ALEXANDRIA, Va., April 2 -- United States Patent no. 12,262,861, issued on April 1.
"Shoe cleaning tool" was invented by Steven Valentin (North Chesterfield, Va.).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A tool for cleaning dirt and debris from between the treads of a sole of a shoe, boot, or other footwear. The tool includes a pick member extending from a body that narrows into a tip. The body is configured to be held between a thumb and a finger. Several brushes extend from several holes along a length of the pick member from front to back. The tip of the pick member is used to scrape or dislodge the dirt or debris from between the treads. The brushes may also be used to remove dirt and debris that is...