For other uses, see Shoe (disambiguation).

A shoe is an item of footwear.

Parts of shoe

1. Sole - traditionally made of leather, but many plastic, rubber, or polymer materials are used these days. In some shoes, the sole and heel are combined in one piece.
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. Upper shoe or covering - conventionally made of leather for dress shoes, but can be made of patent leather, suede (inverted leather), plastic, or plastic-covered cloth. Other types of shoes can use other materials.
4. Inner lining - often just at the bottom, which is called innersole or insole, but fancier shoes have an inner lining for the upper shoe also. Commonly made of leather, but other materials can be used.
5. Shoelaces - sometimes used but not always
6. Elastic bands - sometimes used instead of shoelaces
7. Zipper - occasionally used instead of shoelaces or elastic bands
8. Straps and/or buckles - have been used on some shoes
9. Velcro - sometimes used for fastening shoes
10. Steel toe - commonly inside at the tip of the shoe for protection. When used, it is usually for work shoes.
11. Tassel - some styles of men's dress shoes have a decorative tassel on the upper body

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 stretcher (or 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 - used to rub the polish into shoes

• overshoes - rubber covering placed over shoes for rain, snow, or puddle protection
• various types of inserts for cushioning, improved fitting, or reduced abrasion. These include padding and inner linings.
• shoe tree - for hanging shoes on pegs when not worn
• shoe bag - compartmentalized accessory hung in closet for storing many shoes

Types of shoes

Dress shoes

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

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- has a more flexible sole than the running shoe is much lighter wieght 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

Work shoes

They are often more rugged and/or functional than dress shoes. 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/safety features can include steel toes and soles, ankle guards, etc. See steel-toe boots.

Snow shoes

Snowshoes are special shoes for walking in thick snow in Arctic areas. They are seldom, if ever, used by most people in temperate and 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