TYPES OF SHOES

Many different aspects are taken into account when dividing shoes into various types. According to the purpose of wearing footwear is divided into dress and casual shoes, work boots and athletic footwear. According to the sex of the wearer there distinguished men's, women's or unisex shoes. According to the shape of the last shoes can be slip lasted, board lasted or combination lasted. In slip lasted shoes, for example, a sewn seam runs the length of the shoe. Most of such shoes are flexible but less stable. It is a good construction for feet with high arches. In board lasted shoes a cardboard board runs the length of the shoe. Such shoes are very stable but less flexible. It is a good construction for flatter feet. And at least combination lasted shoes represent the combination of cardboard in the rear half, and a seam up the front half. This type of shoes is more flexible than board lasted shoes, and more stable than slip lasted shoes.

Dress shoes are categorized by smooth and supple leather uppers, leather soles, and narrow sleek figure. Casual shoes are characterized by sturdy leather uppers, non-leather outsoles, and wide profile.

Some designs of dress shoes can be worn by either gender. 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 may also be made with openings or even itself consist of a series of straps, e.g. an open toe featured in women's shoes. Shoes with uppers made high to cover the ankles are also available; a shoe with the upper rising above the ankle is usually considered a boot but certain styles may be referred to as high-topped shoes or high-tops. Usually, a high-topped shoe is secured by laces or zippers, although some styles have elastic inserts to ease slipping the shoe on.

Men's shoes can be categorized by how they are closed. Balmorals, for example, are closed with the vamp having a V-shaped slit to which the laces are attached; also known as "closed lacing". In England, the Balmoral is known as the Oxford. The word "Oxford" is used by American clothing companies to market shoes that are not balmorals, such as rubber-sole bluchers.

Bluchers, in their turn, are closed with the laces tied to two pieces of leather independently attached to the vamp; also known as "open lacing". In England, the Blucher is known as the Derby shoe.

Men’s shoes can be also closed with a buckle and strap instead of lacing. Men's shoes can also be decorated in various ways. They can have either plain- or cap-toes. Plain-toes have a sleek appearance and no extra decorations on the vamp whereas cap-toes have an extra layer of leather that "caps" the toe. This is possibly the most popular decoration. Among other decorations are Brogues (American: wing-tips). In this type of decoration the toe of the shoe is covered with a perforated panel, the wing-tip, which extends down either side of the shoe. Brogues can be found in both balmoral and blucher styles.

There is a large variety of shoes available for women, in addition to most of the men's styles being more accepted as unisex. Some broad categories are pumps, high heels and sneakers.

Pumps, known also as ballerinas, ballet pumps or skimmers, are shoes with a very low heel and a relatively short vamp, exposing much of the instep. They are popular for warm-weather wear, and may be seen as more comfortable than shoes with a higher heel.

High heels may be shoes with heels 2 inches (5 cm) or higher. They are often seen as having more sex appeal than low heels and are thus commonly worn by women for formal occasions or social outings.

Sneaker boot and sneaker pump is a shoe that looks like an athletic shoe, but is equipped with a heel, making it a kind of novelty dress shoe.

There are also shoes worn by either gender. The most famous of these are moccasins, sandals and boots.

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