Who does not want a versatile shoe wardrobe with a variety of footwear to match each outfit and occasion? But, did you ever try to know more about your shoes. Most likely, your knowledge will be limited to only a few common types of shoes, with very little knowledge. So, if you want to come out of your ignorance, buckle up to enter the endless world of shoe style with us.
What To Expect In This Article?
What Is A Shoe?
A shoe is anything that covers your feet and protects against the outside environment and comes with a sturdy sole to provide ankle support and minimize friction by creating a shield between the ground and the foot. There are various types of shoes that we will discuss later in this blog.
History And Origins Of The Shoe
The earliest leather shoes were discovered in Armenia and are estimated to be 5500 years old. The shoe was a piece of leather sewed with lace and preserved by stuffing grass into the hollows. This leather shoe was certainly not made for fashion purposes but had a more practical usage. The design was quite similar to the shoes already manufactured in Europe for hundreds of years.
Types Of Shoes For Men And Women
Whether you are a man or a woman, shoes are an integral part of your personality. Therefore, choosing the right shoe to match your footwear requirement is crucial. Here are the most trendy shoe styles every man and woman should have in their closets.
1. Athletic Shoes
The word Athletic shoes are often used to refer to a variety of footwear specially designed for some sports activity. For example, they may be football shoes, running shoes, or gym trainers. These shoes utilized a quality synthetic leather material in their manufacturing with high-strength rubber soles.
The athletic shoe design provides extra ankle support with a slightly deep arch cut to comfort your feet. Moreover, each shoe design caters to the requirements of the specific sport. For example, football shoes come with spikes or cleats to facilitate the player with a firm grip on the field during the match.
2. Bowling Shoes
These shoes are specially made to be used while having fun at bowling alleys. The leather upper with laces and the slick rubber sole with a slight heel is what distinguishes them from other footwear. Despite not being so expensive, people prefer to rent these shoes at the bowling alleys because of their limited utility.
3. Canvas Shoes
As their name suggests, canvas shoes are stitched out of the canvas. Being washable, lightweight, and breathable, the canvas is a good shoe choice to adorn in hot weather. They are washable and inexpensive than most leather shoes and come in various colors to match your footwear needs. Typically a canvas shoe is usually seen as a casual sneaker. However, there are several trendy canvas shoe designs to choose from, like canvas slides and sandals.
4. Oxfords
Oxford shoes are among the most popular types of dress shoes for men. The design consists of a closed lacing with eyelet tabs placed under the vamp for a more formal look. They are usually made from premium calf, suede, canvas, and other synthetic materials. The casual oxford comes in various colors, but the most sought traditional oxford is preferred in black or brown.
5. Moccasins
Moccasins are semi-formal shoes with a signature decorative stitch around the upper edges, making them a perfect pair of shoes to wear with a leather jacket. The earliest design was a few pieces of leather sewn to cover the feet. However, modern moccasins are typically described as a slip-on shoes stitched with one piece of leather, while the sides and soles are attached from the top, giving them a distinctive shape and design.
6. Loafers
The loafer shoes are laceless slip-on shoes with low to no heels or sometimes wedge heels. You can wear these shoes professionally or casually, depending on the design and shoe aesthetics. The most common materials for loafers include canvas, leather, or other synthetic materials. If you are looking for some trendy loafers, design horse bit, penny loafers, tassel, and kiltie can be your favorite shoes.
7. Sneakers
The sneakers are one casual shoe everyone loves equally, regardless of gender. They are typically a non-athletic pair of canvas shoes with lightweight, soft rubber soles to facilitate your foot movement. A perfect pair to wear with your jeans outfits. These trendy shoes come in various designs, from platforms to lace-up, high-top, and slip-on; each has a class of its own.
8. Tennis Shoes
Tennis shoes are a type of sports shoe designed for professional tennis players. They have a flexible sole to provide stability against sprints and rapid foot movement. In addition, their soles are thick and heavy for an immediate bounce back in the field. Apart from tennis, these shoes can be used for several other intensive sports activities. May be this is why people refer every other athletic shoe as a tennis shoe.
9. Platform Shoes
Any shoe with a thick sole or heel can be put in the category of a platform shoe. The minimum height of the sole should not be less than one inch and can reach up to four inches. Unlike other shoes, platforms are designed to add a noticeable increase in the height of your shoes. You can opt for a platform sole in various shoe types, i.e., clogs, mules, high heels, boots, and even casual sneakers.
10. Heels
Heels are typically described as a raised area under your shoe sole. While men’s shoe also has slight heels. However, heels are conventionally described as a type of women’s footwear. Heels come in various styles and sizes, reaching from a small elevation to several inches in height. The slight platform heels are a staple attire to wear with a casual professional dress code. The other popular types of heels include pinet heels, angle heels, stacked heels, stilettoes, and wedges.
11. Sandals
The term sandals are generic to all the shoes with a flat sole design and thin straps sewed into the bottom of the foot. These shoes are often categorized as casual wear with a wide range of styles and colors. The most sought-after sandal styles that everyone should own include clogs, zoris, and Roman sandals. Moreover, It is among the most economical footwear range, as it can be manufactured using any material from jute, cork, leather, rubber, and plastic.
12. Wedges
Wedge shoes, a great alternative to heels, consist of a hefty thick sole that elongates all the way to the sole. Unlike the platforms, wedges have high heels and do not have a uniform thickness all around. The wedges may come in various styles, reaching from short to tall and having about two to three inches of heel. These shoe styles usually come with flip flops, pumps, and sandals to adorn any casual event with maximum style.
13. Espadrilles
Espadrilles are casual slip-on shoes with canvas or cotton top and flexible esparto rope soles. The modern version of espadrilles may also include platform or wedge heels with ankle laces to effortlessly style with your beachwear. These shoes were initially designed for peasants in ancient Spain, which later entered the fashion world and became a raging trend in the twentieth century.
14. Flip Flops
Flip Flops, the oldest type of footwear ever known, have roots in ancient Egypt; have a Y-shaped strap design to separate the big toe from other toe fingers. These thong sandals are usually put into the everyday casual footwear range, especially to wear in summers against the burning heat and on beach hangouts.
15. Pump/Court Shoes
Pumps or court shoes are among the most popular and trendy formal women’s shoes. They can be flat or heeled with a low-cut vamp. Traditionally, court shoes were designed with black patent leather with embellishment or bows at the throat, but the simple no buckle design is more popular today. Whether a casual workday in a suit or a weekend night out in a jumpsuit outfit, a pair of court shoes has become a necessity for every women’s wardrobe with its versatility.
FAQs
How many types of shoes are there?
There are countless types of shoes available, but there are fifteen to twenty most prominent shoe types that everyone should have in their wardrobe.
Can certain types of shoes help you lose weight?
No, the shoes do not necessarily help you lose weight, but a quality pair of athletic shoes can indeed facilitate your workout session to help you lose weight faster.
What types of shoes should a man own?
Every man should own at least one pair of each primary shoe type to fulfill the basic footwear needs, i.e., formal, casual, semi-formal, and athletic shoes.
What are the types of running shoes?
There are five types of essential running shoes: lightweight running shoes, stability shoes, motion control shoes, trail shoes, and cushioned shoes.
Conclusion,
The origin of shoes is deep-rooted in history and ages back thousands of years. There are countless types of shoes, each of which has a unique design that serves a purpose. Initially, the shoes were considered a product to cover feet from the outside and reduce the effect of friction from the ground, which later became an essential part of our lifestyle.
