Shoes

A shoe is an item of footwear often worn on the foot or feet of a human. Shoes are often worn with socks between it and the foot, but this is not necessary. Shoes may vary from a simple flip-flop to a boot and anything in between. more...

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Shoes may have high or low heels, although in western cultures, high heels are considered a woman's style. Common shoe materials include leather or canvas and many modern athletic shoe soles are made of rubber.

Parts of a shoe

Sole

The bottom of a shoe is named the sole. It consists of several layers, and is usually a separate piece from the upper shoe (though not always, as in the case of wooden shoes).

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 (to control the shape, moisture, or smell of the shoe).

Outsole

The outsole is the layer in direct contact with the ground. The material of the outsole depends 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 or in the case of ballet shoes - cardboard. 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 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

The bottom rear part of a shoe is the heel. These come in a variety of sizes and are usually made to support the large stresses applied to the heel of the foot. They are often made of the same material as the sole of the shoe.

Vamp, or upper

Any shoe has an upper part that 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. Closed footwear, such as boots, sneakers and most men's shoes, will usually have a more complex upper.

Laces

the string in the shoes

Tongue

In some shoes and boots the tongue is a flap-like, usually flexible, part that goes underneath the laces.

Read more at Wikipedia.org