Encyclopedia
A
shoe is an item of
footwear.
Parts of a shoe
Sole
The bottom of a shoe, which gives the shoe its structure, is named the sole. It usually consists of several layers, and is usually a separate piece from the upper shoe .
Insole
The insole is the interior bottom of the shoe, which sits directly beneath the foot. Many shoes have removable and replaceable insoles, and extra insoles are often added for comfort or health reasons.
Mid-sole
The mid-sole is a layer situated between the in-sole and the out-sole, found in some shoes. Often it will provide cushioning and shape to the in-sole.
Outsole
The outsole is the layer in direct contact with the ground. The material of the outsole varies depending on the function, dressiness, and quality of the shoe, but is generally very durable material, since it experiences the most stress. Dressier shoes have
leather outsoles; casual or work-oriented shoes have outsoles made of natural
rubber or a synthetic imitation. The outsole may comprise a single piece, or may comprise separate pieces of different materials. Often the heel of the sole is rubber for durability and traction, while the front is leather for style. Specialized shoes will often have distinct modifications on this design: athletic cleats have spikes embedded in the outsole to grip the ground; many kinds of
dancing shoes have much softer or harder soles.
Heel
Some shoes have a distinctive raised heel; often this is a separate piece from the outsole and can be replaced. Leather was used in the past, and is still used in some performance tennis shoes, but harder materials are usually more desirable. Plastic, rubber, or other polymer materials are now also used. Some shoes, such as the vivo barefoot use a Kevlar sole for high flexibility. Fortified
cork is sometimes used in heels or soles so the shoes are lightweight. Although higher heels are usually only worn by women, a surprising number of men wear heels, as they have since approximately 1500, first to keep their feet in the stirrups, then for fashion, predominantly throughout the counts in the 1600s and 1700s. Wear of heels by men resurfaced briefly in the 1970s, and has again resurfaced, not only in fashion shows, but on the streets in major cities.
Vamp, or upper
Any shoe also has an upper part that separates the foot from the air, and helps hold the shoe onto the foot. In the simplest cases, such as sandals or
flip flops, this may be nothing more than a few straps for holding the sole in place under the foot. Closed footwear, such as boots, sneakers and most men's shoes, will usually have a more complex upper.
Laces
A shoelace is a long piece of string or cord that holds a shoe closed. Usually it is attached by being threaded through a series of small holes in the shoe, called
eyelets. To aid this, many shoelaces are tipped with small solid plastic bits called
aglets.
Tongue
In some shoes and boots the tongue is a flap-like, usually flexible, part that goes underneath the laces.
Accessories to shoes
- shoe horn - can be used to insert a foot into a shoe by keeping the shoe open and providing a smooth surface for the foot to slide upon. Some shoes are difficult to put on without the help of a shoe horn.
- shoe tree - placed inside the shoe when user is not wearing it, to help maintain the shoe's shape
- shoe polishing equipment - used for boots also
- shoe polish - a material spread on leather shoes to improve appearance, glossiness, and protection
- polishing cloth - a piece of fabric, often cotton flannel, used to apply polish to the shoe
- overshoes - a rubber covering placed over shoes for rain and snow protection
- orthotic insert - inserts for cushioning, improved fitting, or reduced abrasion. These include padding and inner linings. The insert may also be for the correction of foot problems
- shoe bag - a bag, generally of a flannel fabric, that protects the shoes against damage when packed in the bag
- shoe inserts
Types of shoes
Shoes fall into one of the following categories: dress, casual, work, snow, athletic and boots.
Dress and casual shoes
Dress shoes are categorized by smooth and supple leather uppers, leather soles, and narrow sleek shape. Casual shoes are characterized by sturdy leather uppers, non-leather outsoles, and wide profile.
Dress shoes are commonly made to be worn by one of the sexes but some designs can be worn by either. The majority of dress shoes have an upper covering, commonly made of leather, enclosing most of the lower foot, but not covering the ankles. This upper part of the shoe is often made without apertures or openings, but also made with openings or even a connected series of straps, e. g. an open toe feature in women's shoes. Shoes with ankle length upper bodies are also available. Such shoes often have zippers to open them.
