US20150173460A1

US20150173460A1 - Pest/odor repellant device for a footwear

Info

Publication number: US20150173460A1
Application number: US14/138,094
Authority: US
Inventors: Joshua D. Cole
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-12-22
Filing date: 2013-12-22
Publication date: 2015-06-25

Abstract

A device for repelling pests from a footwear mitigates an infiltration of pests in a footwear, resists penetration of liquids/solids in the footwear and mitigates unpleasant odors emanating from the footwear. The pest repellant device includes a covering to cover a peripheral opening of the footwear and to repel the pests and/or repel against the weather related and/or man-made conditions. The covering includes a first portion defining an opening for engaging a portion of the footwear that defines the peripheral opening. The covering also includes a second portion attached to the first portion. The second portion is dimensioned and configured to cover the peripheral opening of the footwear.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Field
The present disclosure relates to methods and devices for repelling and/or controlling pests and odors from a footwear, particularly for mitigating the infiltration of pests in the footwear (e.g., shoe or boot), to protect against weather related and other man-made conditions, such as rain, snow, hail, sand, or liquids from entering a peripheral opening of the footwear and to mitigate unpleasant odors emanating from the footwear.
2. Background
In the military, e.g., United States Marine Corps, military personnel are constantly out in the field (outdoors) for training exercises and combat related issues. Some people camp so that they may enjoy the outdoors, and others use camping as an inexpensive alternative to staying in a hotel. Often campers or military personnel stay in a tent, either in a campsite, or in a suitable location somewhere outdoors. In some cases, many military personnel do not have tents. During their time in the field, the military personnel may take off their boots. For example, the military personnel may take of their boots during the night to sleep. The boots may be left outside of the tents. Taking off the boots allows the individuals to sleep comfortably, but it also allows their feet, socks, and boots to air out. Airing out the boots can prevent moisture build up inside of the boots/socks thereby prevent foot diseases, such as foot rot caused by moisture build up. A foot disease can cause a military personnel to seek medical attention and causing the military personnel to be absent from the military unit. Failing to address the foot disease may cause an infection and in extreme cases can lead to the loss of a limb.
Military personal or recreational campers may take off their boots at night. The boots may be left outside of a tent, for example, due to the smell of the boots, which can be very unpleasant after days and months of no showers, and trudging through difficult terrain. When these boots are placed outside, the boots may be subject to various types of pests (e.g., bugs) that may crawl inside of the boots. These bugs can range from beetles, spiders, and scorpions. Military personnel or campers may have to thoroughly shake out any unwelcome creatures that may have crawled into the boot to avoid being bitten/stung by these creatures. A bite or sting from a creature especially in the middle of a wilderness may cause serious medical problems.
Although some of the boots (e.g., combat boots) are waterproof, an opening (e.g., peripheral opening) in the boot to receive the foot of the wearer is clearly allows infiltration of liquids, pests or other external objects. When airing out overnight waterproof boots often end up with a pool of water inside them from their opening effectively negating the waterproof feature and the benefit of airing out.
To mitigate the above issues, some individuals stuff socks inside of their boots in order to prevent bugs from crawling inside. However, stuffing socks in the boots prevents airing out of the boot and socks. Further, socks are extremely important in the field/wilderness as they provide a barrier between the foot and the rough material of the combat boot. Dirtying clean socks for this use is not a viable option when individuals must ration and take care of such a precious asset. Socks also do not prevent rain from soaking the boot or sock. Therefore, this option is not a truly viable one.
There is also a major issue with these boots producing unpleasant odors on ships where up to twenty people can be crammed into a small living quarters no larger than three hundred square feet due to the limited space on ships. Gear may be placed into small lockers inside the living area and/or piled up into a corner. The boots are generally placed on the floor or in an area easily accessible to the military personnel. Strong odor emanating from many boots in the small living quarters can become intolerable even when dousing them with foot powder. Foot powder can also become encrusted inside of the boot creating an uncomfortable fit, which can cause serious blisters when traveling on foot over long distances.

