the inner sole of a shoe.
the arching portion of the upper foot.
heel a flat or platformed section corresponding with the heel of the foot.
insole instep
shank the narrow portion of the sole, under the instep. Also the material used to reinforce this area.
sole the bottom supporting member of the shoe.
tongue the flap under the laces or buckle of a shoe.
upper the part of the shoe above the sole.
vamp the part of the shoe covering the instep.
welt the material wedged between the sole and the upper.
Sandals
alpargata rope-soled sandals with canvas uppers around the heels, worn in South America and Spain.
clog sandals having a thick wooden or cork sole and either a toe-covering material or straps.
flip-flops see ZORI.
Ganymede a Greek-style sandal with straps that lace up the calf.
geta a Japanese sandal raised on two wooden blocks at the toe and the heel.
gladiator Roman-style sandal with several straps running around the foot from the toes to the lower ankle.
huarache a sling-backed, leather thong with a flat heel, a Mexican design.
platform an open sandal noted for its high-heeled, platformed sole.
thongs flat sandals with leather straps running between the first and second toes.
zori a rubber sandal with straps running between the first and second toes. Also called flip-flops.
Shoes
baby doll shoes having wide, round toes and low heels, similar to Mary Janes.
boat a canvas shoe having a nonskid, rubber sole to prevent slipping on wet decks. Also called deck shoes.
brogan a heavy, ankle-high work shoe.
chain loafer a slip-on, moccasinlike shoe trimmed with metal links.
Chinese a fabric shoe having a crepe sole, a flat heel, and rounded toe, the most common shoe in China.
clog a sandal-like shoe having a thick cork or wood sole.
deck see boat.
espadrille a canvas shoe with a rope sole and laced up around the ankle. Most modern versions, however, have no laces.
golf oxford-style shoe with a rubber sole and rubber spikes.
Indian moccasin a heel-less, soft leather shoe, often trimmed with beads or fringe.
kiltie flat a low-heeled shoe with a fringed tongue.
loafer a moccasinlike shoe with a strap attached to the vamp. Popular types are the chain loafer and the penny loafer.
Mary Jane a low-heeled shoe with a blunt toe and a strap buttoned or buckled at the center or the side.
Miranda pump a pump with a high, flaring heel, named after Carmen Miranda.
mule a woman's backless shoe or slipper.
open-toed a woman's shoe with an open toe.
oxford a low, strong shoe that laces over the instep; it is made in a variety of styles.
penny loafer a loafer with a strap with a slot over the instep for the insertion of a penny or other coin.
platform a shoe with a raised wood or cork platform, popular with people who wished to appear taller in the 1960s and 1990s.
pump a woman's low-cut, strapless shoe with a medium to high heel and fitting snugly around the toe and heel.
Ruby Keeler a woman's low-heeled pump tied with a ribbon across the instep.
saddle shoe an oxford made of white buck calf with a brown leather "saddle" extending over the middle of the shoe.
safety shoe a work shoe having a reinforced or steel toe to help prevent injuries.
skimmer a very low cut woman's pump with a flat heel.
slingback any pump or other shoe with an open back and a heel strap.
stocking shoe a soft shoe permanently attached to a heavy stocking.
tuxedo pump a low-heeled pump with a round toe.
wedgies a woman's shoe having a thick wedge- shaped heel that joins with the sole.
white bucks white leather oxfords.
wing-tip an oxford decorated with perforations at the toe and extending along the sides.
Glasses and Sunglasses
aviator's sunglasses modeled after the goggles worn by early airplane pilots, characterized by oversized lenses.
Ben Franklins delicate glasses having small, elliptical, octagonal or oblong lenses, worn on the middle of the nose. Also known as granny glasses.
bifocals glasses having lenses divided to aid both closeup and distant vision.
butterfly glasses rimless sunglasses with lenses shaped like butterfly wings.
clip-ons frameless sunglasses that clip on over the lenses of prescription glasses.
Courreges headband-like sunglasses consisting of a strip of opaque plastic wrapping around the face to the ears, with a narrow strip of glass or plastic in the center.
granny see Ben Franklins.
half-glasses reading glasses having half-lenses to allow the eyes to peer over the rims to focus on a distant object.
harlequin glasses with diamond-shaped lenses.
horn-rimmed glasses having heavy, dark, or mottled brown frames.
Lennon specs sunglasses having circular, metal- rimmed lenses, named after those worn by Beatle John Lennon.
lorgnette glasses having a handle for holding instead of frames.
monocle a single lens attached to a ribbon worn around the neck.
owl oversized sunglasses with wide rims and broad lenses.
pince-nez frameless glasses having circular lenses that pinch in place over the bridge of the nose.
planos fake glasses having dark rims to provide a "studious look," worn only for fashion.
tortoiseshell glasses having frames made from authentic or imitation tortoiseshell, usually mottled brown.
wraparound wide sunglasses that wrap around the front of the head like a headband.
Jackets
(Also see COATS)
bellhop a waist-length jacket with a standing collar and two rows of brass buttons, sometimes ornamented with gold braid.
blouson a bloused jacket with a knitted or gathered waistband.
bolero a sleeveless, collarless, buttonless, waist- length, vestlike jacket, worn by Spanish bullfighters and adopted for general fashion.
box a woman's straight, unfitted suit or dress jacket.
dinner jacket a man's white jacket worn at semifor- mal occasions.
gendarme a jacket having brass buttons down the front, on the sleeves and on the pockets, fashioned after those worn by French policemen.
Mandarin a Chinese-style jacket with a standing band collar.
Nehru an Indian-style jacket with a standing band collar.
smoking jacket a man's velvet jacket tied with a sash.
toreador a woman's waist-length jacket with epaulet shoulders, fashioned after that worn by bullfighters.