Footwear Glossary

Aglet

The plastic covers on the ends of shoelaces that allow the laces to pass easily through the shoe’s eyelets.

Almond Toe

A shoe style which features a softly rounded, tapered pointed toe.

Ankle Wrap

Strip or strips of material that wrap around the ankle or leg to both secure footwear to the foot and add a decorative dimension to the shoe.

Arch

The curved area of a shoe sole between the ball and the heel, which is sometimes padded to provide extra support.

Ball

The area of a shoe sole between the toes and the arch

Ballerina Flat

A soft, slipper like, closed toe shoe with no heel height.

Block Heel

A thick, sturdy heel on a shoe, often square or rectangular shaped.

Blucher

A shoe construction featuring two side flaps of material that are joined across the foot with lacing.

Boots

Footwear which covers the entire foot and extends to the height of the anklebone or up to the thigh.

Booties

A shoe that resembles a boot in style but does not have a shaft.

Brogue

A low-heeled shoe featuring decorative perforations and serrated details along multiple pieces.

Buckle

A fastener that secures two straps to each other by allowing one strap to pass through a fitting, attached to the other strap.

Burnished Leather

Leather with a unique antiqued look created with a buffing technique.

Cap Toe

A decorative layer of leather adorning and reinforcing the toe of certain dress shoes, often highlighted by a line of decorative stitching.

Chelsea Boot

A type of pull-on ankle-height boot featuring elastic gussets.

Chukka Boot

A type of round-toe, ankle-height boot laced with either two or three eyelets, often made from leather or suede

Circumference

The measurement around the shaft of a boot/bootie taken at the widest part near the top of the boot/bootie shaft.

Clog

A platform-heeled shoe featuring a closed toe and open back

Collar

A strip of material stitched to the opening of a shoe or the top line. The collar can be padded for extra comfort.

Crepe Sole

A sole made from natural rubber that's characterized by its creamy yellow color and heavy feel.

D'Orsay

A style of shoe featuring sides which have been cut close to the sole

Demi Boot

A style of boot whose shaft is generally no taller than the anklebone.

Distressed Leather

Leather, the look of which has been artificially aged by means of light abrasion, or other treatment so that it no longer looks new and smooth.

Elastic Gore

A stretchy elastic panel on a shoe, often used to aid in the ease of slip-on styles.

Espadrille

A shoe or sandal that has a woven rope or similar material covering the wedge or sole.

Eyelet

A hole in leather or fabric occasionally reinforced by metal, plastic, or stitching.

Faux Leather

A leather-like fabric which, though man-made, resembles tanned animal hide.

Finish

The surface texture or patina of a material.

Fisherman Sandal

An open-design sandal featuring an ankle strap, a center strap that runs from the toe to the ankle, and a number of side straps.

Flats

Shoes that do not have any heel height

Flip Flops

A flat sandal which is held to the foot solely by a strap that runs over and between the toes.

Footbed

The inner part of a shoe that makes contact with the bottom of a foot. This may also be called the shoe's insole or inner sole.

Galosh

Waterproof footwear designed to be worn over other shoes or boots in wet weather.

Ghillie

A style of footwear in which the laces pass through fabric or leather rings or loops attached to the front opening of the shoe, rather than eyelets.

Gladiator

Designed to resemble the shoes worn by ancient Roman fighters & are open.

Grommets

The metal or plastic rings used to reinforce eyelets.

Heel

"Heel" can refer to both the rear, padded area of the underside of the foot, as well as the solid part of a shoe that supports the heel cup. The standard measure for heel heights is as follows: an 8/8 (low heel) is 1" high; a 16/8 (medium heel) is 2" high; and a 24/8 (high heel) is 3" high.

Heel Height

Measurement taken on a vertical line that extends from the bottom surface of the sole to the floor.

Heel Tip

A protective piece of metal or plastic found at the bottom of a heel.

Huarache

A type of woven sandal-like casual shoe, originating in Mexico and Central America.

Insole

The inner part of a shoe that touches the bottom of the foot, often referred to as an inner sole or footbed.

Instep

The arched upper part of the center of the foot located between the toes and ankle.

Jodhpur Boot

Also called a Chelsea Boot, an ankle height slip on boot with elastic side panels.