Men's shoes
Men's shoes can be categorized by how they are closed:
- Balmorals - the vamp has a V-shaped slit to which the laces are attached; also known as "closed lacing." In England, the balmoral is known as the Oxford. The word "Oxford" is used by American clothing companies targeting the masses, such as J. Crew and Banana Republic, to market shoes that are not Oxfords, such as rubber-sole bluchers.
- Blüchers - the laces are tied to two pieces of leather independently attached to the vamp; also known as "open lacing." In England, the Blucher is known as the Derby shoe.
- Monk-straps - a buckle and strap instead of lacing
- Loafers - 'slip-on' shoes with no lacing
Various other closings exist but are less popular such as side-elastic closings.
Men's shoes can also be decorated in various ways:
- Plain-toes - have a sleek appearance and no extra decorations on the vamp.
- Cap-toes - has an extra layer of leather that 'caps' the toe. This is possibly the most popular decoration
- Wing-tips - The toe of the shoe is covered with a perforated panel, the wing-tip, which extends down either side of the shoe. Wing-tips can be found in both balmoral and blucher styles. In England this is called a brogue.
Women's shoes
- Heels - shoes with short, sturdy heels
- Flats - shoes with almost no heel at all
- Ballerina shoes - mimicking the appearance of ballet shoes, pointe shoes.
- Open-toed shoes
- Strap upper body shoes
- Mary Janes
- Espadrilles - a casual sandal, with a canvas top and a rope sole
- Mule - an open-toed slipper
Either sex
- clogs
- Platform shoes - shoes with very thick soles and heels, mainly worn by women in the U.S.
- moccasins - originated by American Indians
- Saddle shoe - leather shoe with a contrasting saddle-shaped band over the instep, typically white uppers with black "saddle"
- loafer - a dress or casual shoe without laces; often with tassels, buckles, or coin-holders
Good examples of unisex shoes include Vans Slip-ons & Converse All-Stars.
The best heels can be found in ordinary stores such as target or walmart or any store moderate store in the mall.
Athletic Shoes
Men's and women's athletic shoes and special function shoes often have less difference between the sexes than in dress shoes. In many cases these shoes can be worn by either sex. Emphasis tends to be more on function than style.
- sneakers/trainers - general purpose athletic shoes; made out of rubber, cloth, and/or plastic to be lightweight, flexible, and have good traction. Special varieties available for basketball or tennis.
- running shoes - very similar to above
- boating shoes - also similar to above. They have soft soles/heels to avoid marring or scratching a boat deck.
- track shoes - lightweight; often with plastic or metal cleats
- football shoes - with plastic or metal cleats
- golf shoes - with "spikes" for better grip in grass and wet ground. Originally the spikes or "cleats" were made of metal but replacable "soft spikes" made of synthetic plastic-like materials with prongs distributed radially around the edge of each spike are much more common today
- bowling shoes - intermediate style between ordinary dress shoes and athletic shoes. They have harder rubber soles/heels so as not to damage bowling alley floors. They are often rented or loaned at bowling alleys.
- hiking shoes or boots
- walking shoes - have a more flexible sole than the running shoe, lighter in weight than the hiking boot, may have air holes, may not be water proof.
- climbing shoes
- orthopedic shoes - specially designed for people with foot problems.
- skating shoes - typically called skates. They have various attachments for skating on the bottom of the shoe portion.
- ice skates
- roller skates
- inline skates
- ski boot - a large, thick plastic boot, that is very hard to walk in, specially designed for attachment to the ski.
- skateboarding shoes- used for skateboarding but also worn by teenagers for fashion
- cycling shoes are equipped with a metal cleat to interface with clipless pedals, as well as a stiff sole to maximize power transfer and support the foot.
