Toe boxThe section of a closed shoe that surrounds the toes. On a running shoe the vamp forms it. A hardened piece set between the outer material and the lining keeps its shape and protects the toes from rubbing.
EyestayThe strip that carries the eyelets. Also called the facing. One on each side of the opening. Sewn under the vamp it makes an oxford (closed lacing). Sewn on top of the vamp it makes a derby (open lacing).
EyeletsHoles for the laces. They make the lacing easy to tighten and keep the lace from tearing through the upper. Some shoes use hooks for the top few. A 1916 account says they were enameled because bare ones soon wore brassy.
LacesA cord pulled tight to close the upper over the foot. One per shoe. Called shoestrings in the United States and bootlaces in Britain. A flat lace tends to stay tied better than a round one, because it crimps more inside the knot.
TongueA flap between laces and foot. It stops the cord pressing on the top of the foot. Only laced shoes need one. The name comes from its shape.
CollarThe padded edge of the ankle opening on an athletic shoe. Its height sets how far up the ankle the shoe reaches. On a dress shoe the same edge is called the topline.
Heel counterA firm cup built into the back of the upper. It holds the heel of the foot in place. Plastic in most running shoes. In a leather shoe the counters are cemented in to support the quarters over the heel.
MidsoleThe cushioning layer, and the bulk of a running shoe's shock absorption. Usually EVA or polyurethane foam, sometimes wrapped around gel or pockets of air. Some shoes have none at all.
OutsoleThe layer in contact with the ground. On running shoes it is hard carbon rubber or softer blown rubber, cut with tread for grip. On dress shoes it is often leather.
AgletA small sheath, usually plastic or metal, that stops the lace unraveling. It also makes the lace easy to push through a hole. Also spelled aiglet. The word comes from an Old French name for a small needle, and an older English name is a tag
InsoleThe layer inside the shoe, under the foot. In a running shoe it is often a thin sheet of EVA foam. Many shoes have a removable one, which is also called a footbed or a sockliner.
Dress shoe 7
Toe capAn extra piece sewn over the toe of many oxfords. Its shape names the style: a pointed cap with wings that run back along both sides makes a wingtip, also called a full brogue.
VampThe front part of the upper. It starts behind the toe and reaches back around the eyelets and the tongue. On an oxford it is sewn over the front of the quarters. On a derby the quarters are sewn over it.
QuarterThe upper's back and sides. It wraps around the heel of the foot to meet the vamp. Shoemakers say quarters, in the plural, one for each side. A stiff counter inside supports them over the heel.
LiningThe inner layer that faces the foot, leather or woven cloth. A 1916 account says the cotton for it was woven in a special way so it would not rub up when damp.
WeltA narrow strip sewn to the lower edge of the upper. Also sewn to a lip on the insole, all the way around except at the heel. The outsole is then sewn to the strip, so it never has to be stitched straight to the insole.
ShankA long, thin stiffener between the insole and the outsole. It keeps the arch of the shoe from sagging. Heavy work and hiking boots often use steel. Newer ones are more often fiberglass, which conducts less heat.
HeelThe raised block at the bottom rear of the shoe. It sits under the heel bone. On a leather shoe it is built from layers called lifts. It is nailed on, then a last lift is pressed over the nails, which is why a new heel shows none.
