Glossary

Welcome to our guide to words and phrases used in the world of shoes. Many thanks to Barker - Fine English Shoes for extracts from their booklet 'The Art of Fine English Shoe making'.

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z

A

Aniline Calf Uppers
Very high quality chrome tanned calf skin is used for finished calf-upper leathers. The finish is completely transparent and shows the unique detail of the calf leather grain. Only the best blemish-free skins can be used.

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B

Barkerwelt, Trade Description
Barkerwelt is a special Barker version of the welted construction. By adjusting the 'lasting' and 'making' process, the sole is cemented and not stitched. This allows for a closer sole edge and a lighter sole, giving a finer looking, more flexible shoe - while still retaining the advantages of welted shoes.

Brogue (and Semi-Brogue)
See Shoe Styles.

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C

Calf Leather
The skin of very young cattle which offers fine grain, suppleness and exceptional durability. A versatile leather that can be used for virtually every type of shoe.

Cobbler
A rich shine leather, which requires little polishing.

Cemented Construction
A construction using specialised adhesives ,in place of stitched welts, to bond the upper parts and soles, thus achieving lightness and flexibility.

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D

Derby/Gibson
See Shoe Styles.

Dressing
After drying out the leather after tanning the leather is dressed.

This could involve:

1. Completely softening the leather (taking out any area of hardness that may be left in). This is achieved by hand or machine process called staking, in which the leather is flexed and pulled.
2. Final colouring.
3. Buffing up the flesh side with abrasives to produce a nap finish (suede).
4. Rolling and glazing to produce a high gloss by flattening out and smoothing the grain surface (grain leather).
5. Pigmenting the leather to cover outstanding imperfections.
6. Correcting grain side leather by abrading the grain surface to give a more uniform and less marked appearance.
7. Patented polyurethane finishes which produce easy care - 'wipe clean' and 'wet look' leathers.

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F

Full-Grain Leather
Skins where only the hair has been removed, leaving the natural surface grain unchanged.

Flexwelts:   Trade description
Underfoot system with Poron® to reduce shock and odour.

Leather soles with flexible, slip-resistant rubber inserts. Comfortable straight from the box.
View Flexwelt shoes

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G

Goodyear Welt
A traditional method of manufacturing, which provides a shoe that will give comfort, excellent shape retention, water resistance and repairable properties.

Goodyear welted, the essence of this construction is that the upper is shaped over the last and secured by sewing a strip of leather or 'welt' to the upper and inner sole. The process is then completed by attaching a sole to the welt.

Gelactiv:   Trade description
Dynamic gel technology that provides a unique shock absorber for feet.

Gelactiv reduces heel impact during the first step.	It then distributes pressure equally along the length of the foot.	As the body moves forward, Gelactiv again absorbs the pressure on the ball of the foot.

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K

Kid Leather
The skin of young goats, which offers fine grain and suppleness, predominantly used for casual and lightweight shoes.

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L

Leather

Leather is a natural product. Like real wood and wool it has a life of its own with a distinctive quality look. Leather is both protective and uniquely comfortable.

Leather shoes retain their shape and grow old gracefully. Properly maintained, like good wine, they improve with age.

Leather is made from the skin or hide of any reptile animal or bird by a process called tanning. This process preserves the skin or hide, which would otherwise decay.

A most important characteristic of leather as far as the shoe trade is concerned is that it has a fibrous structure, which allows it to transmit water vapour (i.e. perspiration). Leather breathes and controls the foot's temperature, permeating out the foot's moisture.

The leather industry normally refers to a hide as coming from a large animal (such as a cow, elephant, buffalo) and it is necessary to cut and divide a hide in order to assist subsequent processing.

A skin can come from four sources:

• Small or young animals (e.g. calf, sheep, goat, pig).
• Reptiles (e.g. snake, crocodile, lizard)
• Animals or mammals, where the hair is left on as a feature, such as calf, pony, reindeer, or antelope.
• Birds (such as ostrich).

Leather manufacture is carried out in two stages:-

• The preparation and tanning of the hides and skins
• The process of finishing the leather.

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M

Moccasin
This construction was developed from the methods used by North American Indians. A moccasin construction produces a very light, flexible and comfortable shoe with a distinctive appearance.

A 'bag' of leather is formed by hand stitching an apron to a vamp. This bag is dampened and then forced on to the last to form the shape of the shoe. The sole is then stitched or glued to the formed upper part. Because the soft leather goes round the foot, forming a flexible and adaptable 'bag' a moccasin is a exceptionally comfortable.

Monk/Derby
See Shoe Styles.

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N

Nubuck
Nubuck is a grain leather that has been slightly brushed on the surface to create a very fine velvet-like appearance.

A superior brushing technique than that which is used for suede, the texture of Nubuck is finer than suede because the natural grain pattern is left intact.

Nappa Leather
Skins, normally from lambs, which are remarkably soft and supple; primarily used for shoes where comfort is the key.

Naturform (Trade description):

Properly styled to conform to the natural shape of the foot. All Naturform styles feature a contoured footbed insole - soft, shock absorbing and offering support during the everyday movements of feet.

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O

Oxford
See Shoe Styles.

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P

Patent Leather
Fine grain leather is specially treated with polyurethane to create an exceptionally gloss finish, especially suitable for evening wear. Patent leather can also be used in conjunction with other leather to produce eye catching results.

P.U Sole
Polyurethane sole which is lightweight, flexible, hard wearing and has shock-absorbing qualities.

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Q

Shoe Quiz - just for fun
How many correct answers can you answer?

