Types of Shoes | Parts of the Shoe | Types of Heels | Shoe Constructions | Design

Ballet - A lightweight, soft-sole, heelless, usually cloth or leather upper slipper with padded or reinforced toe, held onto the foot with long strings or ribbon lacings.

Clog - A thick-sole wooden shoe, sometimes with leather upper.

D'orsay pump - A shoe with a circular vamp and quarters that curve downward into deep v-cuts at the sides for foot exposure. Introduced by Count D'Orsay, a French dandy, circa 1840.

Espadrille - A rope-sole shoe with canvas or strap upper for casual wear.

Mule - A backless shoe or slipper with or without a heel.

Mary-Jane - A classic style for little girls, consisting of a low heel patent leather shoe with an instep strap.

Oxford - A low, laced shoe in which the vamp overlays the quarters, meeting in front where they are laced. The style was first introduced in the 17 th century and was made popular by students at Oxford University, England.

Platform - A shoe attached to a sole whose thickness may vary from half an inch to eight or more inches in height. The soles can be cork, wood or other material, usually light in weight. Platform shoes date back about 2,500 years.

Pump - A slip-on shoe not extending beyond or above the vamp and quarter top lines, held onto the foot without a fastening (button, buckles, lacing, etc…)

Sandal - One of the oldest forms of footwear known. Originally a slab of leather sole attached to the foot by thongs. Today, it is any open shoe whose upper consists of any decorative or functional arrangement of straps. A sandal can be foot-low to knee-high, or with any heel height, designed for simple utility, casual wear, or as a fashion shoe.

Slingback - An open-back mule on a medium to higher heel with a halter or back strap.

Slipper (house) - A soft-sole, heelless slipper, usually with fabric upper.

Sneaker - Footwear with a rubber sole and upper of canvas or other materials, constructed on the vulcanized process. The first sneakers, called "croquet shoes," were produced in 1867. The term "sneaker" came from street kids because the rubber soles allowed them to "sneak up" on one another.

Thong - A strip or cord of leather or rawhide used as a sandal or shoe fastening.

Wingtip - This term usually applies to men's shoes. A toe tip is an important design or decorative feature. Also known as a "toe cap." When it is winged it is a tip with an upside down v-cut in the center and the end of the toe fully perforated. Sometimes the wing design has pinked edges.

Counter - The part of the shoe that sits behind the heel of the foot and is used to stiffen the back part of the shoe and gives it structure.

Heel - The raised component under the rear of the shoe, consisting of any of a wide variety of shapes, heights and materials. Some casual shoes, such as sneakers, do not have a separate "heel," but instead have an outsole that runs the length of the shoe.

Heel breast - The side of the heel that faces forward when the shoe is on the foot. The heel breast on a Louboutin shoe is always red.

Insole - The inside part of the shoe that runs underneath the sole of the foot. Insoles can usually be easily removed, and wearers will sometimes replace the manufacturer's insole with specialty insoles they've purchased separately. Insoles are also sometimes referred to as footbeds, or innersoles.

Quarter - The quarter is part of a shoe's upper, that covers the sides and the back of the foot. In some shoe styles, the quarter is a separate piece that is sewn to the vamp of a shoe.

Shank - The part of the shoe that runs between the heel and the outsole and sits under the arch of the foot. The shank supports the foot and helps give the shoe its structure.

Sole- The bottom part of the shoe. Also referred to as the "outsole" of the shoe, it is the part that comes in direct contact with the ground. Can be made of a variety of materials, including leather and rubber. Certain types of soles provide more traction than others, by using specific materials or designs.

Throat - The top opening that you put your foot into.

Toe box - The part of the shoe that covers and protects your toes.

Tongue - A strip that runs up the top-center of the shoe and sits on the top part of the foot. Nearly always found on shoes with laces, the purpose of a shoe tongue is to protect the top of the foot and keep the laces from rubbing against the foot.

Top lift - The bottom-most part of a shoe's heel -- the part that comes in contact with the ground.

Upper - The part or parts of the shoe that cover the toes, the top of the foot, the sides of the foot, and the back of the heel -- it is attached to the outsole of a shoe. Depending on the style of the shoe, the upper of a shoe can be cut from a single piece, or can be comprised of many pieces stitched together. Parts of a shoe's upper can include the vamp, the back, the tongue, the quarter, and the lining. Uppers can be made from a variety of materials, with the most popular being leather, satin, suede, and canvas.

Vamp - The lower forward part of the shoe's upper, covering the forepart of the foot.

Comma - Instead of falling in a straight line, the center of the heel's shaft is deeply curved inward toward the arch, then sharply curved rearward at the bottom, becoming crescent-shaped like an inverted comma.

Cone - A conical shape with point at the bottom.

Continental - High (16/8 to 19/8) slender heel with straight/flat breast and less back curve than a Louis heel, with a lip extended part way under the shank.

Louis - High, with a graceful curved back and sides; the lip extends part way under the shank, creating a curved breast, and the heel pitched forward toward the shank. Sometimes called a French heel.

Military - A low heel stacked with built-up layers of leather; a heavy squat look.

Square - Squared off at the back and front so that the heel has four corners.

Stacked (built-up) heel - High and slender with stacked layers of leather to give a layered look. Usually used with spectator-type pumps. Also known as "stacked" or "spectator" heel.

Stiletto - Very high with a long, slender shaft.

Wedge - Extending forward and curving down to fill the entire shank area of the shoe so that the sole is a continuous flat tread surface toe to heel, with no space under the shank. It can range from low to high, with any various style treatments.

California construction (slip-lasted) - The upper is stitched to a light, flexible insole to make a kind of bag into which the last is forced (the process is sometimes known as "force lasting"). The construction produces a comfortable, cushioned effect created by a mid sole or platform. Mostly commonly used in casual footwear.

Goodyear welt - This is distinguished by a raised insole rib to which both the welt and insole are attached and secured by a strong, flexible chain stitch. This is supplemented by a lockstitch out-seam bonding the welt and outsole. The process is regarded as the sturdiest of all shoe constructions.

Injection molding - A plastic is preheated then forced by a plunger through a nozzle into a closed mold, forming the outsole which is then heat-sealed to the upper. When the plastic material in the mold is cooled the sole-upper bonding is completed.

Shoe construction - The particular method or process used for constructing or assembling a shoe. Essentially this term refers to the manner in which the sole is attached to the upper. There are scores of ways to "construct" a shoe, though only a few are used commercially. Many are simply variations or combinations of others.

Vulcanized - A type of manufacture similar to the California method. The sewing of the insole onto the upper. The sewing of the insole onto the upper is carried out 5mm inside the margin of the insole to avoid the cutting edge of the punch which, when filled with high temperature melted rubber, may damage it, if to close to the stitch line.

Last - Used as a noun, the plastic, wood or metal foot shaped form over which the shoe is made to conform to the prescribed shape and size of the shoe. It is the single most important element of the shoe making process.