Types of shoes

Dress and casual shoes

Dress shoes are categorized by smooth and supple leather uppers, leather soles, and narrow sleek shape. Casual shoes are characterized by sturdy leather uppers, non-leather outsoles, and wide profile.

Some designs of dress shoes can be worn by either gender. The majority of dress shoes have an upper covering, commonly made of leather, enclosing most of the lower foot, but not covering the ankles. This upper part of the shoe is often made without apertures or openings, but may also be made with openings or even itself consist of a series of straps, e.g. an open toe featured in women's shoes. Shoes with uppers made high to cover the ankles are also available; a shoe with the upper rising above the ankle is usually considered a boot but certain styles may be referred to as high-topped shoes or high-tops. Usually, a high-topped shoe is secured by laces or zippers, although some styles have elastic inserts to ease slipping the shoe on.
Shoes made from real crocodile skin, in a conservation exhibit at Bristol Zoo, England
Shoes made from real crocodile skin, in a conservation exhibit at Bristol Zoo, England

Men's shoes

Men's shoes can be categorized by how they are closed:

* Balmorals - the vamp has a V-shaped slit to which the laces are attached; also known as "closed lacing." In England, the balmoral is known as the Oxford. The word "Oxford" is used by American clothing companies to market shoes that are not Oxfords, such as rubber-sole bluchers.
* Blüchers - the laces are tied to two pieces of leather independently attached to the vamp; also known as "open lacing." In England, the Blucher is known as the Derby shoe.
* Monk-straps - a buckle and strap instead of lacing

Various other closings exist but are less popular such as side-elastic closings.

Men's shoes can also be decorated in various ways:

* Plain-toes - have a sleek appearance and no extra decorations on the vamp.
* Cap-toes - has an extra layer of leather that 'caps' the toe. This is possibly the most popular decoration
* Wing-tips - The toe of the shoe is covered with a perforated panel, the wing-tip, which extends down either side of the shoe. Wing-tips can be found in both balmoral and blucher styles. In England this is called a brogue.


Women's shoes

There is a large variety of shoes available for women. Some broad categories are:

Pumps, known in the US as ballerinas or skimmers, are shoes with a very low heel and a relatively short vamp, exposing much of the instep. They are popular for warm-weather wear, and may be seen as more comfortable than shoes with a higher heel.

High heels may be shoes with heels 2 inches (5 cm) or higher. They are often seen as having more sex appeal than low heels (see article for discussion) and are thus commonly worn by women for formal occasions or social outings.

* Sneaker boot and sneaker pump - a shoe that looks like an athletic shoe, but is equipped with a heel, making it a kind of novelty dress shoe

Either gender
Women's sandals.
Women's sandals.

* Clog
* Platform shoe - shoe with very thick soles and heels
* Moccasin - originated by American Indians, a soft shoe without a heel and usually made of leather.
* Sandals - open shoes consisting of a sole and various straps, leaving much of the foot exposed to air. They are thus popular for warm-weather wear, because they let the foot be cooler than a closed-toed shoe would.
* Saddle shoe - leather shoe with a contrasting saddle-shaped band over the instep, typically white uppers with black "saddle"
* Loafer - a dress or casual shoe without laces; often with tassels, buckles, or coin-holders (penny loafers)
* Boating shoes, also known as boat shoes and deck shoes - similar to a loafer, but more casual. Laces, if present, are usually simple leather (often two-tone) with no frills. Often made of canvas or featuring a white sole. They have soft soles/heels to avoid marring or scratching a boat deck.

A pair of leather roper boots
A pair of leather roper boots

* Boots - Long shoes (covering the ankle) frequently made of leather. Some are designed to be used in times of bad weather, or simply as an alternate style of casual or dress wear. Styles include rubber boots and snow boots, as well as work boots and hiking boots.
* Slippers - Usually for night use, commonly worn with pajamas

Athletic shoes

Men's and women's athletic shoes and special function shoes often have less difference between the sexes than in dress shoes. In many cases these shoes can be worn by either sex. Emphasis tends to be more on function than style.
A shoe for right foot
A shoe for right foot

* Sneakers/trainers (also called gym shoes or tennis shoes) - general purpose athletic shoes; made out of rubber, cloth, and/or plastic to be lightweight, flexible, and have good traction. Special varieties available for basketball or tennis.
* Running shoes - very similar to above, with additional emphasis on cushioning.
* Track shoes - lightweight; often with plastic or metal cleats
* Cleats - a type of shoe featuring molded or removable studs. Usually worn while playing sports such as rugby, football, American football, or baseball
* Golf shoes - with "spikes" for better grip in grass and wet ground. Originally the spikes or "cleats" were made of metal but replacable "soft spikes" made of synthetic plastic-like materials with prongs distributed radially around the edge of each spike are much more common today (and are required on many golf courses since they cause less damage to the greens)
* Bowling shoes - intermediate style between ordinary dress shoes and athletic shoes. They have harder rubber soles/heels so as not to damage bowling alley floors. They are often rented or loaned at bowling alleys.
* Climbing shoes, also known as hiking shoes or boots - usually have a high somewhat stiff upper with many lace eyelets, to provide ankle support on uneven terrain, with extra large traction on the sole.
* Walking shoes - have a more flexible sole than the running shoe, lighter in weight than the hiking boot, may have air holes, may not be water proof.
* Skating shoes - typically called skates. They have various attachments for skating on the bottom of the shoe portion.
o Ice skates
o Roller skates
o Inline skates
* Ski boot - a large, thick plastic boot specially designed for attachment to the ski.
* Skateboarding shoes have flat soles for a better grip on a skateboard. They are very wide and have extra layers of padding to protect the skateboarders feet. Many young people wear them for comfort.
* Cycling shoes are equipped with a metal cleat to interface with clipless pedals, as well as a stiff sole to maximize power transfer and support the foot.
* Snowshoes are special shoes for walking in thick snow. In temperate climates, snowshoes are used for mostly recreational purposes in winter.