SUMMARY

Aspects of the present disclosure include a device for repelling pests from a footwear. The device includes a covering to protect an aperture of the footwear from pests and/or to protect the footwear against weather related and/or man-made conditions. The covering covers a peripheral opening of the footwear to repel the pests and/or repel against the weather related and/or man-made conditions. The covering includes a first portion defining an opening for engaging at least a portion of the footwear that defines the peripheral opening. The covering also includes a second portion attached to the first portion. The second portion is dimensioned and configured to cover the peripheral opening of the footwear.
This has outlined, rather broadly, the features and technical advantages of the present disclosure in order that the detailed description that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the disclosure will be described below. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that this disclosure may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present disclosure. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the teachings of the disclosure as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features, which are believed to be characteristic of the disclosure, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages, will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a combat boot.

FIG. 2A illustrates a top view of an exemplary pest repellant device according to aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2B illustrates a bottom view of an exemplary pest repellant device according to aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3A illustrates an exemplary adjustable device according to aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3B illustrates another exemplary adjustable device according to aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3C illustrates an extendible insert ring that is minimized by squeezing according to aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4A illustrates a pest repellant device positioned over the peripheral opening of a combat boot according to aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4B illustrates a pest repellant device positioned over the peripheral opening of a combat boot according to aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is an exemplary illustration of the different materials included in the pest repellant device according to aspects of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The detailed description set forth below, in connection with the appended drawings, is intended as a description of various configurations and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the concepts described herein may be practiced. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the various concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and components are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring such concepts.

