37 Footwear

Footwear refers to garments worn on the feet, which typically serves the purpose of protection against adversities of the environment such as ground textures and temperature. Footwear in the manner of shoes therefore primarily serves the purpose to ease locomotion and prevent injuries. Footwear can also be used for fashion and adornment as well as to indicate the status or rank of the person within a social structure. Socks and other hosiery are typically worn additionally between the feet and other footwear for further comfort and relief. Cultures have different customs regarding footwear. These include not using any in some situations, usually bearing a symbolic meaning. This can however also be imposed on specific individuals to place them at a practical disadvantage against shod people, if they are excluded from having footwear available or are prohibited from using any. This usually takes place in situations of captivity, such as imprisonment or slavery, where the groups are among other things distinctly divided by whether or whether not footwear is being worn.

Abandoned footwear, such as a lone boot or shoe, has often been noted in out-of-the-way places like ponds or by the side of roads. Sometimes the shoes may even be new and fashionable.

Sneakers are shoes primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise, but which are now also widely used for everyday casual wear.

Avon Protection plc is a British company that specialises in the engineering and manufacturing of respiratory protection equipment for military, law enforcement and fire personnel. Its corporate headquarters are 3 km (1.9 mi) south of Melksham in Wiltshire, England, at the Hampton Park West development. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

Ballet flats are women's shoes for everyday wear which are similar to/inspired by a women's ballet shoes, with a very thin heel or the appearance of no heel at all. The style sometimes features a ribbon-like binding around the low tops of the slipper and may have a slight gathering at the top-front of the vamp and sometimes a tiny, decorative string tie. Ballet slippers can be adjusted and tightened to the wearer's foot by means of this string tie.

A boot is a type of footwear. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearly distinguishable from the rest of the sole, even if the two are made of one piece. Traditionally made of leather or rubber, modern boots are made from a variety of materials.

A bovver boot is a type of boot that has been associated with violence. Such boots are generally of sturdy design and may be steel-toed. They have been considered as offensive weapons used by hooligans for kicking opponents while street fighting. The boots became known in the late 1960s in the United Kingdom, and continue to be a fashion statement associated with rebellion.

Bunny slippers are a type of slipper in the shape of a cartoon rabbit. Media references to bunny slippers occur as early as 1946 and advertisements date back as far as 1931. Past and current manufacturers and distributors of bunny slippers include Runaway Rabbit Creations of Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States.

A Cantabrian albarca is a rustic wooden shoe in one piece, which has been used particularly by the peasants of Cantabria, northern Spain. In the neighbouring province of Asturias madreñas are still being widely used in rural areas, and have been used for millennia.

Ciocia is a modern Roman dialect's term to indicate a footwear of some mountainous areas of Southern and South-Eastern Europe, in particular Central and Southern Italy as well as the Balkans (opanci).

Clogs are a type of footwear made in part or completely from wood. Clogs are used worldwide and although the form may vary by culture, within a culture the form often remained unchanged for centuries.

Träskor are Swedish clogs typically made from alder, but sometimes birch or pine is used. Clogs are mainly manufactured in the southern part of the country, both as handicrafts and in factories. In 1905 there were 22 factories employing 241 people. One manufacturer is based in Vollsjö in Skåne, clogs for business use are therefore branded "Vollsjö slippers." Other notable manufacturers of clogs include Lotta, Troentorp and Swedish Hasbeens.

Coiled sewn sandals are an ancient Egyptian footwear constructed using a technique similar to that used in basket weaving with a technique whereby coils were sewn together with the same material used in construction of the coils. The shoes were typically woven using halfa grass.

DuoBoots is a women’s footwear brand. It operates internationally online and has a high street shop in Bath. In 2016, DuoBoots became Ted&Muffy, a new brand named after the company’s founders, Ted and Muffy Maltby, who opened a footwear store in Bath in the early 1970s. In 2017, the brand re-established its original name, DuoBoots.

A fashion boot is a boot worn for reasons of style or fashion. The term is usually applied to women's boots. Fashion boots come in a wide variety of styles, from ankle to thigh-length, and are used for casual, formal, and business attire. Although boots were a popular style of women's footwear in the Nineteenth Century, they were not recognized as a high fashion item until the 1960s. They became widely popular in the 1970s and have remained a staple of women's winter wardrobes since then.

Flipsters (flɪp-stərs) are folding shoes, designed in Australia by L&M Designs. The footwear is produced in two styles: flip-flops and ballet flats. Flipsters footwear fold into a pouch which can be fit into a handbag and act as an alternative to standard shoes. The product is designed to "fit into a small handbag to give stiletto-shoed feet a break" The flip-flops are made with a 3-part rubber sole and fabric heel guard that allows the shoe to collapse flat, and while expanded provides support and structure similar to a standard flip flop. Flipsters come in a pouch designed to keep the product protected and clean. The product was designed with a triangle fold designed to mimic the motion of natural walking. Matt Schmidt, Editor at "My Life News", described the innovative flipflop as "stylish and comfy".

