From Aglets to Zoccoli, the world of fashion is full of unique and beautiful concepts. The fashion experts at gothamcityonline are pleased to share this comprehensive guide of shoe and footwear terms and definitions. So whether you're buying boots, pumps, wedges, plaforms, mules, sandals, sneakers, heels or clogs, our guide will help you buy with a bit more confidence. Visit our eBay store anytime to put your knowledge to the test! This guide continues on other pages due to space limitations.

=========== S ===========

Sabot Strap - A strap across the instep of the foot, usually used with sandals.
Saddle Shoe - An oxford shoe with a piece of contrasting colored, often perforated, leather covering the center of the shoe, over the instep and down to the sole on either side of the shoe.
Safety Boot - A shoe whose upper extends above ankle height, and is made of a sturdy leather or rubber often treated to be resistant to hot water, fats, mild alkaline and acid solutions. May also contain a steel toe. Also known as a work boot.
Sandal - A type of simple, open toe shoe, usually with an upper composed entirely of leather or fabric strips.
Satin - A medium-weight fabric with a smooth, glossy face and dull back.
Scalloped - A decorative element where continuous identical round shapes are defined along the end of a piece of material; a type of border.
Scotch Grain - A leather finish where the leather is embossed to resemble large, raised and defined circular shapes covering the entire surface.
Sculpted Heel - A heel that has been formed in a single piece.
Sequin - A small, usually flat and circular piece of shiny metal or plastic used for ornamentation.
Shaft - The portion of a boot's upper above the vamp or instep, which covers the leg above the ankle.
Shaft Height - The length of a boot measured from the bottom of the heel that touches the floor to the throat opening at the top of the boot.
Shank - The narrowest part of a shoe when viewed from the sole, located underneath the arch of the foot between the heel and the toes; also known as the waist, instep, or arch.
Shearling - A type of leather made from the skin of a sheep or lamb with the wool still attached.
Sheepskin - The skin, or a type of leather made from the skin, of a sheep.
Shoe - A covering for the foot with a protective sole, usually completely enclosing the toes.
Shoe Horn - A device that fits into the heel of a shoe and holds it away from the foot, to allow the foot to enter the shoe rim or throat easily.
Side Leather - The portion of the hide of an animal, that comes from the animal's side; usually referring to a cow hide.
Silicone - A combination of various silicon compounds usually providing water-resistance or water-proofing to a material.
Silk - A lustrous and tough fiber produced by silkworms and used for textiles.
Slide - An open toe shoe with an open back, usually without a thong post or toe ring.
Sling Back - An open or closed toe shoe, that attaches to the heel of the foot with a single strip of fabric or leather, usually with some elastic attached along the strip.
Slip-on - A type of shoe that requires no closures or fastenings to secure to the foot.
Slipper - A slip-on shoe, with or without a back, generally meant for indoor use; also known as house shoes.
Slipper Sock - A pull-on shoe with a tall, knit shaft, generally meant for indoor use.
Slouched - A boot shaft or shoe upper made out of a material not stiff enough to stand up on it's own which therefore gathers losely towards the shoe vamp or instep.
Smooth Leather - A leather finish where the leather does not contain any embossing or grain.
Snakeskin - The hide of a snake; usually featuring a rough, oval shaped pattern of scales.
Snap - A fastening that closes or locks with a click.
Sneaker - A shoe, usually in an athletic style, with a rubber sole.
Snip Toe - A closed toe style with an elongated, tapered footbed that is squared off at the end, usually with the space for the toes ending before from the end of the shoe.
Snow Boot - A thick, insulated, waterproof boot with a non-slip sole.
Soccer Shoe - A shoe, or cleat, designed for the sport of soccer with cushioning and support specific to that activity and spikes along the bottom of the shoe for traction. Unlike baseball cleats, soccer cleats do not have a spike on the toe area.
Sock Liner - Material which rests against the foot and covers the entire inside of a shoe's upper.
Sockliner - A covering over the inside sole of a shoe that minimizes friction and provides cushioning; can also be used to aid in moisture removal.
Sole - The part of a shoe below where the foot rests, that touches the floor when walking.
Spectator - A shoe usually having contrasting colors with a perforated design at the toe and sometimes also on the heel.
Spike Heel - A tall, very narrow heel; also known as a stilletto.
Split Leather - A material made from the lower layers of an animal hide when separated from the upper layers; usually referring to cowhide.
Spool Heel - A type of heel that is made up of large, stacked individual pieces, often round in shape.
Square Toe - A type of closed toe style where the end of the footbed around the toe box is shaped like the top 3 sides of a square.
Stacked Heel - A heel of any shape made up of visible layers of pressed material, usually leather or wood.
Steel Toe - A piece of steel metal that is attached around the toe box between a shoe's vamp and vamp lining in order to protect the toes; usually included in the construction of work boots.
Stilletto Heel - A tall, very narrow heel; also known as a spike heel.
Strappy Sandal - An open toe shoe with an upper composed of multiple strips of leather or fabric.
Stud - A rivet or nail with a large head used for ornamentation, usually made of metal.
Suede - Leather with a soft, hairy surface, usually achieved by buffing.
Sueded Fabric - Material with a soft, hairy surface, made to feel and appear like suede leather.
Synthetic Leather - A man-made, non-animal material made to look and feel as identical to leather as possible.