Pest Repellant Device for a Footwear

Aspects of the present disclosure mitigate the infiltration of pests in a footwear, (e.g., shoe or boot), resist penetration of liquids (e.g., water) in the footwear and mitigate unpleasant odors emanating from the footwear. In some aspects, a pest repellant device, which prevents pests from entering the footwear, includes a covering for covering an aperture or opening (e.g., peripheral opening) of the footwear from infiltration by pests. The aperture or opening is designed to receive a foot of the wearer of the footwear. The covering may include a first portion defining an opening for engaging at least a portion of the footwear that defines the aperture of the footwear and a second portion coupled to or connected to the first portion. The first and the second portions are configured to cover the aperture of the footwear. The covering material may be breathable and water resistant. In some aspects of the disclosure, the first portion may be removably attached to the second portion. For example, the first portion and the second portion may be removably attached using velcro or other devices to allow for the removable attachment.
In some aspects, the pest repellant device may be integrated into the footwear. For example, the pest repellatant device may be coupled or attached to a portion of the footwear that defines the opening. When the pest repellant device is not in use, the device may be stored or retracted into a portion of the footwear. However, in operation the pest repellant device may be retrived from the stored portion and used to cover the aperture of the footwear. In other aspect, the pest repellant device may be removably attached to the footwear.
The footwear may be any type of laced or unlaced footwear, including but not limited to a shoe, a boot, an inline skate, a roller skate, a ski boot, or a snowboard boot. If the footwear is a shoe, it may be, for example, an athletic shoe, an orthopedic shoe, or any other type of shoe. Athletic shoes may include cleats such as a soccer cleat, a football cleat, a baseball cleat, or a rugby cleat; spiked shoes such as golf shoes; running shoes; walking shoes; climbing shoes; court shoes such as squash shoes; or high tops such as basketball shoes. If the footwear is a boot, it may be a combat boot, a construction boot, a snow boot, or any other type of boot. An exemplary footwear is illustrated in FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a combat boot 100. Although, the description focuses on a combat boot, aspects of the present disclosure can be applied to other footwear. For example, a camping boot, regular shoes, and any other closed toe footwear.
The combat boot 100 includes a thick and durable sole 102 having a toe end 104 and an opposite heel end 106. The sole 102 may be formed of a thick sheet of resilient material (e.g., rubber (e.g., vibram), neoprene, etc.) having a relatively high durometer, (i.e., being relatively hard), to provide good wear characteristics and to resist abrasion. In some footwear, a steel toe guard may be affixed to a toe end 104, to provide further wear resistance for the footwear. An upper portion 108 of the combat boot 100 extends upwardly from the sole 102, with the upper portion 108 including at least an instep portion 110 and an ankle portion 112. The upper portions 108 may be constructed of a relatively thick and heavy leather, and may be coated or protected with a liquid resistant material (e.g., plastic, polyurethane, etc.), such that the upper portion is water resistant, for example. Further, the combat boot 100 may also include a tongue portion 114 that extends from the toe end 104 to an upper peripheral edge 116 of the combat boot 100. The tongue portion 114 may also be coated or protected with a water resistant material. The tongue portion 114 may be sealably attached along a length of the tongue portion 114 to other portions of the upper portion 108 facilitate the resistance of liquid and other external elements (e.g., pests/dust/dirt) from entering or penetrating the combat boot 100. For example, opposite edges of the tongue portion 114 may be attached to an inner portion of the combat boot 100 that extend from the toe end 104 to the upper peripheral edge 116 to define the aperture or opening 118 (e.g., peripheral opening) at the peripheral edge 116 of the combat boot 100. In this regard, the combat boot 100 may be lined with a waterproof, breathable material, e.g., GORE-TEX for comfort and protection from external elements, such as rain.
Although these combat boots is waterproof, the aperture or opening 118 at the upper peripheral allows elements such as pests or rain to enter through the aperture. For example, when airing out overnight, the waterproof combat boots often end up with a pool of water or pests that enter the combat boot through the aperture 118, which effectively negates the waterproof protection or negates the benefits of airing out the combat boots. As a result, a pest repellant device that mitigates these issues is desirable. An exemplary pest repellant device 200 is illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B.
FIG. 2A illustrates a first or top view and FIG. 2B illustrates a second or bottom view of an exemplary pest repellant device 200 according to some aspects of the present disclosure. The pest repellant device 200 of FIGS. 2A and 2B mitigates the infiltration of pests in the footwear, resists penetration of liquids (e.g., water) in the footwear and mitigates unpleasant odors emanating from the footwear. For example, the pest repellant device 200 may cover the opening or aperture of the footwear. In some footwear, the opening may be defined at the peripheral edge that corresponds to an ankle portion 112 or any other parts of the upper portion 108 of the footwear.
In some aspects of the disclosure, the pest repellant device 200 includes a covering 202 for protecting the aperture of the footwear from infiltration by pests or water. To protect the aperture of the footwear, the covering 202 is positioned over the aperture of the footwear 100 to substantially seal the aperture. The covering 202 may include a first portion 204 defining an opening 206. The first portion may be configured to engage at least a portion of the footwear 100 that defines the aperture 118. The covering 202 may also include a second portion 208 coupled to or attached to the first portion 204. The first portion 204 and the second portion 208 are configured to cover the aperture of the footwear. In some aspects, the first portion may be removably attached to the second portion. The first portion 204 may be unadjustable (e.g., velcro, or any other unadjustable element or device to engage the portion of the fotwear that defines the aperture 118 of the footwear 100.) In one aspect of the disclosure, the first portion 204 of the covering 202 may be adjustable or extendable. For example, the first portion 204 may include an adjustable device to facilitate the adjustment of the first portion 204. An exemplary adjustable device for the covering 202 is illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B. In yet another aspect, the first portion may be a combination of the adjustable and unadjustable devices. For example, a segment of the first portion 204 may be adjustable (e.g., elastic), while other segments of the first portion 204 are unadjustable (e.g., velcro.)
