Boot Glossary and Terminology

Tue, Jun 17, 2008

At PFI Western Store we strive to provide excellent customer service to all of our shoppers including those who chose to visit our store online. Below is some terminology that should help you to navigate through the world of boots and find the perfect pair!

A

Arch
A concave structure of the foot.

B

Ball
The widest part of the foot formed by the five metatarsal heads. The “ball joint” refers to the protruding inside joint behind the great toe.

Box Toe
A stiffener at the toe of a shoe to retain shape and style.

Breathability
The ability of a shoe material to pass off foot moisture.

C

Cement
A term broadly applied to a number of adhesives used commonly in shoemaking. As a verb, to spread cement in a uniform layer over the surface of a workpiece; upper, lining, sole, etc. Or, to join pieces together, e.g. sole to upper, by means of an adhesive, i.e. solvent, heat activated or hot-melt.

Clicker
A term used to describe a machine that cuts shoe upper parts.

Counter
A piece of heavy leather or other stiffening material inserted between the outside and lining of the upper at the back part of the shoe. The purpose of the counter is to strengthen the back part and to prevent it from sagging and losing its shape.

Cutting Dies
Sharpened steel dies for cutting shoe parts or for making cutouts and perforations in a shoe upper. The principal types of cutting dies are: hand dies, clicker dies, machine dinking dies and cutout dies.

D

Dip
The curve in a top line of the quarter (shaft). This curve is used for styling and the deeper dips also aid in better fitting.

Dutchman
A thin wedge of leather or fiberboard inserted between the insole and outsole of a shoe, or between the lifts of a built-up heel, to throw the foot inward or outward to correct foot posture.

E

Edge
The full edge of the boot sole and weld running around the forepart of the sole from shank to shank.

F

Foxing
The back part of a boot upper from shank to heel. This may include only the back part below the vamp line, as in a boot having a three-quarter or circular vamp; or it may include the entire back part of the upper from top edge to sole and from shank to heel, as in many types of low cut shoes.

H

Heel Base
The heel base is part of outside heel. The base fits against the outsole and can be shaped for various looks. (Some examples are: Walking Heel, Cowboy Heel, Undershot Heel, etc.) The material used is leather, leather compound, or man made materials.

Heel Counter
The heel counter is placed on the inside of the boot between the lining and the outside leather foxing. The counter is formed and molded to hold heel in place.

Heel Lift
The heel lift is the finished bottom of the heel base which must be a very good abrasive material. Acme’s heel lifts are made of high quality, long wearing materials, with non-slip characteristics.

Heel Pad
The heel pad is simply to cover the unfinished heel area.

I

Inking
A general term describing all liquid waxes or coloring materials used in setting and finishing edges, heels, soles and top-pieces. As a verb, to impregnate edges, heels, soles or top-pieces with coloring materials or wax.

Insole
A sole of leather or other material which is attached directly to a boot upper and welting. In some boot constructions, the sole surface forms the inside of the bottom of the boot; in others, it is covered with a sock lining of thin leather or other material.

L

Last
The hard plastic form over which the boot is made, and which determines the boot’s size, shape, and certain style features.

Lasting
One of the most important operations of bootmaking. Requires the shaping of the upper tightly to each contour of the last, the pulling and stretching of the upper so that there will be no wrinkled outer or lining parts, no bunching of inner parts, and no crooked seams.

Leather
The end product of a hide or skin after processing by tanning that still retains its original fibrous structure more or less intact.

Lining
Inside of boots, usually made of pigskin or a heavy twilled cotton or linen fabric.

M

Midsole
A sole of leather or other material placed between the outsole and the insole.

O

Outsole
Outermost sole of the boot, the surface of which is exposed to wear.

P

Piping
Lining to finish boot properly.

Podiatry
The profession of attending and treating the human foot. A foot doctor is called a podiatrist.

Pull Tab

The pull tab has three functions. The first and most important is to pull the boot on by putting the fingers through the loops. Second function is to cover up the side seam at the top of the cuff and the third function is decorative.

Q

Quarter
The complete upper part of a boot upper above the vamp line. The quarter may be referred to as the “shaft” in case of high boots.

R

Rib
The vertical wall formed by one or two channel lips after they have been lifted (and stuck together if there are two).

S

Shank
Forms the arch, made of steel, fiber, wood, or plastic.

Side Welt
The side welt is stitched between front and back quarter during closing operation. It does not really add any strength but is decorative and traditional on cowboy boots.

Skive
To reduce the thickness of the edge of a piece of leather or other material. Also know as “shaving.”

Sole
The bottom piece of footwear. When used as a collective trim, it includes the complete bottom part of the boot except the heel.

Sole Stitching
Holds the welting and the sole together.

Stitching
Decorative feature to boot, sometimes needed to keep leather from bagging.

T

Tanning
Process of curing animal or reptile hides and skin into leather.

Throat
The top of the vamp at the base of the foot instep.

Toplift
The top layer of leather, rubber, or composition material attached to heels.

U

Upper
The entire boot excluding the bottom.

V

Vamp
The complete forepart of a boot upper which is attached to the insole and welting. It is the most important part of the upper and the one which must possess the finest appearance and durability.