A Well Dressed Foot - The Basic Elements

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A basic sandal/shoe/boot is made out of three main elements. The first is the sole or lower part, which covers the sole of the foot. This can come in one or more layers, such as the insole, the midsole and outsole. The second element is the heel, which covers the region of the heel of the foot. This can be small (kitten), shaped (louis), very fine (stiletto) or just large (wedge), tall (high) or indeed large and high (platform).

The third element is the upper (sometimes called a vamp), which is used to cover the top part of the foot. In open forms of footwear the upper may only consist of a strap, while in closed forms it may b A pair of Balkan opanci made from a single piece of leather (mid 20th century; TRC 2006.0270a-b)

A pair of Balkan opanci made from a single piece of leather (mid 20th century; TRC 2006.0270a-b)

e quite complex and made up of a series of sections (vamps and quarters) fastened together.

Some shoes are only made out of one piece (bag shoe; rivelin), which is used as a sole and upper combined, other forms of footwear may be made out of numerous pieces carefully formed into a complex structure that encases the foot. Traditionally, the various elements of a sandal/shoe/boot are sewn together, but more modern versions use glue or heat bonding.

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