FIG. 3A illustrates an exemplary adjustable device 300 according to some aspects of the present disclosure. The adjustable device 300 may include an elastic band or any other retractable device (e.g., rubber band) sewn or coupled (e.g. with an adhesive material) to the first portion 204 to allow for the adjustability. In one aspect of the disclosure, the adjustable device 300 may be sized or dimensioned to engage the peripheral edge of the footwear defining the opening 118, so that the pest repellant device can cover the aperture of different footwear, including different adult and/or child footwear. For example, the adjustable device 300 may have a predefined diameter, such as a diameter in the range of 3-4 inches. The range is important to cover the peripheral opening of different shoe sizes such that the adjustable device forms a seal with the peripheral edge of the footwear.
In some aspects, the adjustable device 300 may be a drawstring (not shown). The drawstring may be made of nylon and may be colored based on the desire of a user. For example, the drawstring may be green or brown nylon traded 550 cord with cord lock drawstring toggles. The drawstring may be used instead of the elastic band or in conjunction with the elastic band. The drawstring allows a user to adjust a size of the opening 206 of the pest repellant device 200 to fit over different sizes of openings 118 of the footwear 100.
FIG. 3B illustrates an exemplary adjustable device 302 according to some aspects of the present disclosure. Unlike the adjustable device 300, the adjustable device 302 engages inner walls of the peripheral edge of the footwear that define the opening 118 of the footwear. The adjustable device 302 may include an extendible insert ring that expands to a predefined diameter, e.g., 3.5 inches, or any diameter that allows the adjustable device 302 to form a tight seal with inside walls of the peripheral edge that define the opening 118 of the footwear. The extendible insert ring may be flexible, bendable and expandable such that when squeezed by a hand 304, as illustrated in FIG. 3C, the extendible insert ring is minimized. For example, the extendible insert ring can be squeezed by a hand into a crunch, as illustrated in FIG. 3C. The covering including the extendible insert ring may be positioned within the inner walls of the footwear that define the opening 118 of the footwear 100. Upon release, the extendible insert ring 302 expands to engage the inner walls of the footwear that define the opening 118, such that the covering 202 covers the opening 118 of the footwear.
In some aspects of the disclosure, the adjustable device engages both inner walls of the peripheral edge of the footwear and outer walls of the peripheral walls of the footwear to create a seal between the walls peripheral walls of the footwear and the adjustable device.
The second portion 208 may have a larger diameter than the first portion 204 when the adjustable device is un-extended, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. However, when the first portion 204 or the adjustable device 300 is extended the diameter of the first portion 204 may approach or be substantially equal to the diameter of the second portion 208 or greater than the diameter of the second portion 208, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B.
FIG. 4A illustrates a pest repellant device 200 positioned over the peripheral opening of a combat boot 100 according to some aspects of the present disclosure. The pest repellant in FIG. 4A may use the extendible device 300 of FIG. 3A or any other extendible device described herein. The extendable first portion 204 allows the covering 202 to be stretched or extended over the aperture of the footwear 100 such that the second portion 208 covers the exposed aperture or opening of the combat boot 100. To completely cover the opening 118 of the footwear 100, the first portion 204 may be positioned such that it engages at least a portion of an outer sidewall or peripheral defining the opening 118 of the combat boot 100. For example, the covering 202 may cover a length (e.g., 1 inch) of the sides of the combat boot. The diameter of the second portion may be larger (e.g., six inches) than the diameter of the first portion (e.g., 3.5 inches) to cover at least a portion of the outer sidewalls of the combat boot 100. The second portion 208 may be sown around the edges to the 3½ inch elastic band.
FIG. 4B illustrates a covering including the extensible insert ring positioned within the footwear 100. In this case, when the insert ring of the covering 202 is released in the footwear 100, the insert ring expands to a specified diameter, e.g., 3.5 inches, to create a barrier for pests as well as provide odor protection as described herein. The seal between the insert ring and the inner walls of the footwear, in some aspects, may not be liquid proof and may allow rain through the seal. In other aspects, however, the extendible insert ring may be seal-ably engaged to the inner walls of the footwear, providing liquid proof seal.
Stretching the first portion and subsequently the second portion allows the material of the covering to breath. Also covering the opening 118 of the footwear 100 provides some repellant features including preventing odors from escaping the footwear 100 and preventing water (e.g., rain) from entering the footwear 100 through the opening 118. To facilitate these repellant features, the pest repellant device 200 may include different materials, such as the materials illustrated in FIG. 5.
FIG. 5 is an exemplary illustration of the different materials included in the pest repellant device 500. Although the illustration includes three layers of materials, the layers can be more or less. For example, the pest repellant device 500 may include a single layer (e.g., the first layer, the second layer, the third layer or any other layer discussed herein), two layers, four layers or any number of desirable layers. In addition, the materials for one or more layers may be combined in a single layer. For example, two or more of the materials described herein may be combined to form the material of a single layer. Further, the layers for the pest repellant device 200 may be interchanged.
In one aspect of the disclosure, the pest repellant device 200 may include three layers; a first layer (e.g., a top layer) 502, a second layer (e.g., a middle layer) 504 and a third layer (e.g., a middle layer) 506. In some aspects of the disclosure, the top layer 502 may be the outer exterior of the pest repellant device 200. The top layer 502 may include a liquid resistant material, such as a durable water repellant (DWR) material. The top layer 502 may also include a material that is treated with a durable water repellant finish. For example, the material may be rainwear exterior material (also known as a face fabric) that is treated with a durable water repellant finish. The liquid resistant material repels precipitation to keep the footwear 100 dry. In some aspects, the liquid resistant material may also provide an escape route for perspiration vapor to allow for evaporative cooling and to maintain a comfortable temperature, especially during rainy conditions.
