The earliest known shoes date from Buy Shoes Online about 8000 to 7000 BCE and were found in Oregon, Buy Shoes Online USA in 1938[1]. However, the materials used for making shoes do not normally Buy Shoes Online last for thousands of years, so shoes were probably in use long before this. Physical anthropologist Erik Trinkaus believes he has Buy Shoes Online found evidence that the use of shoes began in the period between about 40,000 and Buy Shoes Online 26,000 years ago, based on the fact that the thickness of the bones of the toes (other than the big toe) decreased during this period, on the premise that going barefoot Shoes Polo Sports Casual Running results in greater Buy Shoes Online bone growth before this period.[1]
Parts of a shoe
Gluing a Buy Shoes Online new outsole to an athletic shoe
Sole
The bottom Buy Shoes Online of a shoe is called the sole.
Insole
The insole is the interior bottom of a shoe, which sits directly Buy Shoes Online beneath the foot. Many shoes have removable Buy Shoes Online and replaceable insoles, and extra insoles are often added for comfort or health reasons (to control the shape, moisture, or Buy Shoes Online smell of the shoe).
Outsole
The outsole is the layer in direct contact with Buy Shoes Online the ground. Dress shoes have leather outsoles; casual or Buy Shoes Online work-oriented shoes have outsoles made of natural rubber or a synthetic imitation. The outsole may comprise a single piece, or may comprise separate Buy Shoes Online pieces of different materials. Often the heel of Buy Shoes Online the sole is rubber for durability and traction, while the front is leather for style. Specialized shoes will often Buy Shoes Online have Buy Shoes Online modifications on this Buy Shoes Online design: athletic cleats have spikes embedded in the Buy Shoes Online outsole to grip the ground; many kinds of dancing shoes have much softer or harder soles.
Midsole
The layer in between the outsole and the insole that is typically there for shock absorption. Some Buy Shoes Online types of shoes, like running shoes, have another material for shock Buy Shoes Online absorption, usually beneath the heel where one puts the most pressure down. Different companies use different materials for the midsoles of their shoes. Some shoes Buy Shoes Online may not have a midsole Buy Shoes Online at all.
Heel
Women's fashion boots
The bottom rear part of a shoe is the heel. Its function is to support the heel of the foot. They are often made of the same material as the sole of the shoe. This Buy Shoes Online part can be high for fashion or to make Buy Shoes Online the person look taller, or Buy Shoes Online flat for a Buy Shoes Online more practical Buy Shoes Online use.
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 Buy Shoes Online flops, this Buy Shoes Online may be nothing more than a few Buy Shoes Online straps for holding the sole in place. Closed footwear, such as boots, sneakers and most men's shoes, will have a more complex upper. This part Buy Shoes Online is often decorated or is made in a certain style to look attractive. The Buy Shoes Online U.S. Patent 3,355,535 , from 1967, describes a method for producing a shoe-upper (Hain 1967).
Accessories to shoes
Shoehorn: 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.
Shoe tree: placed inside the shoe when user is not wearing it, to help maintain the shoe's Buy Shoes Online shape.
Shoe polishing equipment:
Shoe Buy Shoes Online polish: a waxy material spread on shoes to improve appearance, glossiness, and provide protection.
Shoe brush and Buy Shoes Online polishing cloth: used to apply polish to shoes.
Overshoes or galoshes: a rubber covering placed Buy Shoes Online over shoes for rain and snow protection.
(Orthopedic) shoe insert: Buy Shoes Online insert of various materials for cushioning, improved fit, or reduced Buy Shoes Online abrasion. These Buy Shoes Online include padding and inner linings. Inserts may also be used Buy Shoes Online to correct foot problems.
Shoe bag: a bag that protects shoes against damage when Buy Shoes Online they are Buy Shoes Online not being worn.
Shoe stretcher: a tool for making a shoe longer or wider or for reducing discomfort in areas of a Buy Shoes Online shoe.
Snow Buy Shoes Online shoe: a wooden or leather piece which increases the area of ground covered by the shoe.
Shoelaces: a system used to secure shoes.
Types of shoes
Shoes made Buy Shoes Online from real crocodile skin, in a conservation exhibit at Bristol Buy Shoes Online Zoo, Buy Shoes Online England.
Dress and casual shoes
Dress shoes Buy Shoes Online are categorized by smooth and supple leather uppers, leather soles, and narrow sleek figure. Casual shoes are characterized by sturdy leather uppers, non-leather outsoles, and wide profile.
