| Last Updated: Sep 13, 2008 - 12:08:21 PM |
Unless you’re at the beach, going barefoot outdoors generally isn’t an option. Shoes are de rigueur. In this series, we’ll examine the different kinds of shoes, their parts and construction, and how they’re sized. We’ll also explore shoe selection, shopping, and care.
Although there are many different kinds of shoes, they can all be placed into the following broad categories:
Sandals — these are open footwear that offer little or no coverage other than protecting the soles of the feet from the ground, and are the oldest type of shoe. They include the ubiquitous rubber flip-flops, huaraches made from old car tires, and more elaborate (and expensive) all-leather models. Today, sandals are also constructed using man-made materials that aren’t damaged by water.
Athletic Shoes — these are generally unisex, but some are available in colors and styles that appeal to women (and not to men!). Athletic shoes are designed for recreational activities such as bowling, golf, bicycling, hiking, mountaineering, and team sports. The old garden-variety “sneakers” have now evolved into shoes specifically for walking, training, running (on a variety of different surfaces), and jumping. Today, different shoe designs are engineered to address issues such as flat feet, pronation, shin splints, knee, spinal, and other physiological problems. These advances are reflected in far higher prices than mere sneakers. Many athletic shoes are constructed from advanced man-made materials and can be machine washed, then air dried. Athletic shoes are often worn as casual shoes.
Casual Shoes — these include boat shoes (popularized by Sperry Topsiders), moccasins, crocs, Japanese sliperu (from the English “slippers”) that are worn only indoors after leaving outdoor shoes in the vestibule, and other indoor footwear.
Dress Shoes — for both men and women, this is a huge category that’s vital to career advancement, and will be covered in greater detail later in this series. Here, men have the option of both lace-up and slip-on shoes. For women, slip-ons are the only choice. However, women have a tremendous variety of slip-on styles (and colors) available to them. Some are appropriate for the workplace, while others are strictly for after-hour activities.
Boots — this is another large category. Boots are cut higher than shoes — anywhere from the ankle to just below the knee (or even up to the chest for fishing waders). Boots, like athletic shoes, are designed for specific activities such as hiking and skiing. Work boots, often with steel toes and Vibram or gumball soles, are heavy, rugged, and durable. Other boots, such as chukkas, are lighter. Galoshes are boots worn over shoes to protect them from rain, snow, and mud puddles. Boots are usually unisex, but can also be gender-specific. Women have dressy spike heel and '60s go-go boots. For men, there are the platform boots from the '70s and the Beatle boots (complete with metal heel and toe taps) from the '60s.
We’ll discuss the various parts and construction techniques of shoes in the next column.
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by San Francisco News
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