- sneaker boot and sneaker pump - a shoe that looks like an athletic shoe, but is equipped with a heel, making it a kind of novelty dress shoe
Dancing shoes
- dance shoes - special shoes made for tap, jazz, ballet or ballroom dancing.
- pointe shoes - shoes designed for professional ballet dancing.
- tango/flamenco dance shoes.
- dance sneakers - a combination of a sneaker and a dance shoe, with a block toe like a dance shoe
Work shoes
Work shoes are designed to stand heavy wear, to protect the wearer, and provide high traction. They are generally made from sturdy leather uppers and non-leather outsoles. Sometimes they are used for uniforms or comfort by nurses, waitresses, police, military personnel, etc. They are commonly used for protection in industrial settings, construction, mining, and other workplaces. Protective features may include steel-tipped toes and soles or ankle guards.
Snow shoes
Snowshoes are special shoes for walking in thick snow. In temperate climates, snowshoes are used for mostly recreational purposes in winter.
Boots
Boots are special shoes that are used in times of bad weather, or simply as an alternate style of casual or dress wear. Styles include rubber boots and snow boots, as well as work boots and hiking boots.
Maintenance
- Breaking-in - Some shoes are made of hard but deformable material. After a person wears them multiple times, the material deforms to fit the wearer's feet. The person is said to have broken in the shoes.
- Polishing - for protection, water resistance and appearance, especially for leather shoes and boots.
- Heel replacement - heels periodically wear out. Not all shoes are designed to enable this.
- Sole replacement - soles also wear out. Not all shoes can have their soles replaced.
- Shoelace replacement.
- When worn out or otherwise unfit for use, shoes can be treated as normal trash or municipal solid waste and disposed of in that manner. The exception can be with most athletic sneakers. They can be recycled and turned into other raw materials. See Nike Grind as an example.
Someone who makes or repairs shoes in a shop could be called a cobbler.
Shoe etiquette
In most parts of the world it is customary to remove shoes when entering a house. In the US it is not customary nor is it common among most Caucasian Americans, although common among Asian Americans. People do this to avoid bringing dirt, mud or snow into the house. For some societies, including those in Asia, indoor footwear may be provided for guests.
In the Middle East, parts of Africa and Thailand, it is considered rude to show the soles of the feet to others . In addition, in Thailand, it is an extreme insult for the foot, socks, or shoes to touch someone's head or be placed over it. Although feet touching heads is an extremely rare occurrence in any society, some Muay Thai boxers insult each other by "kicking" the opponent's head with their foot .
See also dress code.
Sizes
- Units for shoe sizes vary widely around the world. European sizes are measured in Paris Points, which are worth two-thirds of a centimetre. The UK and American units are approximately one-quarter of an inch, starting at 8¼ inches. Men's and women's shoe sizes often have different scales. Shoes size is often measured using a Brannock Device, which can determine both the width and length of the foot. Different people wear different size shoes.
Shoe companies
See the category for a list of shoe companies.
Bibliography
- History of footwear in Norway, Sweden and Finland : prehistory to 1950, ISBN 91-7402-323-3
- Patrick Cox: Wit, Irony, and Footwear, Tamasin Doe ISBN 0-8230-1148-8
- Shoes : A Celebration of Pumps, Sandals, Slippers & More, ISBN 0-7611-0114-4
- A Century of Shoes: Icons of Style in the 20th Century, Angela Pattison ISBN 0-7858-0835-3
- Shoes , Elizabeth Cotton ISBN 1-55670-894-7
- Shoes : A Lexicon of Style, Valerie Steel ISBN 0-8478-2166-8
- Mad About Shoes, Emma Bowd ISBN 1-84172-353-3
- Bootism : A Shoe Religion, Penina Goodman, Michael Duranko ISBN 0-7407-3832-1
- The Perfect Fit: What Your Shoes Say about You, Meghan Cleary, Sydney Van Dyke ISBN 0-8118-4501-X
See also
External links
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- A community dedicated solely to shoes.
- , from i18nguy's website, offers more information.
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- A shoe fashion site.
