Glossary of Shoe Terms
Everything you always wanted to know about shoes but didn't know who to ask! 

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• Feed Bag
• A roomy handbag designed to resemble the style of bag used to feed horses and cattle.  Features a single shoulder strap and drawstring closure.
• Fiberboard
• Wood pulp material used for counters, insoles, and heel lifts.
• Finish
• Various applications to create the final appearance of a shoe.  Can include a glossy polish to produce a high-sheen finish, or a contrasting polish to create an antique, rubbed-off look.
• Finishing Room
• Area of a shoe factory where the final steps of shoe production are completed, including the removal of the last, insertion of the insole, completion of the outsole, and application of polish.
• Flat Feet
• A heriditary condition in which the arch of the foot is collapsed and the entire foot rests on the ground.
   
• Footbed
• A lining that runs the entire length of the inside of the shoe; also known as the insole.
   
• Forefoot
• The area between the ball of the foot and the toes.
   
• Gait
• An individual's style of walking; it differs from person to person and accounts for the differences in wear from left to right shoe.
   
• Ghillie
• A footwear style in which the laces pass through fabric or leather loops attached to the front of the shoe, rather then through eyelets.
   
• Girth
• The circumference of a shoe last, measured around the ball of the foot.
   
• Goatskin
• Leather made from the hide of a goat.
   
• Gore
• An elastic panel stitched into either side of a shoe's vamp or a boot's shaft to make it more comfortable and easier to put on and take off.
   
• Grain
• The surface pattern of leather, which is specific to the animal from which the leather was made.
   
• Hammertoes
• A condition in which the toe is bent into a claw-like position, which can result from poorly-fitting shoes as well as by medical conditions such as arthritis.
   
• Heel
• Can be either the rear, padded area on the underside of the foot, or the solid part of a shoe that supports the heel cup.
   
• Heel Cup
• The forward-facing side of the heel.
   
• Heel Height
• Measured in a vertical line from the bottom surface of the sole where it meets the heel to the floor.  Example
   
• 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.
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  Hidden Gore
• An elastic panel providing added comfort, stitched into the front of a shoe and covered by the shoe's tongue.
   
• Hide
• The skin of a large animal that is treated for use in footwear, accessories, and clothing.
   
• Hobo Bag
• A large, rounded, unstructured handbag featuring a single top zipper and shoulder strap.
   
• Huarache
• A woven leather flat shoe or sandal.
   
• Insole
• A lining that runs the full length of the inside of the shoe, also known as the footbed.
   
• Instep
• The upper, center section of the foot between the toes and the ankle.
   
• Jelly
• Shoe made entirely from PVC, a semi-rigid plastic material.

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