Some designs of dress shoes can be worn by either gender. The majority of dress shoes have Buy Shoes Online an upper Buy Shoes Online covering, commonly made of Buy Shoes Online leather, enclosing most of the lower Buy Shoes Online foot, but not covering the ankles. This upper part of the shoe is often made without apertures or openings, but may also be made with openings or even itself consist of a series of straps, e.g. an open toe featured in women's shoes. Shoes with uppers made high to cover the ankles are also available; a shoe with Buy Shoes Online the Buy Shoes Online upper rising above the ankle is usually Vaneli Shoes considered Buy Shoes Online a boot but certain Buy Shoes Online styles may be referred to as high-topped shoes or high-tops. Usually, a high-topped shoe is secured by laces or Buy Shoes Online zippers, although some styles have elastic inserts to ease slipping the shoe on.
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 Buy Shoes Online laces are attached; also known as "closed lacing". In England, the balmoral Buy Shoes Online is known as the Oxford. The word "Oxford" is used by Buy Shoes Online American clothing companies to market shoes that are not balmorals, such as rubber-sole bluchers.
Bluchers: Buy Shoes Online the Buy Shoes Online laces are tied to Buy Shoes Online two pieces of leather independently attached to the vamp; also known Buy Shoes Online as "open lacing". In England, the Blucher is known as Buy Shoes Online the Derby shoe.
Monk-straps: a buckle and strap instead of lacing
Various other closings exist but are less popular Buy Shoes Online such Buy Shoes Online as side-elastic closings.
Men's Buy Shoes Online shoes can also be decorated in various ways:
Plain-toes: have Buy Shoes Online a sleek Cheap Jordan Shoes appearance and no extra decorations on the vamp.
Cap-toes: has Buy Shoes Online an extra layer of leather that "caps" the toe. This is possibly the most popular decoration.
Brogues (American: wing-tips): The toe of Buy Shoes Online the shoe is covered with Buy Shoes Online a perforated panel, the wing-tip, which extends down either side of the shoe. Brogues can be found in both balmoral and blucher styles. Please Buy Shoes Online help improve this section Buy Shoes Online by expanding it.
Further information might be Buy Shoes Online found on Buy Shoes Online the talk page or at requests for expansion.
The Buy Shoes Online tone or style of this article or section may Buy Shoes Online not be appropriate for Wikipedia.
Specific concerns may be found on the talk page. See Wikipedia's guide Buy Shoes Online to writing better articles for suggestions.(December 2007)
Women's shoes
There is a large variety of shoes available for women, in addition to most of the men's styles being more accepted as unisex. Some broad categories are:
Pumps, known in the US and UK as Buy Shoes Online ballerinas, ballet pumps or skimmers, are shoes with a Buy Shoes Online very low heel and a relatively short vamp, exposing much Buy Shoes Online of the instep. They are Punkrose Shoes popular Buy Shoes Online for warm-weather wear, and may Buy Shoes Online be seen as more comfortable than shoes with a higher heel.
High heels may be shoes with heels Buy Shoes Online 2 inches (5 cm) or higher. They are often seen as Buy Shoes Online having more sex Buy Shoes Online appeal than low heels (see article for discussion) and are thus commonly worn by women for formal occasions or Buy Shoes Online social outings.
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.
Either gender
Women's sandals
Clog
Platform shoe: shoe with very thick soles and heels
Moccasin: originated by Native Americans, a soft shoe without a heel and Buy Shoes Online usually made Buy Shoes Online of leather.
Sandals: open shoes Buy Shoes Online consisting of a sole and various straps, leaving much of the Buy Shoes Online foot exposed to air. They are thus popular for warm-weather wear, because they let the foot be cooler than Buy Shoes Online a closed-toed shoe would.
Saddle Buy Shoes Online shoe: leather shoe with a contrasting saddle-shaped band over the Buy Shoes Online instep, typically white uppers with black Buy Shoes Online "saddle".
Loafer: a dress or casual shoe without laces; often with tassels, buckles, or coin-holders (penny loafers).
Boating shoes, also known as boat shoes and Buy Shoes Online deck shoes: similar to a loafer, but more casual. Buy Shoes Online Laces, if present, are usually Buy Shoes Online simple leather (often two-tone) with no frills. Often made of canvas or featuring a white sole. They have soft soles/heels Buy Shoes Online to avoid marring or scratching a boat deck.
Boots: Long shoes (covering the ankle) frequently Buy Shoes Online made of leather. Some are designed to be used in times of bad weather, or simply as an alternate Buy Shoes Online style of casual or dress wear. Styles include rubber Buy Shoes Online boots and snow boots, as well as Buy Shoes Online work boots and hiking Buy Shoes Online boots.
Slippers: For indoor use, commonly worn with pajamas.