=========== T ===========

Tabi Shoe - A closed toe shoe whose front (toe box) portion is split into two sections, one for the big toe and one for the rest of the toes. Derived from Japanese Tabi socks which were made to be worn comfortably with sandals and to allow for extra balance.
Tailored - A shoe that is closely fitted to the shape of the foot.
Tanning - The process of treating animal hides to turn them into leather, often by applying a tannin-rich bark agent.
Tap - An attachment, usually made of metal, added to the sole of a shoe underneath the toe box area and/or the heel; used to make clicking noises while tap dancing.
Tap Shoe - A shoe with a hard sole or with metal plates attached to the sole underneath the toes and heel, to make clicking noises while tap dancing.
Tassel - A decorative element created by bundling various pieces of identical material or threads together and fastening them at one end, leaving the other end loose.
Tatami Sandal - A flip-flop/thong style casual Japanese shoe whose insole is made of woven straw.
Tennis Shoe - A lightweight shoe designed for the sport of tennis with cushioning and support specific to that activity and a soft sole.
Thong - Any type of shoe where the big toe of the foot is separated from the rest of the toes by a standing strip of material.
Thong Post - The standing strip of material that separates the big toe of the foot from the rest of the toes on a flip-flop or thong sandal.
Throat - The opening in a shoe's upper where the foot enters; also known as the rim, collar, or topline.
Tip - A closed toe style with a straight line of horizontal stiching across the width of the shoe above the toe box; often with the material at the toe in a contrasting color or material; also known as a cap toe.
Toe Box - The end of a shoe, between the footbed and the upper, that provides space and protection for the toes.
Toe Bumper - A rubber tip covering the toe box of a shoe, formed by extending the sole and folding it over the upper.
Toe Cap - An extra layer of material covering the tip of the toe of a shoe, may be decorative or for reinforcement.
Toe Ridge - A elevated strip on the insole of a shoe, positioned where the toes would sit on top of it, to help secure the shoe to the foot.
Toe Spring - The elevation of the sole of the shoe underneath the toebox. The amount of the toe spring on a shoe will depend on the style of shoe, the thickness of the sole, and the heel height.
Tongue - The piece of material that is attached at the underside of the eyelets towards the toe of a lace-up shoe, and extends past the eyelets at the top of the shoe; can also be used with shoes that close via other methods such as velcro.
Top Boot - A closed toe shoe with a shaft at least ankle high, the shaft of which is made from a contrasting material or color compared to the rest of the shoe.
Top Lift - The specific portion of the heel that touches the ground.
Topline - The opening in a shoe's upper where the foot enters; also known as the rim, collar, or throat.
Track Shoe - A shoe designed for running with cushioning and support specific to that activity or the sport of track.
Trail Lug - A heavy rubber sole with deep treads for extra traction while navigating rugged terrain.
Trail Shoe - An athletic shoe used for running, but generally not used to describe shoes used for the sport of track; another word for a sneaker or running shoe.
Trainer - An athletic shoe used for training in a specific sport; another word for a sneaker.
Training Shoe - An athletic shoe used for training in a specific sport; another word for a sneaker.
Trim - Embellishment of any kind; usually consisting of ribbons, lace, ornaments, fur, or excess fabric.
Tru-Moc - A type of flat, closed toe, slip-on shoe with visible stitching creating gathered effect along the perimeter of the toe box; often made entirely of soft leather; also known as a a moccasin.
T-Strap - A strap that links the upper area of a shoe above the toe box to the ankle strap.
Tumbling - A process used to treat leather that makes the material softer.
Turf Cleats - Spikes attached to the sole of a shoe for extra traction; usually used with shoes created for sports played on grass.
Turnshoe Construction - A style of developing a shoe, where the shoe is pieced together inside out and then turned right-side in after it is completed.
Twill Fabric - A smooth, woven fabric with a pattern of diagonal lines.

