If shoes could talk, and lift their top away from their base like the soup can in Wet Hot American Summer, what would they say? I’d be worried that they might cry, “‘Shoe’ don’t know me! ‘Shoe’ don’t know anything about me!” To which I’d have to confess, “That’s true.”
To prevent such a frightening event from happening to me or you, I’ve diagrammed the Once Upon a Time Boot in Parable and Yes I Twill Heel, defining each of the terms therein below!
The part of the boot that covers the leg.
The small holes in a shoe through which laces pass. Often reinforced with metal, cord, or fabric eyestays.
Toe box [toh bokd]
Also known as the toe cap, the front tip of the shoe which covers and creates space for the toes.
1. Slim part of shoe under arch, running from heel to ball of foot.
2. The material, often metal, that reinforces this part of the shoe.
Heel counter [heel koun·ter]
Material that forms the back of a shoe. Generally stiff or reinforced to give the foot support.
The interior of a shoe upon which the foot rests. Sometimes, this is covered by a piece of material known as sock lining.
The part of a shoe upper that wraps around the sides and back.
The portion of the shoe upper that covers the top of the foot, from toes to ankle, or just over the top of the toes if shoe doesn’t cover entire foot.