5 wherein the steps (265) of the stair-stepped portion of the inner surface are not uniform.

7. The toe cap of claim 1 wherein the average thickness of the body (200) is between about 4.5-5 mm.

8. The toe cap of claim 1 wherein the plurality of vertical support ribs (300) consists of 4 vertical support ribs.

9. The toe cap of claim 8 wherein the vertical support ribs (300) are spaced

approximately 9 mm apart at the front (220) of the body (200) and are spaced approximately 14 mm apart at the rear (240) of the body.

10. The toe cap of claim 9 wherein the vertical support ribs (300) have a width of about 3- 4 mm for most of their length.

11. The toe cap of claim 10 wherein the vertical support ribs (300) project inward beyond the stair-stepped portion (263) of the inner surface between about 1 -4mm.

12. The toe cap of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of steps (265) has a rise (266) of about 1-1.5 mm, and each of the plurality of steps has a run (267) of about 2.6-7 mm.

13. The toe cap of claim 1 1 wherein the plurality of steps (265) each have a rise (266) of about 1-1.5 mm, and the plurality of steps each have a run (267) between about 2.6-7 mm.

14. The toe cap of claim 1 wherein the plurality of steps (265) are horizontally-extending.

15. The toe cap of claim 4 wherein the stair-stepped portion (263) of the inner surface comprises between 8 and 10 steps (265); wherein the steps (265) of the stair-stepped portion of the inner surface are not uniform; wherein the plurality of steps (265) are horizontally-extending; wherein the body (200) further comprises an un-stepped portion (262) ringing the bottom of the body; wherein the average thickness of the body (200) is between about 4.5-5 mm; wherein the plurality of vertical support ribs (300) consists of 4 vertical support ribs; and wherein the vertical support ribs (300) are approximately 9 mm apart at the front (220) of the body and are approximately 14 mm apart at the rear (240) of the body.