Kitten Heel

A low-heeled stiletto shoe, often between 1 and 2 inches in heel height.

Lace Up

A string threaded through the eyelets of a shoe used for fastening the shoe.

Lining

The material inside a shoe, often different from the material which comprises the outside of the item.

Loafer

A slip-on shoe, completely w/out laces, ties or buckles.

Mary Jane

A shoe with a strap across the instep that is attached with elastic, Velcro, or buckle.

Midsole

The shock-absorbing layer between the inner sole and outer sole of a shoe.

Moccasin

A slip-on shoe with visible stitching around the perimeter of the toe box, creating a gathered effect.

Monk Strap

A strap that features one or more buckles, which is used to close a lace-less dress shoe.

Mule

A shoe or sandal characterized by a closed, or nearly closed, toe and a backless heel of any height.

Napa Leather

Full-grain leather characterized by a super-soft and supple, lightweight feel

Nubuck Leather

Durable top-grain leather characterized by a velvet-like feel that is created from sanding or buffing on its outer surface.

Outsole

Commonly referred to as the sole, a shoe's outsole is the bottom part of a shoe, which contacts the ground with each step.

Over-the-knee Boots

Boots featuring high shafts that are designed to hit above the knee. May be flat or heeled.

Overlay

Pieces of material that are bonded or stitched to a shoe's upper, either for decoration or to add structure to the shoe.

Oxford

A low shoe, laced or tied over the instep.

Patent Leather

Leather featuring a coating that creates a glossy, shiny look.

Peep Toe

A shoe with a narrow opening in the front that exposes the toes

Platforms

A high heel shoe with a thick sole under the front part of the foot

Pronation

The natural inward rotation of the foot with each step.

Pumps

Women's dress shoe, usually slip on, often with enclosed toe and sides.

Quarter Panel

The back and sides of a shoe's upper, located behind the vamp and over the heel.

Riding Boot

A boot designed for riding horses, which are typically knee-high with a low heel and goring.

Sandal

A simple form of footwear where the shoe is held to the foot by strips of leather or fabric.

Sculpted Heel

A heel molded or crafted in an unusual, curved or cutout shape.

Shaft

The upper portion of a boot that covers the ankle and sometimes the leg.

Shaft Height

Measurement from the arch of a boot to the top of the boot shaft

Skimmer

A flat shoe that slips on easily. It has generally does not have straps or shoe laces.

Sling Back

A backless shoe that is held in place with a strap at the back of the foot. The strap is typically elastic or buckled for adjustment.

Slip-on

A shoe which can go onto the foot without use of a lace or strap, and therefore theoretically possible to be put on without use of the hands.

Slipper

A flat, casual shoe that slips on and is typically meant for use indoors. May be lined for added comfort.

Sneaker

A rubber-soled casual shoe made of soft, often man-made, materials, and used often for casual wear and sporting events.

Sock Lining

The thin piece of fabric or material that rests on top of the insole of a piece of footwear.

Sole

The outsole, or bottom part of a shoe.

Stacked Heel

A heel comprised of many layers of leather, laid one on top of another, in order to resemble a wood-grain appearance.

Stiletto

A very thin, very high heeled shoe, the heel of which tapers nearly to a point where it comes into contact with the ground.

Strappy Sandal

An open shoe comprised of multiple straps that secure the foot to the sole.

Tassel

A knotted rope ornamental piece typically found on a shoe vamp.

Thong Sandal

A sandal that passes between the big toe and second toe with a v-strap that connects to the sandal sole at both sides of the foot.

Tongue

A strip of material that is attached to the vamp and runs under the laces of a shoe.

T-Strap

A type of shoe with a single vertical strap linking the toe and ankle/heel areas.

Unit Bottom Boots

Boot featuring bottom portions that are crafted from a plastic or rubber mold

Upper

All parts of a shoe above the sole that are stitched together

Vamp

The portion of a shoe's upper covering the front top of the foot.

Wedge

A triangular, wedge-shaped heel that runs along the entire length of the foot.

Wellington

A style of pull-on boots with no trim and often made of rubber.

Welt

The strip of material that unites a shoe's sole to the upper, often made of rubber, plastic, or leather.

Wingtip

A pointed toe cap shoe with a perforated brogue that spreads to the shoe's sides, resembling the look of wings.