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For other uses, see Shoe (disambiguation).

A shoe is an item of footwear.

Contents 1 Parts of a shoe 2 Types of shoes 2.1 Dress Shoes 2.1.1 Men's dress shoes 2.1.2 Women's dress shoes 2.1.3 Either sex 2.2 Casual Shoes 2.3 Athletic Shoes 2.4 Work shoes 2.5 Snow shoes 3 Maintenance 4 Shoe etiquette 5 Sizes 6 List of shoe companies 7 See also 8 External links

Parts of a shoe

1. Sole - The part beneath the wearer's foot. Comprises the following layers:
   1. Insole, the layer directly beneath the foot
   2. Outsole, the layer in direct contact with the ground or floor. The material of outsole varies depending on the function, dressiness, and quality of the shoe. Dressier shoes have leather outsoles; casual or work-oriented shoes have outsoles made of natural rubber or some synthetic immitation. The sole comprise a single piece, or may comprise separate pieces of different materials. Often the heal of the sole is rubber, for durability and traction, while the front is leather, for style.
   3. Midsole, a layer situated between the insole and outsole, found in some shoes.
2. Heel - Leather was used in the past, but harder materials are usually more desirable. Many plastic, rubber, or polymer materials are used these days. Fortified cork is sometimes used in heels or soles so the shoes are lightweight.
3. Vamp, or upper - The piece that separates the foot from the air.

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. Many shoes are nearly impossible to put on without the help of a shoe horn.
• shoe tree - placed inside shoe when user is not wearing
• shoe polishing equipment - often 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's upper

• overshoes - rubber covering placed over shoes for rain, snow, or puddle protection
• orhotic insert - various types of inserts for cushioning, improved fitting, or reduced abrasion. These include padding and inner linings.
• shoe bag - A bag, generally of a flannel fabric, that protects a single shoe against scuffs and dirt when it is packed.

Types of shoes

Shoes sold in Western cultures generally fall into one of the following categories: dress, casual, work, snow, athletic.

Dress Shoes

Dress shoes are categorized by smooth and supple leather uppers, leather soles, and narrow sleek shape.

Although dress shoes are commonly made to be worn by one of the sexes, such as men's shoes or women's shoes, many styles of dress shoes can be worn by either sex. 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 (covering the ankles) upper bodies are also available. Such shoes often have zippers to open them.

Men's dress shoes

Some examples of men's dress shoe styles

• Oxfords or balmorals
• Derbies or bluchers
• Wingtips
• Monk Straps
• Loafers (including penny loafers)
• Spectator shoes
• Saddle shoes

Women's dress shoes

Some examples of women's dress shoe styles

• Normal heels
• Flat shoes - usually called "flats"
• Medium height heels ("kitten" heels have less than 2 inches of height)
• High heels

• Stiletto heels - an extreme variety

• Open-toed
• Strap upper body shoes

Either sex

• Clogs - Fashionable at one time
• Platform shoes - shoes with very thick soles and heels, mainly worn by women in the U.S
• Moccasins - originated by American Indians

Casual Shoes

Casual shoes are characterized by sturdy leather uppers, non-leather outsoles, and wide profile.

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.

• Gym shoes (often called sneakers or trainers in slang) - 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 - often have cleats
• Football shoes - have cleats
• Golf shoes
• 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 (could be boots)
• Walking shoes - have a more flexible sole than the running shoe is much lighter weight than the hiking boot and is more likely to have air holes in it than to be water proof.
• Climbing shoes
• Dance shoes - special shoes made for tap dancing. They make the tapping noise while the tap-dancer dances.
• 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
  • Figure skating
  • Speed skating
  • Ice skating
  • Roller skates
  • Roller blades
• Ski boots should be covered under boots or skiing
• Skateboarding shoes- used for skateboarding, but worn by many teens for fashion
• Cycling shoes are equipped with a metal cleat to interface with clipless pedals
• Sneaker boots - a shoe that looks like an athletic shoe, but is equiped with a high heel and thus makes it hard to be used for anything but as dress shoes.

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 outsoldes. 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 feature may include steel-tipped toes and soles or ankle guards.

