Shoe News

Of all of the bones in our body, 52 of them are found in our feet. That is 25% of the bones in our total body. Not only do our feet carry the entire weight of our body, the feet push and propel the body when walking or running. There are also more than 100 tendons connecting muscle to bone and ligaments connecting bone to bone. With all of the components making up the feet, it can be one of the most vulnerable parts of the body if not taken care of properly. The foot can also be one of the most ignored parts of the body.

Proper foot care and proper foot wear can prevent long lasting and very painful problems that occur by neglecting to follow a few simple tips.

Foot Hygiene

Your feet should be washed and dried thoroughly on a daily basis. Use a mild soap and remember the areas between the toes. The area between the toes is one of the more important areas to consider when drying. If not dried completely the moisture can become a perfect breeding ground for bacteria and fungus. The daily cleaning of your feet goes far beyond just the need to control odor and dirt. It is a preventative measure against numerous problems that can occur later down the road. If you are diabetic, proper daily foot hygiene becomes even more important and serves to protect against serious issues that in extreme cases can result in amputation. Even with daily shoe wearing, the foot naturally sheds skin and along with lint from socks and residue from shoes worn without socks, becomes a prefect staging area for bacteria and fungus. Going barefoot exposes the foot to even more bacteria found in soil and floor surfaces such as kitchens and bathrooms. Moisturizing your feet after cleaning and drying helps the skin stay supple and crack free. Any cracks along the foot expose an entrance for bacteria to enter the feet and increases the chance of infection. Moisturizer should not be applied between the toes. The natural oils are sufficient and added moisture will only increase the chance of fungus.

Toenails

During daily maintenance of your feet, the toenails should not be overlooked. Not only should the toenails be kept trimmed, but dirt should be removed. A nail brush or a soft toothbrush is a very effective method of removing dirt from under the toenails. When trimming, the nail should be cut straight across and never cut into the sides of the toe. Cut this way the skin can become irritated and inflamed resulting in an ingrown nail. If an ingrown nail occurs, see a foot specialist. Home surgery can promote more inflammation and encourage infection. Any infection of the foot can spread through to the leg and should always be examined by a foot specialist. Nails that are kept too long can be painful when wearing shoes and stand a greater chance of lifting up when injured allowing an opening for fungus. Nail fungus should always be treated by a professional. Nail fungus is usually accompanied by nail discoloration, but not all discoloration is a fungus. Nail discoloration can be signs of other things in the body such as some skin cancers or other diseases. Therefore, it is important to see a foot doctor or dermatologist if you experience nail discoloration out of the ordinary or experience any pain.

Footwear

Improper footwear is probably the leading cause of problems with the feet. The shoe is worn as a basic need for protection. With the fashions available today, that need is over shadowed by the desire to be fashionable. A narrow or tight fitting shoe can cause irritation on areas of the feet. If the shoe puts pressure on parts of the toes or foot with a bony protrusion, corns and calluses will develop in order to protect the area. Corns and calluses can be very painful and for a diabetic or someone at risk, can cause wounds or lesions that can lead to detrimental infections. Some women have a terrible time with corns and calluses due to wearing heels that put even more pressure on the toes. If you are a slave to fashion and heels, try alternating you shoes. While everyone should alternate shoes on a daily basis, it is more important if you wear heels. Try wearing heels one day and flats the next. If you know you are going to be standing or walking a lot, choose the flats rather than the heels. Not only will the flats be more comfortable, but the back aches will subside and your posture will improve. Make sure that your foot has been measured by a professional in a quality shoe store. Ordering online is very popular so you can’t always have your foot measured inside a store. You can purchase a Brannick Device online. A plastic version costs around $7.00, but the money saved on ill-fitting shoes can be substantial. (See my blog article, “Shoes A-Z” here at HouserShoes.com/blog/) You really don’t have to throw fashion away in order to have a pair of properly fitted shoes. Information is the key to making a smart decision.

HouserShoes.com is always willing to help in deciding which shoe is fitting for you. Many styles carry the APMA Seal of Approved/Accepted. (/blog/what-is-the-apma-seal-of-approvedaccepted/) Our friendly and knowledgeable sales staff is always there to help. Whether visiting one of the many brick and mortar locations of Houser Shoes or GB Shoes, or talking with our Customer Service Representatives when ordering online, you can rely upon HouserShoes.com to have the comfort you are looking for without jeopardizing the fashion.

I started the shoe glossary hoping to add knowledge for myself and for others with the interest and need to know more about shoes and the parts that make the shoe. Now that I have covered the letter A, let’s move on to B!

Back Seam – Running down the center back of shoes, the back seam is a vertically stitched seam.

Ball – Found between the arch and the toes, the ball of the foot is the part of the foot on which the body weight rests when the heel is elevated.

Balmorals – An ankle high shoe with front laces. The laces are sewn to the front of the shoe throat in a closed “v” shape concealing the tongue completely except for the tip. Prince Albert wore such a shoe on a visit to Balmoral Castle bringing awareness and popularity to the style.

Bellows Tongue – A shoe tongue attached at both the top and sides of the shoe.

Bespoke – A truly custom shoe to an individual. The bespoke shoe is made on a custom last rather than a standard last allowing the individual to choose every detail of the shoe construction.

Bicycle Toe – A shoe toe with two straight line stitched accents resembling professional bicycle shoe details.

Bluchers – Similar to a Blamoral, an ankle length shoe with front laces where the laces are left unattached to the shoe’s throat. (Unlike Ba Balmoral) This construction is easier to adjust the fit easily by loosening or tightening the shoe flaps. Named for a Prussian Marshal, Gebhard Blucher, who ordered this type of shoes for his soldiers.

Blucher Toe – Sometimes referred to as a revere Apron Toe, the Blucher Toe has a tow overlay that creates a smooth apron-less look.

Boat Shoe – Worn with or without sock, the boat shoe has a white non-slip sole with a herringbone ridge pattern in order to create traction. Often they feature leather side lacings for ornamental purposes.

Boot – Any shoe that comes up above the ankle. Not only stylish, the boot serves  a utilitarian purpose for certain trades or activities.

Boot Heel – Found on boots, a wide stable heel of minimum height.

Bouldering Shoes – A specific type of climbing shoe made for low to the ground routes that can be hazardous without rope protection.

Bottoming – Process of attaching the sole to the upper through basic methods which can include cementing, molding, and sewing.

Braided Thread – A thread where the ply has been braided instead of twisted adding to the strength and durability of the thread.

Brannick Device – A device used to measure the length and width of a person’s foot to insure proper fit. A Brannock Device is most commonly seen in shoe stores made from a metal, but can be bought for home use in other types of materials such as plastic.

Break – Resulting from everyday use, a break refers to the crease in leather across the upper of a shoe.

Brogue – Similar to a Balmoral or an Oxford type shoe that has enhanced perforations or zig zag stitching known as pinking drawing attention to the seams of the shoe.

Brogueing – A decorative technique created by pinking which adds an ornamental look to shoes such as the holes in a wingtip shoe.

Buckle – A clasp type element attaching one piece of material to another as in an ankle strap.

Bunions – Mostly associated with the big toe, a bunion is a boney protrusion making shoe fitting difficult and wearing shoes painful.

Burnish – Burnishing a shoe creates the look of antique leather by buffing the surface.

There you have it. The letter “B” in shoe terminology. I hope that you find the terms useful and maybe you have learned something new. I know I have! Please continue to read the blog here at HouserShoes.com and next week I will be covering the letter “C”.  Test out your new found shoe terminology the next time you visit a Houser Shoes or GB Shoes location and share your knowledge!