Footwraps are rectangular pieces of cloth that are worn wrapped around the feet to avoid chafing, absorb sweat and improve the foothold. Footwraps were worn with boots before socks became widely available, and remained in use by armies in Eastern Europe until the beginning of the 21st century.

Forensic footwear evidence can be used in legal proceedings to help prove that a shoe was at a crime scene. Footwear evidence is often the most abundant form of evidence at a crime scene and in some cases can prove to be as specific as a fingerprint. Initially investigators will look to identify the make and model of the shoe or trainer which made an impression. This can be done visually or by comparison with evidence in a database; both methods focus heavily on pattern recognition and brand or logo marks. Information about the footwear can be gained from the analysis of wear patterns which are dependent on angle of footfall and weight distribution. Detailed examination of footwear impressions can help to link a specific piece of footwear to a footwear imprint as each shoe will have unique characteristics.

High heeled shoes, also known as high heels or simply heels, are a type of shoe in which the heel is tall or raised, resulting in the heel of the wearer's foot being significantly higher off the ground than the wearer's toes. High heels make the wearer appear taller, serve to accentuate the muscle tone in the legs as well as make the wearer's legs appear longer.

Huaraches are an open type of outdoor footwear, consisting of a sole held to the wearer's foot by straps passing over the instep and around the ankle. The common understanding is that these sandals were a variant of traditional Mexican huaraches, the difference being in design and construction.

Hwahyejang (Korean: 화혜장) are craftsmen who construct traditional Korean footwear. The shoes are classified into hwa and hye, hence the compound word "hwahyejang". Historically, the two distinct types of shoe were made by separate specialist craftsmen, the hyejang and the hwajang.

Kirza is a type of artificial leather based on the multi-layer textile fabric, modified by membrane-like substances, produced mainly in the Soviet Union and Russia. The surface of kirza imitates pig leather.

Mexican pointy boots or trival boots are a style of pointed fashion boots made with elongated toes that were a popular footwear for men in parts of Mexico. The boots were commonly worn in an ironic and comedic way by males involved in the trival music subculture that thrived in the early 2010s.

A peep-toe shoe is a woman's shoe in which there is an opening at the toe box which allows the toes to show.

Sandals are an open type of footwear, consisting of a sole held to the wearer's foot by straps going over the instep and around the ankle. Sandals can also have a heel. While the distinction between sandals and other types of footwear can sometimes be blurry, the common understanding is that a sandal leaves all or most of the foot exposed. People may choose to wear sandals for several reasons, among them comfort in warm weather, economy, and as a fashion choice.

Self-tying shoes are designed to automatically tighten once the user puts them on. Such types of "smart shoes" were initially depicted in the 1989 science fiction film Back to the Future Part II.

A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration and fashion. The design of shoes has varied enormously through time and from culture to culture, with form originally being tied to function. Though the human foot can adapt to varied terrains and climate conditions, it is still vulnerable to environmental hazards such as sharp rocks and temperature extremes, which shoes protect against. Some shoes are worn as safety equipment, such as steel-toe boots which are required footwear at industrial worksites.

A shoe size is an indication of the fitting size of a shoe for a person.

Shoemaking is the process of making footwear.

Skate shoes or skateboard shoes are a type of footwear specifically designed and manufactured for use in skateboarding. While numerous non-skaters choose to wear skate shoes as they are popular in fashion, the design of the skate shoe includes many features designed especially for use in skateboarding, including a vulcanized rubber or polyurethane sole with minimal tread pattern or no pattern, a composition leather or suede upper, and double or triple stitching to extend the life of the upper material. A low, padded tongue is often included for comfort. The most important aspect of skate shoes is that they have flat soles which allow the skater to have better board control.

Slippers are light footwear that are easy to put on and off and are intended to be worn indoors, particularly at home. They provide comfort and protection for the feet when walking indoors.

Sneakers are shoes primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise, but which are now also widely used for everyday casual wear.

Snowshoes are specialized outdoor gear for walking over snow. Their large footprint spreads the user’s weight out and allows them to travel largely on top of rather than through snow. Adjustable bindings attach them to appropriate winter footwear.

A steel-toe boot is a durable boot or shoe that has a protective reinforcement in the toe which protects the foot from falling objects or compression. Safety shoes are effective in keeping the feet of industrial workers safe from sharp and heavy objects while working in factories.

Stilts are poles, posts or pillars that allow a person or structure to stand at a height above the ground.

Toe cleavage is the partial exposure of toes in shoes that are cut low enough at the vamp. Low cut shoes reveal toe cleavage similar to how low cut tops reveal breast cleavage.

Xena Workwear is a Milwaukee-based women's workwear company specialized in stylish women's steel toe shoes and apparel. The company creates fashionable personal protective equipment (PPE) for women.