Athletic shoes
Men's Buy Shoes Online and women's athletic shoes and special function shoes often have less difference between the sexes than in dress Buy Shoes Online shoes. In many cases these shoes Buy Shoes Online can be worn by either Buy Shoes Online sex. Emphasis tends to be more on Buy Shoes Online function than style.
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Sneakers/trainers (also Buy Shoes Online called gym shoes or tennis shoes): general purpose athletic shoes; Buy Shoes Online made out of rubber, cloth, and/or plastic to be Buy Shoes Online lightweight, flexible, and have good traction. Special Buy Shoes Online varieties are available for basketball Buy Shoes Online or tennis.
Running shoes: very similar to above, with additional emphasis on cushioning.
Track shoes: lightweight; often with plastic or metal cleats
A shoe for the right foot.
Cleat (shoe): a type of shoe Buy Shoes Online featuring molded or removable studs. Usually worn while playing sports such as rugby, Buy Shoes Online football, American football, or baseball.
A shoe for the right foot.
Golf shoes: with "spikes" for Buy Shoes Online better grip in Buy Shoes Online grass and wet ground. Originally the spikes or "cleats" were Buy Shoes Online made of metal but Buy Shoes Online replaceable "soft spikes" made of synthetic plastic-like materials with prongs distributed radially around the edge of each spike are much more common today Buy Shoes Online (and are required on many golf courses since they cause less damage to the greens).
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 Buy Shoes Online are often rented or Buy Shoes Online loaned at bowling alleys.
Climbing shoes: a shoe designed for Buy Shoes Online rock climbing. They typically have a close fit, little if any padding, and a smooth sticky rubber sole with an extended rubber rand.
Hiking shoes or boots: usually Buy Shoes Online have a high somewhat stiff upper with many lace eyelets, to provide ankle Buy Shoes Online support on uneven terrain, with extra large traction on Buy Shoes Online the sole.
Walking shoes: have a more flexible sole than the running shoe, lighter Buy Shoes Online in Buy Shoes Online weight than the hiking boot, may have air holes, may not be water proof.
Skating shoes: typically called skates. They have various attachments for skating on the bottom of the shoe portion.
Ice Buy Shoes Online skates
Roller skates
Inline Buy Shoes Online skates
Ski boot: a large, thick plastic boot specially designed for attachment to the ski.
Skateboarding shoes have flat soles for a better grip on a skateboard. They are very wide and have extra layers of padding to protect the skateboarders feet.
Cycling shoes Buy Shoes Online are Buy Shoes Online equipped with a metal or Buy Shoes Online plastic Buy Shoes Online cleat to interface with clipless pedals, as well as a stiff sole to maximize power transfer and support the foot.
Snowshoes are special shoes for walking in thick snow. In temperate climates, snowshoes are used for mostly recreational purposes in winter.
Wrestling shoes are light, flexible shoes that Buy Shoes Online mimic bare feet Buy Shoes Online while providing additional traction and protection.
Orthopedic shoes
Orthopedic or "comfort" shoes are made with Buy Shoes Online pedorthic and Buy Shoes Online anatomically-correct comfort qualities, such Buy Shoes Online as padded removable footbeds, Buy Shoes Online wide toe boxes and arch support are made especially for those with problematic feet.
Dance shoes
Pointe shoes. Designed for ballet dancing. These have a toe box that is stiffened with glue Buy Shoes Online and a hardened sole so the dancer can stand on the tips of their toes. They are secured by elastic straps and ribbons that are tied to the Buy Shoes Online dancer's ankles.
Ballet shoes Buy Shoes Online Heel-less slippers made of canvas or leather, Buy Shoes Online with either continuous or two-part sole (i.e., Buy Shoes Online split-sole). The sole is typically made of leather, with thicker material under the Buy Shoes Online ball and heel of the foot, and thinner Buy Shoes Online and thus more Buy Shoes Online flexible material under the Buy Shoes Online arch so that Buy Shoes Online the foot can be pointed to its utmost. Ballet slippers are usually secured by elastics that cross over the top of the foot. They are most commonly pink, white, black, Buy Shoes Online or pale tan, although they may Buy Shoes Online be made in specialty colours such as red or blue.
Jazz shoes. These typically have a two-part, rubberized Buy Shoes Online sole (i.e., Buy Shoes Online split-sole) to provide both flexibility and traction, and a low (one inch or shorter) heel. They are Buy Shoes Online secured to Buy Shoes Online the foot by laces or elastic inserts.
Tango/flamenco dance shoes.
