Types of Women Shoes

In the previous post we've discuss how important for modern Muslim women to know different types of handbags. The same amount of importance is placed in knowing different types of shoes. There are many types of woman's shoes and here are the names and descriptions of many common and not so common types.

Classic Black Pumps

These are shoes where the foot is supported all around the shoe front, back and on both sides and can have an ankle strap. The sole is a one piece type with a heel of any size with a high heel pump often called a stiletto. For everyday use to the office, business occasions, shopping, lunch outings; the classic Black Pump is the best choice. It is comfortable to wear for the whole day, and one should prefer a 2 to 3 inch heel for ideal comfort. These shoes can be leather or micro-fiber, though leather allows the feet to aerate properly.

Neutral Low Heel Pumps

The Neutral Low Heel Pump is a variation to the former, as black is not always the ideal color to wear with all clothes. The neutral colors are beige or taupe, although navy and brown are also good options with clothes of the same color scheme. The heels of these shoes are low and the shoe is closed at the toe, in a rounded or pointed version according to taste, though the rounded toes are the more comfortable of the two.

Open Toe Dress Heels

This is basically a pump shoe as described above where the front is cut away to expose all of the toes. When this is done to only expose the big toe or middle toes using a smaller cutaway it would be referred to as a peep hole shoe. In other words, it can come in the closed back pump style or the sling back (with just a strap over the heel). The heels of these types of women shoes should ideally be 3 to 4 inches, being the sort of shoe women wear on special occasions, such as dating and parties, for it conveys a certain flair of femininity to those women who wear them. A shiny patent leather or metallic are good options.

Flats or Skimmers

Some more conventional types of women shoes are the Flats or Skimmers. Skimmers come in fun colors and patterns. These shoes can be worn with jeans, capris or other casual wear. If you want something a little more dressy, you can choose a ballet flat trimmed with bows, jewels and ribbons instead.

Suede or Fabric Mules

This type of shoe is one which has a heel but has no support around the ankle and rear of the shoe or another way to describe it is as a heeled flip flop. These can be completely closed at the front or cut away as an open toe or peep hole shoe. The Suede or Fabric Mules are also to be worn with more casual wear and come with a 2 to 3 inch heel and are open in the back allowing feet extra freedom and air.

Oxford

This is the name given to a shoe which encloses the foot and is laced up along the top this can be a flat, heeled or wedge styled shoe.

Sandals

These are where the sole of shoe can be flat, wedged or heeled and the upper part is made up of straps which can be arranged in any form to secure the shoe. This means that the toes and most of the sides and top are uncovered and the straps can even go up the leg towards the knee and this type of sandal is often called a gladiator sandal. Birkenstock sandal footwear are the favorite flat woman's sandals often called papillio sandals as they are made under license.

Wedge Shoe

This is any type of heeled footwear where the there is no gap below the sole meaning the full length of the base of the shoe makes contact with the ground. If you put wedge shoes on the ground, you will notice that the heel and the front of the shoe where the front of the foot rests are connected. Usually the space is completely filled in and creates a shoe where the entire sole rests on the ground. Sometimes there is a hole in the wedge part of the shoe, but it is still considered a wedge if the sole of the shoe is entirely on the ground.

What makes a wedge special is that you look sexy and get all the benefits of wearing heels without having to balance on a thin heel. This means you may be able to wear a higher heel than you normally would while still feeling the stability of wearing pumps or other, shorter heels. Wedges come in many styles and shapes, and with the wedge portion for designers to work with there is a whole world of possibilities that heels lack. Having the whole sole on the ground means you will feel more stable while walking in your wedges and can enjoy yourself without having to worry about your balance and how you're going to get from the car to the restaurant.

Espadrilles

When it comes to woman's shoe styles, no style stands out more than the espadrilles. They look like a wedge because there is no space between the heel and the part of the shoe where the ball of the foot and the toes are, but they differ from wedges because the sole is covered in a rope-like fabric named after the original rope braid used to make them over a century ago in the Pyrenees. Even if there isn't a heel on the shoe, if the sole looks like a basket weave of rope, you are looking at an espadrille. They tend to have rubber on the inside of the rope material for an added comfort factor that other heels usually do not offer. The upper is typically made of canvas but can be any material such as leather, suede, or something even more exotic! In the olden days, espadrilles utilized the extra fabric that wraps around the ankle to keep the shoe on. Nowadays, the fabric or ribbon on some espadrilles are there for fashion and not for function. Espadrilles are fun shoes, but are not meant for long hikes or a lot of walking, but some of the newer styles have more arch support and may be worn as an all-day shoe.

