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Footwear consists of garments worn on the feet. It is worn for a variety of reasons, including protection against the environment, hygiene and adornment. Usually, socks and other hosiery are worn under footwear.
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Shoes fall into one of the following categories: Men's, Women's, Children's and infant Shoes.
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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 targeting the masses, such as J. Crew and Banana Republic, 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
- Loafers - 'slip-on' shoes with no lacing
- Various other closings exist but are less popular such as side-elastic closings.
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Women's shoes come in many styles:
- Multicolor SandalsHeels - shoes with short, sturdy heels
- Flats - shoes with almost no heel at all
- Ballerina shoes - mimicking the appearance of balletshoes, pointe shoes.
- Medium height heels ("kitten" heels have less than 2 inches of height)
- High heels
- Stiletto heels - high heels
- Open-toed shoes
- Strap upper body shoes
- Mary Janes
- Espadrilles - a casual sandal, with a canvas top and a rope sole
- Mule (footwear) - an open-toed slipper
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Children's shoe styles have grown in recent years. Categories tend to be based on age and gender.
- Crawling shoes tend to be soft and flexible and not made for walking.
- First Walkers - Tend to also be soft and flexible but have soles that provide a little additional traction.
- Toddler shoes - Typically sizes 5 U.S to size 13 U.S.
- Youth Shoes fill the remainder of the childrens shoes category.
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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 out soles, and wide profile.
Dress shoes are commonly made to be worn by one of the sexes but some designs can be worn by either. 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 also made with openings or even a connected series of straps, e. g. an open toe feature in women's shoes. Shoes with ankle length (covering the ankles) upper bodies are also available. Such shoes often have zippers to open them.
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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.
- 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
- boating shoes - also similar to above. They have soft soles/heels to avoid marring or scratching a boat deck.
- track shoes - lightweight; often with plastic or metal cleats
- football shoes - with plastic or metal cleats
- golf shoes - with "spikes" for better grip in grass and wet ground. Originally the spikes or "cleats" were made of metal but replaceable "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.
- hiking shoes or boots
- 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.
- climbing shoes
- orthopedic shoes - specially designed for people with foot problems.
- skating shoes - typically called skates. They have various attachments for skating on the bottom of the shoe portion.
- ski boot - a large, thick plastic boot, that is very hard to walk in, specially designed for attachment to the ski.
- skateboarding shoes- used for skateboarding but also worn by teenagers for fashion
- 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.
- 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
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History of footwear in Norway, Sweden and Finland : prehistory to 1950, ISBN 91-7402-323-3
Patrick Cox: Wit, Irony, and Footwear, Tamasin Doe (1998) ISBN 0-8230-1148-8
Shoes : A Celebration of Pumps, Sandals, Slippers & More, ISBN 0-7611-0114-4
A Century of Shoes: Icons of Style in the 20th Century, Angela Pattison ISBN 0-7858-0835-3
Shoes , Elizabeth Cotton (1999) ISBN 1-55670-894-7
Shoes : A Lexicon of Style, Valerie Steel ISBN 0-8478-2166-8
Mad About Shoes, Emma Bowd ISBN 1-84172-353-3
Bootism : A Shoe Religion, Penina Goodman, Michael Duranko (2003) ISBN 0-7407-3832-1
The Perfect Fit: What Your Shoes Say about You, Meghan Cleary, Sydney Van Dyke ISBN 0-8118-4501-X
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