The liquid repellant material, such as the DWR finished material, may only affect the exterior of the pest repellant device. The liquid repellant material protects the pest repellant device 200 from becoming saturated with water that weighs down the pest repellant device 200 that may cause a sensation of dampness on the pest repellant device 200. The liquid repellant material may accomplish this feature by causing water to bead up and roll off the exterior of the pest repellant device 200. Although the liquid repellant material repels water and other liquids, the liquid repellant material does not inhibit the breathability of the pest repellant device. In one aspect, the breathability of the pest repellant device 200 is enhanced when the pest repellant device 200 is stretched as a result of extending the adjustable device 300. For example, the DWR finish does not inhibit breathability because the finish bonds to the pest repellant device's fibers and does not fill in the interstitial spaces between those fibers.
In some aspects of the disclosure, the second or middle layer 504 may include a membrane. The middle layer 504 may also include material that is breathable and/or water resistant. The middle layer 504 may be coupled to a surface of the first layer 502 to form a laminate. For example, the membrane may be bonded to an underside of the first layer 502 to form the laminate. The middle layer 504 may also include material that breathable and/or water resistant. In some aspects of the disclosure, the middle layer 504 may include Gore-Tex material or eVent material.
In some aspects of the disclosure, the third layer 506 may include an odor control layer. The odor control layer 506 may include a carbon layer (e.g., treated carbon or activated charcoal.) Activated charcoal is charcoal that has been treated with oxygen to open up millions of tiny pores between the carbon atoms. Activated carbon works through the process of physical adsorption, similar to a sponge only with air instead of water. In the pest repellant device 200, the carbon creates a bond that traps odor molecules produced by the footwear 100. The activated carbon acts like microscopic velcro. When the odor molecules come into contact with the activated carbon, they are trapped within the pores until the product is reactivated. Reactivation is achieved by putting the activated carbon fabric in a dryer where the heat from the dryer will break the bond with the odor compounds. The odor compounds are released and the activated carbon is virtually as good as new. Activated charcoal found within this pest repellant device 200 is often used for snake bites, or to help dress wounds as well. In an emergency, this activated charcoal could be used to help in such situations by cutting the device open and collecting the activated charcoal.
The treated carbon includes activated carbon particles that are modified to enhance adsorption of specific odor molecules. Similar to activated carbon, treated carbon works through the process of physical adsorption. When the odor molecules come into contact with the treated carbon, they are trapped within the pores until the product is reactivated. Reactivation is achieved by cycling the treated carbon fabric in a dryer where the heat from the dryer will break the bond with the odor compounds. The odor compounds are released and the treated carbon in the third layer is ready for the field.
In some aspects of the disclosure, one or more of the material layers of the pest repellant device 200 may include a coated material or a coating on one or more of the first, second, third layers or any other layer of pest repellant device 200. The coating may be a liquid solution that provides waterproof and/or breathability characteristics when spread or applied across a material layer of the pest repellant device 200. The coating may include polyurethane to cover the interior of the pest repellant device 200. In some aspects, the coating may be used to fully seal the pest repellant device and make the device waterproof and non-breathable.
The coating may be formulated in different ways (e.g., two ways) to allow for waterproof and/or breathable characteristics of the coating (e.g., polyurethane coating). For example, the coating may be formulated using a microporous coating that allows water vapor to escape. The microporous coating includes a network of infinitesimally small channels that are too small for water to penetrate, yet large enough for vapor to escape. One way to make the coating porous is by adding a foaming agent so gas bubbles formed and expanded within the coating, create permanent interconnected holes within the coating as it dries and becomes solid. Another way to make the coating porous is by mixing minute solid particles into the coating solution, causing tiny cracks and fissures to form next to the particles as the coating dries. This creates super-small passageways for water vapor to escape.
In one aspect of the disclosure, the coating may be formulated with polyurethane films. For example, the coating may form laminate using membranes made from a super thin film of polyurethane. The super thin film of polyurethane may be the same hydrophilic monolithic material used in Gore-Tex to form the protective wall connected to an expanded microporous polytetrafluoroethylene membrane (ePTFE) membrane in the laminate of Gore-Tex. In this case, the super thin film of polyurethane performs the same waterproof/breathable function as it does when combined with ePTFE (i.e., moving moisture in an adsorption-diffusion-desorption process).
In some aspects, the pest repellant device 200 may be stored in a compartment of the footwear when the pest repellant device 200 is not in use. For example, the footwear may include an opening on the side of the boot that could be opened and closed using a closing device such as a small zipper or Velcro. The pest repellant device 200 may be stored in the footwear for convenience, accessibility and to avoid allocating room in a backpack for the device although the device could easily be stored anywhere. For example, the pest repellant device 200 may also be stored in a carrying case or lightweight container. The carrying case may include a keychain-like ring attached to the carrying case that may be attached to a bag pack/belt/footwear, or any other object that may accommodate the lightweight container. Accessibility of the pest repellant device may be crucial in the military where ease of use and accessibility to a necessary piece of equipment is vital to survival, even if it only saves a few seconds.
Due to the light weight and ability of the pest repellant device 200 to fold, squash, or scrunch into a small area, the pest repellant device 200 is a perfect candidate for use in a variety of ways. In some aspects of the disclosure, the pest repellant device 200 may also be used to keep items such as socks, matches, or any other small items that can be kept dry in the pest repellant device 200. Further, due to its waterproof feature, the pest repellant device 200 may be utilized as an emergency cup. For example, the pest repellant device may be turned inside out to receive water for drinking. Being able to use the pest repellant device for several purposes lightens the load of a user and opens up space for other items.
The pest repellant device 200 not only prevents pests from entering into footwear, the waterproof capability of the pest repellant device 200 allows for other weather protection capabilities. The pest repellant device comes in different colors based on a preference of a user. For example, the pest repellant device may be colored in camouflage (e.g., formatted with digital camouflage) that is acceptable for the military. The pest repellant device also allows individuals to enjoy a smell free environment within small living quarters.