=========== U ===========

Ultrasuede - A synthetic, washable suede fabric made by the Toray company.
Unit Bottom - A shoe sole, which may or may not include a platform or wedge heel, created out of a single mold.
Upper - The portion of the shoe, connected to the sole, that covers the foot.
Upper Leather - A type of material made from the hide of any animal, but typically referring to cowhide, when used for the upper of a shoe.

=========== V ===========

Vachetta Leather - A material made from the hide of a cow.
Valenki - A handmade shoe originating in Russia, composed entirely of felt. The shoe shaft is ankle high or taller and often worn as a warm layer put inside a rubber boot for water resistance; also known as a russian boot.
Vamp - The part of a shoe's upper that covers the top of the foot closest to where it attaches to the leg.
Vamp Lining - Material covering the inside portion of the shoe's upper that covers the top of the foot closest to where it attaches to the leg.
Vamp Wings - When the sides of the vamp (the part of a shoe's upper that covers the top of the foot closest to where it attaches to the leg) extend backward to the back seam of the shoe's upper or farther.
Variable Width Lacing - A shoe with the eyelets set at alternating distances to provide an excellent fit for a variety of foot types and preferences.
Vegan - A type of shoe composed entirely of non-animal materials.
Vegetable Tanned - An animal hide that has been treated with elements created from vegetables in order to turn the hide into leather; an alternative to tanning a hide with a tannin-rich bark agent.
Velcro - A brand of closure consisting of two strips of fabric, one side containing small hooks and the other fabric loops.
Veldtschoen - A type of shoe where the shoe's upper is turned outward to form a decorative, projecting edge.
Velour - A knitted counterpart of velvet; often a stretchier, cheaper and more lightweight material.
Velvet - A fabric made of any fiber with a short, soft, dense pile and a smooth back.
Vinyl - A shiny, man-made plastic material, often used for shoe soles, heel counters, and sometimes uppers; short for polyvinyl chloride, or PVC.
Vulcanized Rubber - Crude, natural rubber treated with various chemicals in order to enhance its strength and elastic properties.

=========== W ===========

Waist - The narrowest part of a shoe when viewed from the sole, located underneath the arch of the foot between the heel and the toes; also known as the shank, instep, or arch.
Walking Shoe - A shoe designed for regular or extensive walking with cushioning and support specific to that activity.
Waterproof - A material or shoe that is impervious to water in any amount.
Water-Resistant - A material treated to repel water in small amounts; not completely waterproofed.
Wedge Heel - A heel formed without any gap under the entire length of the shoe sole, but with generally more height towards the heel than towards the toe; can also be combined with a platform heel.
Welding - A process by which materials are fused to one another without stitching or seams.
Wellies - A type of pull-on, knee high boot, often made of waterproof rubber. Originally a boot used for riding named for the Duke of Wellington; also known as a Wellington boot or galosh.
Wellington Boot - A type of pull-on, knee high boot, often made of waterproof rubber. Originally a boot used for riding named for the Duke of Wellington; also known as a galosh or wellies.
Welt - A narrow strip added to the shoe along where the shoe sole and upper are connected.
Western Boot - A closed toe shoe that extends above ankle height and features a dip in the top of the shaft towards both the front and the back of the shoe. These shoes often also feature a chunky, stacked heel and pull straps attached to the top of the boot shaft; also known as a cowboy boot or roper.
Whipstich - A shallow overcasting stitch often used on fabric edges.
Width - The horizontal measurement of a shoe at a right angle to the length, referring to the width of the shoe last at the ball of the foot, and typically measured in letters. Widths usually range from A to E with A being the letter representing the most narrow width and E representing the most wide.

If a width is listed with multipes of a letter (for example: AA or EEEE), this refers to extra narrow or extra wide widths with the more letters listed representing the more narrow or wide the shoe is.
Wing Tip - An extra layer of material covering the tip of the toe of a shoe, the shape of which extends at the center towards the shoe throat in a point and has curvy sides extending around the lower part of the shoe's upper, usually also with a perforated decorative pattern.
Work Boot - A shoe whose upper extends above ankle height, and is made of a sturdy leather or rubber often treated to be resistant to hot water, fats, mild alkaline and acid solutions. May also contain a steel toe. Also known as a safety boot.
Woven - A type of cloth made by interlacing threads or fibers; to interlace to form a texture or design.

=========== Z ===========

Zoccoli - An Italian word for chopine - a term used in the 16th and 17th centuries for a women's shoe with a very high sole; a platform shoe.
Zori Sandal - An open toe, thong style Japanese shoe made of woven grass, leather, or cloth for men or women.