Snow shoes

Snowshoes are special shoes for walking in thick snow in Arctic areas. In temperate climates, snowshoes are used for mostly recreational purposes in winter. They are seldom, if ever, used by most people in tropical climates.

Maintenance

• Breaking-in - Some shoes are made of relatively hard but deformable material. Over time 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 (to some extent) 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 - easy to do when new laces are available.
• Occasionally other repairs are needed too, such as reattaching or replacing inner liners, removing protruding fasteners, reattaching broken straps, etc.

Many areas have shoe repair shops for some of these repairs. Someone who makes or repairs shoes in a shop could be called a cobbler.

Shoe etiquette

In most parts of the world (Asia, Eastern Europe, parts of the Middle East and Africa, much of Northern Europe and Canada, as well as Alaska) it is customary to remove shoes when returning to one's own home or visiting others. In the US it is not a "custom", but it is very common. People do this to avoid tracking in dirt, mud, snow, or other unpleasant things stepped on in the street. This is because people in most countries wish to keep their homes and carpets clean. On the other hand, in some countries (e.g. the US and Western Europe) some people are displeased if others take shoes off in their company. It is often explained by foot odor. However, some Americans leave their shoes on when returning to their own home, even if there is no one around to offend by potential foot odor. This practise is however unhygenic, as it exacerbates the odor by providing ideal conditions for fungal infections such as athlete's foot and other diseases of the feet. In almost all parts of the world, people will remove their shoes if they have been walking through snow or mud; this applies to countries where the "foot odor" stigma exists as well. It might be mentioned that foot odor results partly from wearing shoes for many hours; this is a possible explanation for the "foot odor" fear in countries where shoes are worn for most of the day. People in these countries sometimes do not remove their shoes until they absolutely must, for example, bathing or going to sleep. However foot odor can develop in even a short amount of time, and depends also on the type of socks, shoes and the individual.

People wearing specialized types of shoes, such as snow boots, work boots, or high heels, often remove their shoes upon returning to their homes. This is true even in countries where shoes are not normally taken off.

In the Middle East and Thailand, it is considered rude to show the soles of the feet to others (even accidentally, such as by crossing the legs). 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 (most Muay Thai kicks are executed with the shin).

Sitting in trains it is often allowed to put one's feet on the opposite seat, provided that one takes one's shoes off or put them on a newspaper, piece of clothing, bag, etc., to avoid possible dirtying of the seat. Many people in Western countries put their feet up on the seat in front of them in movie theaters, although this is considered rude by some.

See also dress code.

Sizes

Main article: Shoe size

• 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.

List of shoe companies

• adidas-Salomon
• airwalk
• Alden
• Alfani
• Alfred Seargent
• Allen-Edmonds
• Bally Shoe
• BAPE (bape-sta)
• Birkenstock
• Blundstone
• Bostonian
• British Knights
• Brooks Sports, Inc.
• Buffalo boots
• Cheaney
• Church's
• Cole Haan
• Coach
• Crockett & Jones
• Crocs
• Diesel
• Dr. Martens
• Ecco
• Edward Green
• Eduard Meier
• Emporio
• Foster & Son
• Fratelli Rosetti
• Gucci
• Gravati
• Grenson
• ice cream (by pharrell williams and nigo)
• Irregular Choice
• Johnston & Murphy
• Kenneth Cole
• K Swiss
• L.A. Gear
• Laszlo Vass
• Louis Vuitton
• Lotusse
• Loake
• Ludwig Reiter
• Manolo Blahník
• Mephisto
• Merrill
• Moreschi
• New Balance
• Nike, Inc.
• Nine West
• Naot
• Reebok
• Roos (Kangaroos)
• Rockport
• Paraboot
• PUMA
• Prada
• Timberland
• SAS
• Sanders
• Scooter
• Sebago
• Skechers
• Sperry
• Steve Madden
• Tricker's
• Ugg
• Vagabond
• Via Spiga
• Wildsmith

See also

• Footwear
• Shoelaces
• Boot
• Imelda Marcos
• Sandals
• Slippers
• Skates
• List of literature about footwear
• List of shoe designers

External links

• International Shoe Size Conversion Charts, from i18nguy's website, offers more information.
• The History of Footwear
• Shoepedia - A shoe Encyclopedia

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