Ballroom shoes. They fall into two categories for the two genres of dances Buy Shoes Online as defined Buy Shoes Online by the IDSF (International DanceSport Federation): Ballroom Buy Shoes Online and Latin American. Both are characterised by Buy Shoes Online suede soles. Mens' Ballroom shoes are typically lace-ups with 1-inch heels and patent leather uppers. Ladies' Ballroom shoes are typically court shoes with low 2-inch heels, usually Buy Shoes Online made of fabric so that they can be finished with a greater variety of colours to match the dancer's dress. The low Ballroom Buy Shoes Online heel distributes the dancer's weight across the foot while Latin American shoes have higher heels designed to throw the dancer's weight on to the toes and the soles are more flexible. Men's Latin shoes typically have 1.5-inch to 2-inch shaped heels while Ladies' Latin shoes have 2,5-inch to 3-inch Buy Shoes Online heels, open-toed and strapped.
Dance sneakers. Also known Buy Shoes Online as dansneakers, these are a Buy Shoes Online combination of Buy Shoes Online a sneaker and a dance shoe, with a reinforced rubber toe.
Character shoes. Shoes with a one to three inch heel, which are usually Buy Shoes Online made of leather, and Buy Shoes Online often have one or more straps across the instep to secure the foot during dance. They may come in Buy Shoes Online soft-soled (suede) Buy Shoes Online or hard-soled Buy Shoes Online varieties. They may be Buy Shoes Online converted to Buy Shoes Online tap shoes by attaching taps.
Foot Buy Shoes Online thongs. Variously called called Foot Paws and FootUndeez, depending on the manufacturer, these are slip-on, partial Buy Shoes Online foot covers that protect the ball of a dancer's foot from skin abrasions while executing Buy Shoes Online turns. From a distance, flesh colored foot thongs give Buy Shoes Online a dancer the appearance Buy Shoes Online of having bare feet.
Modern pointe shoes.
Ballet shoes.
Jazz shoes. This style is frequently worn by acro dancers. Buy Shoes Online
A foot thong, viewed from the underside.
Work shoes
Work shoes Buy Shoes Online are designed Buy Shoes Online to Buy Shoes Online stand heavy Buy Shoes Online 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, Buy Shoes Online waitresses, police, military personnel, etc. They Buy Shoes Online 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.
Historical shoes
Footwear has Buy Shoes Online been worn for tens of thousands of years. Shoes of the past Buy Shoes Online include:
Espadrilles: these sandals, which Buy Shoes Online are still worn today, are Buy Shoes Online found as early as the 14th century.
Patten: a European wooden overshoe used to keep a person's feet dry outdoors. First worn in the middle ages, they continued in use even into Buy Shoes Online the early 20th century.
Poulaine: a shoe with Iodegradable Running Shoes a long-pointed toe, popular in Europe in the 1400s.
Moccasins: the historical shoe of Buy Shoes Online many North American Indian tribes.
Maintenance
Breaking-in: Some shoes are Manolo Blahnik Shoes made of hard but deformable material. After a person wears them Buy Shoes Online multiple times, the material reforms 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. Buy Shoes Online Not all shoes Buy Shoes Online are designed to enable this.
Sole replacement: soles also Buy Shoes Online wear out. Not all shoes Buy Shoes Online can have their soles replaced.
Shoelace replacement.
When unfit for use, shoes can be Buy Shoes Online treated as trash or municipal solid waste and Buy Shoes Online disposed of. Buy Shoes Online The exception can be with most athletic Buy Shoes Online sneakers which can be recycled and turned Buy Shoes Online into other raw materials. See Nike Grind as an Buy Shoes Online example.
Someone who makes or repairs shoes in a shop is called Buy Shoes Online a cobbler.
Shoe etiquette
In most parts of the world Buy Shoes Online (Asia, Eastern Europe, Buy Shoes Online parts of the Middle Buy Shoes Online East and Africa, much of Northern Europe and Canada, as well as Alaska) it is Buy Shoes Online customary to remove shoes when entering a house. In some areas of the United States, especially the Midwest, it is expected that visitors Buy Shoes Online remove their shoes unless a host specifically invites them to leave their Buy Shoes Online shoes on. People do this to avoid bringing dirt, mud or snow into Buy Shoes Online the house. For some societies, including those in Asia, indoor footwear may be provided for guests.
In the Middle East, parts of Africa, Korea and Thailand, Buy Shoes Online it is considered rude to show the soles of the feet to others (even accidentally, such as by Buy Shoes Online crossing the legs). In addition, in Thailand, it is an extreme insult for the foot, socks, or shoes Buy Shoes Online to touch Buy Shoes Online someone's head or be placed over it. Although feet touching heads is an extremely rare occurrence in any Buy Shoes Online 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). |
