A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot. Though the human foot can adapt to varied terrains and climate conditions, it is vulnerable, and shoes provide protection. Form was originally tied to function, but over time, shoes also became fashion items. Some shoes are worn as safety equipment, such as steel-toe boots, which are required footwear at industrial worksites.
Footwear refers to garments worn on the feet, which typically serve the purpose of protection against adversities of the environment such as wear from rough ground; stability on slippery ground; and temperature.
The Wellington boot, often shortened to welly and also known as the gumboot, is a type of waterproof boot.
Dr. Martens also known as Doc Martens, Docs, or DMs, is a footwear and clothing brand, headquartered in Wollaston, Northamptonshire. Although famous for its footwear, the company also makes a range of accessories including clothing and bags. The footwear is distinguished by its air-cushioned sole, upper shape, welted construction, and yellow stitching. The Dr Martens' design studio is in Camden Town, London England. The company manufactures in the UK, China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.
Slippers are a type of shoes falling under the broader category of light footwear, that are easy to put on and off and are intended to be worn indoors, particularly at home. They provide comfort and protection for the feet when walking indoors.
Shoemaking is the process of making footwear.
Clarks, the trade name of C. & J. Clark International Limited, is a British international shoe manufacturer and retailer majority owned by Viva Goods, Hong Kong. It was founded in 1825 by Cyrus Clark in the village of Street, Somerset, England, where the company's headquarters remain. The company has 1,400 branded stores and franchises around the world and also sells through third-party distribution. Clarks also operated concessions in Mothercare stores. Clarks had been owned by the Clark family and employees, but taken over via a £100 million investment by the Hong Kong-based private equity firm LionRock Capital, after which the Clarks family lost overall control of the company. In January 2021, Viva China Holdings agreed to acquire 51% of LionRock Capital, so has a substantial stake in the Clarks brand. Viva China was later renamed to be Viva Goods Co. Ltd.
Galoshes, also known by many other names, are a type of overshoe or rubber boot that is put on over shoes to keep them from getting muddy or wet during inclement weather.
A court shoe or pump is a shoe with a low-cut front, or vamp, with either a shoe buckle or a black bow as ostensible fastening. Deriving from the 17th- and 18th-century dress shoes with shoe buckles, the vamped pump shape emerged in the late 18th century. By the turn of the 19th century, shoe buckles were increasingly replaced by black bows, which has remained the contemporary style for men's formal wear, leather or patent leather evening pumps ever since. This latter style is sometimes also called an opera pump or opera slipper.
A Goodyear welt is a strip of leather, rubber, or plastic that runs along the perimeter of a shoe outsole. The basic principle behind the Goodyear welt machine was invented in 1862 by August Destouy who designed a machine with a curved needle to stitch turned shoes. The machine was then improved in 1869 and later by Destouy and, more importantly, Daniel Mills, an English mechanic, both employed by Charles Goodyear Jr., the son of Charles Goodyear. It has been noted by historians that Goodyear was a frequent visitor to the shoe factory of William J. Dudley, founder of Johnston & Murphy, where early work on sole stitching equipment was performed.
Solovair is a brand of British-made boots and footwear, produced by NPS Shoes Ltd., which was established in 1881. The NPS factory is based in Wollaston, Northamptonshire, an area known for its shoe industry. NPS shoes are known for their Goodyear welt technology which is used in all their shoe production. This particular technique is needed to fix the Solovair sole onto "Soft Sole Suspension" boots and shoes.
Tredair is a brand of British-made footwear first produced by White & Co., a shoe factory and then a shoe design and procurement business in Northamptonshire.
Johnston & Murphy is an American footwear and clothing company based in Nashville, Tennessee. Johnston & Murphy designs, sources, markets and distributes footwear, apparel, leather goods and luggage. A subsidiary of Genesco Inc., the Johnston & Murphy Group operates retail and wholesale businesses.
Anello & Davide is a footwear company based in Covent Garden, London. It specialises in ballet shoes and theatrical footwear as well as making high quality fashion footwear for men and women. They are perhaps best known as the shoemakers responsible for the Beatle boot. The shop is seen briefly in the opening shot of the 1953 film Street of Shadows.
Colchester Rubber Co. was a footwear brand manufactured by the Colchester Rubber Company.
Wildsmith Shoes is a high-end English handmade footwear manufacturer, founded in London in 1847 by husband and wife team, Matthew and Rebecca Wildsmith. They based their business on making and repairing boots for the Household Cavalry.
The Chelsea Cobbler is a British shoe brand that was established in the 1960s in Chelsea.
Loake Brothers Ltd is a British shoemaker, founded in 1880, family-owned and still located in Kettering, Northamptonshire.
R.E. Tricker Ltd, which trades as Tricker's, is a British footwear company established in 1829 by Joseph Tricker in Northampton.
Sanders & Sanders Ltd. is a luxury English shoe brand first established as Sander Bros in 1873 by William and Thomas Sanders in Rushden, Northamptonshire.