Claims

1. A device for repelling pests from a footwear, the device comprising:

a covering to protect an aperture of the footwear from pests and/or to protect against weather related and/or man-made conditions, the covering configured to cover an peripheral opening of the footwear to repel the pests and/or the weather related and/or man-made conditions, the covering comprising:

a first portion defining an opening for engaging at least a portion of the footwear that defines the peripheral opening; and

a second portion attached to the first portion, the second portion dimensioned and configured to cover the peripheral opening of the footwear.

2. The device of claim 1, in which the covering is positioned over the peripheral opening of the footwear to substantially seal the peripheral opening.

3. The device of claim 1, in which the peripheral opening in the footwear is configured to receive a foot of a wearer of the footwear.

4. The device of claim 1, in which the footwear comprises laced or unlaced footwear.

5. The device of claim 4, in which the footwear comprises a shoe, a boot, an inline skate, a roller skate, a ski boot, a snowboard boot, a soccer cleat, a football cleat, a baseball cleat, a rugby cleat, a golf shoe, a running shoe, a walking shoe, a climbing shoe, a squash shoe, a basketball shoe, a combat boot, a construction boot, or a snow boot.

6. The device of claim 1, in which the first portion is configured to engage the portion of the footwear that defines the peripheral opening to substantially seal an interface between the first portion and the portion of the footwear that defines the peripheral opening.

7. The device of claim 1, in which the first portion includes an adjustable segment, an unadjustable segment or a combination of the adjustable segment and the unadjustable segment.

8. The device of claim 7, in which the adjustable segment comprises a predefined diameter in a range of 3-4 inches.

9. The device of claim 7, in which the adjustable segment engages inner walls of a peripheral edge of the footwear or outer walls of the peripheral edge of the footwear.

10. The device of claim 7, in which the adjustable segment engages both inner walls of a peripheral edge of the footwear and outer walls of the peripheral edge of the footwear.

11. The device of claim 1, in which the first portion comprises elastic, rubber band, extendible insert ring and/or a draw string.

12. The device of claim 1, in which the covering is comprises an impermeable material.

13. The device of claim 1, in which the covering is integrated into the footwear or removably attached to the footwear.

14. The device of claim 13, in which the covering is removably attached to the footwear with Velcro.

15. The device of claim 1, in which the pest repellant device is stored or retracted into a portion of the footwear when the pest repellant device is not in use.

16. The device of claim 1, in which the covering is integrated or removably attached to the portion of the footwear that defines the peripheral opening.

17. The device of claim 1, in which the second portion is removably attached to the first portion.

18. The device of claim 1, in which the covering further comprises an odor control material.

19. The device of claim 1, in which the odor control material comprises a carbon layer.

20. The device of claim 19, in which the carbon layer comprises treated carbon or activated charcoal.