This glossary is meant to provide a comprehensive overview of industry terms as they relate to footwear of all types.  We hope you find this helpful when shopping for shoes and other footwear related accessories on eBay.  A seperate guide is continued for letters N - Z (space limitation). 

A
Aglet: The plastic sheath at the end of a shoelace which makes the lace easier to thread through the eyelet holes of a shoe.
Airport Friendly: A shoe that contains no metal of any sort, allowing the wearer to pass through airport metal detectors.
Alligator Skin: A reptile hide featuring a wide, boxed print.
All Terrain Sandal: Any sandal that is meant for use in rafting, hiking, etc. Often waterproofed and with an all terrain outsole.
Ankle  Strap: A strap attached at the rear of the shoe that encircles the ankle.  Usually features an adjustable buckle or elastic.
Ankle Wrap: Straps that are meant to be wrapped around and tied around the ankle for a stylish accent.
Antiquing: A type of of leather finish that creates a contrasting, rubbed-off appearance
Apron Toe: A type of toe characterized by a large overlay that covers the front of the toe and has visible edges or stitching, to form a sort of 'apron' on the front of the shoe.
Arch: The high, curved part of the sole of the foot, located between the ball of the foot and the heel.  This term can also refer to the raised area of the insole of the shoe, for padding and support of the arch of the foot.
Athleisure Shoe: Athletic-inspired, trendy footwear meant for casual, urban wear.
Athletic Shoe: Athletic footwear meant for performance of a specific sport (Basketball, Golf, Tennis, etc.)

B
Back Seam: The vertical seam at the center of the back of a shoe or boot
Backpack: A cloth or leather bag held to the back with double shoulder straps.
Ball: The padded area of the foot between the big toe and the arch of the foot.
Ballerina Flat: A ballet-style flat meant for everyday wear.
Balmoral Shoe: A shoe construction featuring a laced 'V'-shaped panel across the foot.
Bellows Tongue: A shoe tongue that is attached at both the top and the sides of the shoe.
Blucher: A shoe construction featuring two side flaps of material that are joined across the foot with lacing.
Bicycle Toe: A type of toe characterized by two stitched straight line accents, so named because of their similarity to professional bicycling shoe detailing.
Blucher Toe: A type of toe characterized by a smooth, turned stitch border around the toe area, like an apron toe style in reverse.
Boat Shoe: A type of shoe originally meant to be worn aboard a boat, usually with a siped, non-slip outsole, often with side lacing details, almost always a casual shoe you can wear with or without socks.
Boot: Any footwear that rises to the ankle or higher, can be casual or dressy, practical or fashionable.
Boot Heel: Typically found on boots, this is a wide, stable type of heel that usually is not very high.
Bootie: A shoe that has the styling of a boot without the height, also called a shoe-boot or 'shootie'
Brannock Device: A device used to measure the length and width of the foot in order to ensure proper shoe fit.
Break: The natural crease created across the vamp of the shoe from everyday wear.
Brocade: A type of fabric, often with embroidered or embroidered-style elaborate designs, popular with Asian influenced looks.
Brogue: A heavy, oxford-style shoe featuring pinked and perforated detailing.
Buckle: A clasp at the end of a length of fabric or leather that joins one end of the material to the other.
Bunions: A painful swelling at the base of the big toe, frequently leading to permanent enlargement of the toe joint.
Burnish: The process of buffing a shoe surface to achieve an antiquing effect of the leather.

C
Calfskin: Leather created from the skins of very young cows.  Calfskin is typically very supple and soft.
Calluses: A firm, rough patch of skin that develops from overuse or irritation.
Cambrelle: A durable, breathable, synthetic material that helps wick away moisture and gives added warmth.
Cap Toe: A type of toe style with a full toe overlay and a straight stitching line across the top part of the toe, often seen in dress shoes.
Casual After Sport: A type of casual shoe that's ideal for use after athletic activity, with sporty styling and comfort, but lacking an athletic shoe's technical features.
Cemented Construction: A shoe construction in which the upper of a shoe is cemented, rather than stitched, to the sole of the shoe.  Cement construction results in a lighter, more flexible shoe.
Cheerleading Shoe: A type of athletic shoe meant for competitive, high-impact cheerleading activity, often with switchable color accents to match team colors, and finger notches in the soles for use in acrobatics.
Chelsea Boot: A type of boot, usually ankle height, in a pull on style with elastic side panels. Popularized in England.
Chukka Boot: a boot style with laces, usually with a plain toe, and is the height of the ankle.
Circumference: The measurement around the shaft of a boot is taken at the widest part near the top of the boot shaft.
Cleats: Any traction enhancing spikes or nubs attached to the sole of an athletic shoe, often used in grass-based sports such as baseball, soccer, or golf to ensure sure footing.
Climatrac: A durable lining that is quick-drying and extremely breathable.
Clog: A type of shoe, usually casual and comfortable, with an open or closed heel and a slip on style.
Collar: A strip of material stitched to the opening of a shoe or the topline.  The collar can be padded for extra comfort.
Column Heel: A type of women's high heel that's round and column-shaped.
Combination Last: A footwear last in which the heel is two sizes smaller in width that the widest part of the shoe, producing a shoe with a narrow heel and a wide toebox.
Contoured Footbed: An insole that molds to the shape of the foot.
Corn: A small, hard formation usually found on the toe.  A corn is usually the result of continuous friction of pressure in one place.
Corporate Casual: A shoe that is clearly casual, but suitable for most 'casual Friday' dress codes or relaxed corporate styles.
Counter: A stiff piece of material placed at the heel of a shoe between the lining and upper is order to retain the shape of the shoe.
Crepe Sole/Crepe Rubber: A type of crude natural rubber sole characterized by a crinkled texture like crepe paper
Croc Embossed: Leather that has been embossed or stamped in a pattern simulating crocodile skin
Cross Training: Athletic shoes suitable for cross training activities, from running to aerobics to weight training
Curing: The application of chemicals to animal hides in preparation for the tanning process.
Cushioning: Padding on the insole or outsole of a shoe for added comfort and stabilization.