How this list was compiled: Every part on the drawing is named by at least two independent references, all read on 2026-09-19 for facts only, with nothing copied. (1) Wikipedia, Shoe, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoe: the Construction section (insole, midsole, outsole, heel, upper, welt, tongue, eyelets, aglet, vamp, toe box) and the labels of its public-domain dress shoe diagram (quarter, counter, toe cap, welt, topline or cuff, top piece). (2) Wikipedia, Oxford shoe and Derby shoe, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_shoe and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derby_shoe: eyestays or facings that hold the eyelets, sewn under the vamp on an oxford (closed lacing) and on top of it on a derby (open lacing), quarters, toe cap. (3) Wikipedia, Shank (footwear), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shank_(footwear): a long thin piece between insole and outsole, steel in heavy boots, fiberglass in newer ones. (4) Wikipedia, Aglet and Shoelaces, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aglet and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoelaces: the sheath on a lace end, shoestrings and bootlaces as other names. (5) Wikipedia, Toe box, Brogue shoe and Shoe heel, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toe_box, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brogue_shoe and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoe_heel: the toe box surrounds the toes, a toe cap is a separate piece added over it, wingtips, the heel rests below the heel bone. (6) How Products Are Made, Volume 1, Running Shoe, http://www.madehow.com/Volume-1/Running-Shoe.html: upper, vamp, toe box, eyestay, tongue, laces through eyelets, collar, heel counter as a plastic cup, insole, midsole and outsole and what each is made of, a running shoe can have up to 20 parts. (7) U.S. Customs and Border Protection, What Every Member of the Trade Community Should Know: Footwear, informed compliance publication, September 2017, https://www.cbp.gov/document/publications/footwear: upper, outer sole, insole, welt, tongue, shoelaces, eyelet stays, liners, attached heel. (8) Eva March Tappan, Makers of Many Things, 1916, Project Gutenberg eBook 28569, https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/28569: vamp, tip, tongue, counters that support the quarters, linings, shanks that strengthen the arch, eyelets, the welt sewn around the shoe except at the heel, heels built from lifts, 44 parts in an ordinary shoe. (9) American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, OrthoInfo, Athletic Shoes, https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/staying-healthy/athletic-shoes/: heel counter, toe box, midsole foam. (10) Kim and Hegazy, Enhancing Footwear Safety for Fall Prevention in Older Adults, Annals of Geriatric Medicine and Research 28, 2024, https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC11217662: collar around the ankle, heel counter, midsole, outsole, metal shank. (11) Wiktionary entries quarter, counter, vamp, welt, shank, toecap, outsole, midsole, insole, tongue, eyestay, aiglet and topline, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/quarter and the matching pages. (12) Wikipedia, Sneakers, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sneakers, for the page copy only: sneaker, trainer, tennis shoe and running shoe as regional names for one kind of shoe, and the 1887 newspaper line about the word. Labels, hints, detail lines, groups and position notes were written for this site. Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site, 2026-09-20. Own original line drawing built from measured proportions; nothing traced or copied, no maker's shape or mark. Looked at for accuracy only: Wikipedia, Shoe (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoe), Wikipedia, Oxford shoe (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_shoe), Wikipedia, Shank (footwear) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shank_(footwear)) and Wikipedia, Goodyear welt (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodyear_welt). Licence: own work
How it works
Two shoes share this drawing, both in side view: a laced sneaker on top and a leather dress shoe below. Eighteen rings mark the parts, from the toe box and the eyestay to the welt and the hidden shank. Find it names a part, and you tap the part or its ring. Miss three, and Practise the 3 you missed asks again.
Read the full guide
Why 18 parts need two shoes
Pick Sneaker under Start from for 11 parts: nine on the shoe, the aglet in the round close-up, and the insole where the sole is drawn apart. Dress shoe holds 7: toe cap, vamp, quarter, lining, welt, shank and heel, the parts of a dress shoe that seams show clearly. A sneaker has a vamp too, but no seam marks it here. Each part is ringed once, where it shows best.
Study, then Find it and Name it
Study shows every name with a line on what the part does. Find it names a part for you to tap. In Name it a ring lights up and you pick the word. Press Type it, and plain names count too: footbed for insole, facing for eyestay, topline for collar. Print labelled is a parts of a shoe diagram with all 18 names. Print blank is the sheet to fill in.
For the parts of a shoe sole alone, pick Sole and heel under Start from: outsole, midsole, insole, welt, shank and heel.
Vamp and quarter are the pair people swap. The vamp covers the forefoot. The quarter wraps the back and sides.
Heel and heel counter are two parts: the block under the shoe, and the stiff cup hidden inside the back of the upper.
Questions and answers
What are the parts of a sneaker shoe called?
From the ground up: outsole, midsole and insole. Above them is the upper, which carries the toe box, the eyestays with their eyelets, the laces, the tongue, the padded collar and the hidden heel counter. Each lace ends in an aglet.
Are the parts of a tennis shoe any different?
No. Tennis shoe, sneaker, trainer and running shoe are regional names for one kind of shoe, and the part names stay the same. In 1887 a Boston newspaper called sneakers the name boys give tennis shoes. The word points at the quiet rubber sole.
Why is there no heel tab or top piece?
A name needed two independent references to earn a ring. Heel tab, the pull loop on many sneakers, appeared in none of ours, and top piece in one. Foxing is out because two references use it for different parts. All 18 names were checked on September 19, 2026.