Stiletto

The stiletto heel is usually 4"-6" in height and tapered sharply, like the spring-loaded knife for which it is named, and a lady who spends enough time in a pair of stilettos may feel that she is indeed walking on knives. Stilettos are often called "eff me pumps" because they are insane amounts of sexy.

D’Orsay

Kitten Heels

Tapered like the stiletto, but as the heel is only 1"-2" high, the effect is more cute than sexy. If you're looking for great rockabilly fashion but don't want to try walking in four inch stilettos or higher, you should consider a kitten heel. When it comes to types of women's shoes, the kitten heel is an unsung hero. It is similar to a stiletto but the heel only ranges from one-and-a-half to two inches high - making it infinitely more wearable than a four inch stiletto.

What makes the kitten heel unique is the curve in the middle of the heel that makes it look like an hourglass. In some cases the curve is only on one half of the heel, making it look like half an hourglass. But kitten heels aren't just for retro or rockabilly girls. They are becoming more popular in the mainstream with designers like Manolo Blahnik starting to make more kitten heels instead of the stilettos (or the Needle, as he calls stilettos) because they have not been very popular and Manolo is known for bringing back great trends and making them his own. So expect to see more kitten heels available as they increase in popularity. They are easier to wear because the heel is shorter, and they still look sexy and feminine because the heel is thin and curved. It's basically the same great chic look as the stiletto with none of the pain and balance issues that stilettos have.

This is a shoe which has no sides but has a support at the heel area and the toes are covered this can be with or without an ankle strap.

Mary Jane

This can be a flat or heeled shoe which like a pump encloses the foot all the way around it. The front of this shoe will be square or very slightly rounded with a cross strap running across the foot central between the ankle and toes

Sling backs

Open-backed shoes with a strap that runs back along the heel, rather than around the ankle. Way sexier than pumps. Can have a high or low heel. Sling back shoes are a simple, easy way to add a dash of sexy to any outfit. Woman's sling backs have a strap around the back of the ankle that can use a buckle or elastic to stay in place. The heel and upper part of the shoe can vary in size and style, because it's the strap across the back of the ankle that makes a shoe a sling back. Black sling backs are seen in offices all over, as they retain a great feminine quality without being too sexy. They also come in bright colors and fun patterns. If you don't feel comfortable in a mule or a sandal without a back to support your heel or ankle, sling backs are perfect for you. Sling back shoes are typically open toed to add to the overall openness of the shoe. The band that rests at the back of the ankle varies in width, so if you feel you need more support you can get that in a sling back by getting a shoe with a wide back band. Sling backs come a variety of styles such as wedges, heels, ballet flats, sandals, mules, or any other shoe style to fit your tastes.

Boots

These are shoes which completely enclose the foot and can come in flat, wedge and heeled styles. There are various types with the shortest being the Ankle high boot which reaches just above the ankle then it's the Knee high boot which stops just before reaching the knee and the Thigh high which covers the leg all the way to the thigh. Two lesser known boots are the crotch boots which reach all the way up the leg to the crotch and the Chap boot which is a modified crotch boot which has a piece of material which reaches over the hips and secured around the waist with a belt.

Athletic Shoes

Should also be mentioned, there are specific styles created for women and for different types of sports activities, such as running, training or working out, for each athletic shoe has it own particular characteristic.You want to keep in shape, so you should have one top quality athletic shoe. Choose from Nike, Adidas, PUMA, New Balance are other established athletic shoe companies. If you do a lot of running, make sure to get a pair of athletic shoes with plenty of cushioning and support. If you play a particular sport, find the shoe that is best suited for your workouts or training regimen.

However, it should be noted that even though you wear athletic shoes for comfort and exercise and running around, that doesn't mean you can't take advantage of the hundreds of great styles and colors available for woman's athletic footwear. From Velcro to laces, from high-tops to backless, athletic shoes have become a fashion statement beyond just being functional.

sources:

type 

boot shoes 

next

guide 

sport shoes 

others