Shoes- Tidbits of What You’re Wearing
The Sole—Soul of the Shoe
The sole is what gives the shoe its form and structure.
It is found at the bottom of the shoe. Usually, the
sole is composed of a number of pieces and is separated
from the upper shoe, except for the wooden ones.
The interior of the shoe named as the insole. The insole
parks itself directly under the foot. The insoles for
most shoes are removable and replaceable; some even
have extra soles for comfort or health reasons. Say
for example, to control the smell of the shoe, the shape,
or the moisture.
Situated between the insole and the outsole is the
mid-sole. It often gives shape to the insole and softening.
The layer in direct contact with the ground is called
the outsole. Generally, outsole materials are durable
because of the stress it experiences. However, the function,
dressiness, and the quality of the shoe are also some
of the few things to be considered in choosing the materials
to be used as outsole. Casual or work-oriented shoes
use natural rubber or a synthetic imitation for outsoles,
while the dressier shoes have leather. The outsoles
can be in a single piece or in separate pieces of different
materials. The sole’s heel of usually made of
rubber to keep it durable, while the front is made of
leather to go with the fashion. There are some shoes
which are specialized. Athletic shoes have spikes inlayed
in the outsole to hold the ground. Some of the dancing
shoes have much softer or harder soles depending on
the kind of dances they are into.
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Head over Heels over the Heel
There are quite a few shoes which have unique heels.
These heels are usually a separate piece from the outsole
and are often replaceable. In the olden times, leather
heels were the most common. But recently, heels come
in rubber, plastic, or other polymer materials. To have
lightweight shoes, a fortified cork is sometimes used
in heels or soles. Women are the usual people who wear
higher heels but surprisingly, there are a number of
men who do wear heels, even way back 1500 wherein they
had to keep their feet in the stirrups. In 1600’s
and 1700’s, men still wore heels, but it was for
fashion that time.
Vamp it Up—The Upper Part
Shoes have an upper part called the vamp. The vamp
separates the foot from the air, and helps hold the
shoe onto the foot. As for the sandals or flip flops,
vamp or upper may be just a few straps to hold the sole
in place under the foot. Boots, sneakers, closed footwear,
and most men's shoes usually have a more complex vamp.
Lace it All Up
A long piece of string or cord that holds a shoe closed
is named shoelace. It is attached to the shoe by being
threaded through a series of small holes, called eyelets.
Many shoelaces are tipped with aglet to make things
a lot easier.
Tongue in Cheek with the Shoe’s Tongue
Tongue is a flap-like, usually flexible, part that
goes underneath the laces usually found some shoes and
boots.
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