D
Demi Boot: A style of boot whose shaft is generally no taller than the anklebone.
Distressed Leather: Leather that has been rubbed, scratched, or treated for a stylish effect
Dressing: The application of polish or gloss to a shoe to maintain its finish and appearance.
Dri-lex: A dual layered configuration composed of Hydrofil, a moisture absorbing nylon fiber as a underlayer, and a moisture resisting outer layer knitted together.
Driving Moc: A type of casual moccasin or slip on ideal for driving, with a flexible outsole, pedal-gripping sole, and a wraparound protected heel
D’Orsay: A style of pump featuring one or both sides cut-out.
Dual Density Midsole: Seen in running shoes, a midsole that employs two different densities of cushioning foam, with denser foam where the foot would normally tend to roll.
Duty Shoe: A Health Care Professional or service shoe

E
Elastic Gore: An elastic fabric panel inserted into shoes to provide stretch
Embossed Leather: A design that is imprinted onto leather and often simulates exotic skin: i.e., crocodile or snake.  May also be a random pattern.
Energy Return: In running and athletic shoes, it is the response after the foot strikes the ground, a sort of propulsion that helps maintain an effective 'gait' or stride
Engineer Boot: Originally worn by the Army Corps of Engineers, it is a work style pull on boot characterized by instep and top straps
Espadrille: Any shoe that has woven rope or rope-look trim, usually in the sole area
E.V.A.: (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) A synthetic compound used for outsoles.  E.V.A. provides cushioning to the foot and is easily shaped by heat and pressure.
Eyelet: A hole through which a lace is threaded; may be reinforced with a metal ring or grommet.

F
Faux Leather: Simulated non-animal leather-like material, usually polyurethane
Fiberboard: A material made primarily of wood pulp which is used for counters, insoles and heel lifts.
Finish: The process by which the final appearance of a shoe is created.   The finish can include the application of polish to create a high-gloss finish, or a contrasting polish to create a rub-off finish like 'antiquing'.
Fisherman Sandal: Type of sandal with woven or stitched vertical and horizontal straps, often with a closed toe
Fitness: Athletic shoes ideally suited for gym-style workouts
Flat Foot: A condition in which the arch of the foot is collapsed and the entire foot rests on the ground.
Flat Heel: Shoes with a very low or no heel height
Flip-Flop: A type of sandal, usually a thong, with a lightweight foam outsole that makes a 'flip-flop' sound when you walk.
Footbed: the insole of the shoe, where the foot rests
Forefoot: The area of foot between the ball and the toes.
Foxing: A strip of rubber joining the upper and sole of a shoe.  Typically found on canvas sneakers.
Full Grain Leather: Leather that shows a natural texture or 'grain'

G
Gait: An individual’s style of walking; it differs from person to person.
Gait Control: In athletic running or walking shoes, a system of controlling the foot's movement within the running or walking step to prevent injury and fatigue
Galosh: A waterproof (typically rubber) overshoe or boot meant to protect the foot and footwear from inclement weather.
Gardening Clog: A type of footwear that is usually backless, rubber, and waterproof, ideal for gardening
Ghillie: A style of footwear in which the laces pass through fabric or leather rings or loops attached to the front opening of the shoe, rather than eyelets.
Girth: The circumference of a shoe last, as measured around the ball of the foot.
Goatskin: Leather made from the hide of a goat.
Goodyear Welt: a shoe construction, in which the upper and ole of the shoe are stitched together, resulting in greater durability.  The resulting seam is visible and runs around the outside of the shoe, where the upper an outsole meet.
Gore: An elastic panel stitched into either side of a shoe’s vamp in order to make it more comfortable and easier to put on and take off.
Gore-Tex: An advanced, lightweight waterproof material, ideal as a lining
Grain: The inherent surface pattern of leather, differentiated by the animal from which it came.