1. The human foot has
1. 9 muscles
2. 18 muscles
3. 36 muscles


2. In the early 19th century, long distance walking became a popular pastime. This was called
1. pedestrian
2. walkabouts
3. footings


3. Approximately what percentage of all bones in the human body are found in the foot
1. 6%
2. 12%
3. 25%


4. The slide fastener (zipper) was invented as a waterproof closure for galoshes in
1. 1893
2. 1907
3. 1927


5. The most paid for a pair of shoes was for
1. Princess Diana's wedding shoes.
2. John Travolta's shoes in Saturday Night Fever.
3. Judy Garland's ruby slippers in the Wizard of Oz.


6. Which fictitious secret agent had a telephone built in his shoe
1. James Bond
2. John Speed
3. Maxwell Smart


7. Where are the boots worn by Neil Armstrong for his famous first walk on the moon in 1969 when he uttered the famous words "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind".
1. The National Air and Space museum
2. In Neil Armstrong's personal possession
3. In space


8. In a famous nursery rhyme, who sailed off in a wooden shoe
1. The Owl and the Pussycat
2. Wynker, Blynker and Nod
3. The fork and the spoon


9. Which shoe did Pat Boone popularize in the 1950's
1. White Bucks
2. Saddle Shoes
3. Penny Loafers


10. Approximately how many pairs of shoes did Imelda Marcos have in her shoe room
1. 800 pairs
2. 1500 pairs
3. 6000 pairs

Answers
1) b     2) a     3) c     4) a     5) c     6) c     7) c     8) b     9) a     10) b

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S

Shoe Manufacture
The main processes used in the manufacturing of shoes:

1. Clicking
   This is a process where the skins, hides or man-made materials are cut into the shoe upper sections.
2. Closing
   To produce an upper, the various upper sections are stitched together.
3. Bottom Stock Preparation
   This is where the process of cutting and preparing bottom components (such as soles and insoles) takes place.
4. Lasting
   Gathering and shaping the assembled uppers on the last and fixing the upper on to the insole.
5. Making
   A number of processes by which heels and soles are attached to the lasted shoe.
6. Finishing
   Where the process of improving the durability and appearance of the shoe by various operations such as bottom securing and edge trimming.

Shoe Room Processing
Where all the cosmetic operations take place, such as upper cleaning and dressing, insertion of socks, final inspection and boxing.

Suede Leather
Leather with a buffed underside, giving an attractive textured appearance.

Sympatex Range:   Trade Description

Special footwear range incorporating the total windproof and waterproof Sympatex membrane.
Guaranteed waterproof, with a high level of breathability, it allows feet to remain comfortable and dry throughout the day. Totally Halogen free and solvent-free, it is the most eco-friendly waterproof membrane.

Shoe Maintenance
Here are some tips on how to get the most from your shoes through good shoe care.

• General Advice
  On the first few occasions wear your new shoes in dry conditions.
  Thereafter, try to avoid wearing the same shoes on successive days. It prolongs their life and helps to keep them smart and comfortable. Keep them on shoe-trees whenever you can and always use a shoe horn.
• Wet Shoes
  Never dry wet shoes near fires, radiators or hot pipes. Slow natural drying at normal room temperature is best. The moisture absorbed by the leather during wear needs at least 24 hours to evaporate naturally. Stuffing with newspaper will help to absorb the moisture and reframe the shoe.
• Cleaning
  Good calf, grain and kid leathers deserve good treatment. Always clean regularly with a brush or damp cloth to remove all traces of dirt before applying a good quality shoe cream or polish of the correct colour.
• Suede Shoes
  After removing all dirt when dry, brush up the nap using a rubber or stiff bristled suede brush. Stains may be carefully removed with a proprietary solvent cleaner.
  Bald patches can be restored with fine sand paper.
• Nubuck Leather Shoes
  Should be wiped with a cloth dipped in slightly soapy warm water.
• Patent Leather
  Clean with a damp cloth or use a good quality proprietary patent leather spray.

Shoe Styles
Here are some examples of the key shoe styles:-

• Brogue
  
• Oxford
  
• Monk/Derby
  
• Derby/Gibson
  
• Semi Brogue
  

To view a range of examples of each style, select the style you would like to see from the drop-down menu on our search facility.

Sole Units
Styles of Goodyear Welted Soles:

• Commando
  
• Dainite = Rubber
  
• Ridgeway
  
• Leather Chanelled
  
• Leather stitched aloft
  

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T

Tanning
A hide or a skin Is converted into leather by a chemical process known as tanning. The two most widely used tanning methods are :-

• Vegetable Tannage
  Use is made of water containing natural tanning extracted from plant leaves, barks, etc to produce the tanning liquor. The most commonly used is the mimosa tanning from the wattle tree. Vegetable tanning is quite a lengthy process producing relatively dense, firm or solid leather for use in shoe sole leathers, bags, lining leathers and belts.
• Mineral Tannage
  This can be divided into full chrome tanned, semi chrome tanned and chrome re-tanned. The priorities in tanning to produce the required finished leather are :
  • Choice of hide or skin.
  • Choice of the method of tannage.
  • Preparation of the tanning liquors.
  • Careful control of the time, temperature and strength of the liquor into which the hide or skin is immersed.
  • Choice or type of the finished look required.
• Mineral Tannage (Chrome Tanned)
  Use is made of mineral salts, such as Chromium Sulphate, to produce a tanning liquor. This process takes 24 hours and initially gives the leather a pale duck egg blue colour. The type of leather produced is soft or resilient , used for shoe upper leather, glove and soft sole leathers (for example, ladies shoes or slipper soles) to give flexibility.

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Z

Zug Grain
Water resistant hard-wearing leather.

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