Footwear

High-heeled shoe

Footwear consists of garments worn on the feet, for protection against the environment, and adornment. Socks and other hosiery are worn between the feet and the footwear, except for sandals and flip flops (thongs). Footwear is sometimes associated with fetishism, particularly in some recent fashions in shoes and boots.

People who practice the profession of shoemaking are shoemakers, cobblers or cordwainers.

The oldest known footwear was discovered in Fort Rock Cave in the U.S. state of Oregon; radiocarbon dating of these sandals woven from sagebrush bark indicates an age of least 10,000 years.^[1]

Footwear materials

Walking shoe

• Leather
• Plastic
• Rubber
• Textiles
• Wood
• Jute
• Metal

Footwear components

Men's shoes

• Adhesives
• Air cushion
• Buckle
• Counterfort
• Eyelet
• Heel
• Hook
• Insole
• Laces
• Reinforcement tape
• Sole
• Steel shank
• Tack
• Toe puff
• Tread
• Welt

Types of footwear

Shoes made from real crocodile skin, in a conservation exhibit at Bristol Zoo, England

• Boots
  • Chukka boots
  • Combat boots
  • Cowboy boots
  • Go-go boots
  • Hiking boots
  • Kinky boots
  • Motorcycle boots
  • Platform boots
  • Riding boots
  • Derby boots
  • Thigh-length boots
  • Ugg boots
  • Valenki
  • Waders
  • Wellington boots
  • Winklepickers
• Shoes
  • Athletic shoes (also known as trainers or sneakers)
  • Brothel creepers
  • Diabetic shoes
  • Espadrilles
  • Galoshes
  • High heels; Stiletto heels
  • Kitten heels
  • Lace-up shoes
    • Derby shoes
    • Oxford shoes
  • High-Tops
    • Brogues
  • Loafers (also known as penny loafers)
  • Mary Janes
  • Moccasins
  • Monks
  • Mules
  • Platform shoes
  • School shoes
  • Skate shoes
  • Tap shoes
• Sandals
  

  "flip-flop" sandal
  • "Mandals"
  • Flip flops (thongs)
  • Slide
  • Chaco
• Indoor footwear
  • Slippers
  • Socks
• Specific footwear
  

  A foot thong, viewed from the underside.
  • Ballet shoes
  • Climbing shoes
  • Clogs
  • Foot thong
  • Football boots
  • Safety footwear
  • Ski boots
  • Snowshoes
  • Surgical shoe
  • Pointe shoes
  • Swimfins (flippers)
• Traditional footwear
  • Abarka
  • Geta
• Socks
  • Trainer/Sneaker/Ankle socks
  • Diabetic sock

See also

• Shoes
• Shoe size

References

External links

• American Podiatric Medical Association
• The history of footwear
• ShoeGuide.Org - A footwear encyclopedia
• Britannica: clothing and footwear industry