H
Haircalf: Natural calfskin material with a soft furry texture
Harness Boot: A type of boot characterized by straps across the instep and heel, usually joined by a ring detail
Heel: "Heel" can refer to both the rear, padded area of the underside of the foot, as well as the solid part of a shoe that supports the heel cup. The standard measure for heel heights is as follows: an 8/8 (low heel) is 1" high; a 16/8 (medium heel) is 2" high; and a 24/8 (high heel) is 3" high.
Types of shoe heels include:
         Baby Louis - The same shape as a Louis heel, but a 12/8 or shorter.
         Built Heel - Created from layers of leather or fiber with contrasting tones.
         Continental - A higher heel with a slightly curved back and flat front.
         Cuban - A thick, stacked heel with little or no curvature and tapered at the bottom; usually medium in height.
         Louis or French - Features a curved back; ranges in height from 16/8 to 24/8.
         Stacked - Similar to the built heel, but typically can be created from synthetic and leather materials. Often found on spectator shoes.
         Wedge - A heel that is as wide as the shoe itself and follows the shoes contour from toe to heel. May be of any height.
Heel Breast: The forward-facing side of the heel.
Heel Height: Heel height is measured on a vertical line at the breast of the heel, from the bottom surface of the sole where it meets the heel, to the floor.  Heel height is measured in increments of 1/8th inches, so an 8/8 heel is one inch high.
Heel Seat: The part of the shoe directly below where the heel of the foot rests.  Also where the sole and the heel are joined together.
Heel Spurs: Soft deposits of calcium that grow on the 'plantar fascia', a band of tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot.  Heel spurs are typically painful.
Herringbone Tweed: A type of tweed fabric with a jagged line pattern
Hidden Gore: An elastic panel at the front of a shoe that is covered by the shoe’s tongue.  Provides added comfort.
Hide: The skin of a large animal that is treated, tanned or finished for use in boots, shoes, handbags and clothing.
Houndstooth Check: A type of pattern with a diagonal 'tooth' checked design
Huarache: A type of woven sandal-like casual shoe, originating in Mexico and Central America

I
Imitation Leather: Any synthetic material made to look like leather.
Ingrown Nails: Nails whose corners or sides dig painfully into the skin.  They are frequently caused by improper nail trimming, but also by shoe pressure, injury, fungus infection, heredity, and poor foot structure.
Injection Molded Construction: A type of sole unit construction created by injecting melted PVC or a similar material into the sole mold.  Injection molded construction is an efficient way to mass-produce footwear.
Inseam: The hidden seam of a welted shoe holding together the welt, upper, lining and insole.
Insole: The part of the shoe that the foot rests upon, usually cushioned
Instep: The area of the foot between the toes and the ankle, or the top front part of a shoe

J
Jelly or Jellie: A type of soft rubbery material usually PVC, often transparent or translucent.
Jodhpur Boot: Also called a Chelsea Boot, an ankle height slip on boot with elastic side panels
 
K
Kidskin: A soft, porous leather created from the hide of young goats.
Kipskin: Middle-grade leather created from the skins of young cattle that are larger than calves, yet not fully grown.
Kitten Heel: A type of heel that is set forward, usually low height

Kiltie: Decorative, fringed tongue over the instep or vamp of a shoe

L
Laces: A strip of material strung through the eyelets of a shoe in order to pull the shoe closed and adjust its girth.
Lambskin: Leather created from the skin of young sheep.
Last: A metal, wood or plastic form used to create the shape of a shoe.
Lasting: The process of pulling and shaping a shoe on a last.
Leather: The skin of an animal, typically with the hair removed and tanned for use, the same as the hide.
Lift: One of the several layers of leather or leather-board used to make a heel.
Light Hiking: Athletic shoes that are ideal for day hikes or 'approach' hiking but are not ideal for long backpacking hikes or climbing
Lining: The material inside a shoe
Lizard: Leather made from the skin of a lizard, typically with a specked, grainy appearance.
Loafer: A slip-on shoe, completely w/out laces, ties or buckles.
Lucite: A type of clear hard plastic that is often used in dress shoes.
Lug Sole: A sole with a heavy rubber sole
Lycra/Neoprene: A blend of stretch fabric and neoprene rubber, ideal for a waterproof and sporty soft lining

M
Mary Jane: A type of women's shoe characterized by a strap across the instep
Mersey Boot: Also known as 'Beatle Boots,' dress boots with a zippered side and a slightly raised heel
Metatarsal Bones: Five long bones in the foot that help to move the body forward when walking or running.  They form the top slope of the foot, from the instep to the toes.
Microfiber: A type of closely knit smooth fabric often used in shoes
Mid-sole: The part of the shoe between the very bottom and where the foot rests, often cushioned
Moc Toe: A type of toe design with a seam and stitching details, originally seen in moccasins
Moccasin: Possibly the earliest type of shoe, a slip on style with visible stitching, often with a soft leather bottom
Mod Style: Style characteristic of the 'Mod' era in the 1960's, with bold, high contrast geometric patterns and pop-art details
Monk Strap: A type of shoe designed like an oxford, but with a strap closure across the instep rather than a lace up front closure
Motion-Control: Designs or devices found in athletic shoes that control the inward rolling (pronation) of the foot.
Motorcycle Boot: Boots ideal for riding a motorcycle, often with thick, durable soles
Mule: A closed toe shoe with no back

Need Glossary Terms N - Z?  Click Here   You can also find examples of terms by visiting the Grapevinehill eBay Store.