Women's Shoe Styles
Buying footwear can be a challenge; if there is anything more maddening than purchasing apparel online, women's shoes take the cake.
 
But wait!  Let's not get ahead of ourselves.  Before we talk about sizing, let's do a quick review of the different types of women's shoe styles and the relevant terminology we'll need in order to properly evaluate any given pair.
 
When discussing women's shoes, it's helpful to think of the shoe as 3 separate, but interrelated parts:  the upper, the sole, and the heel.  The vast majority of shoe style designations are based on varying the styles of these three parts, and the combinations thereof.   View the full set of terms in the glossary section, or have a glance at our labelled photo examples of common styles!
 

Upper
As the name suggests, the upper is the top portion of the shoe, excluding the sole and the heel.  This generally is made of fabric, leather vinyl or any number of other synthetic materials.  Because the upper is the most visible portion of the shoe, descriptive terms for the upper are often used to designate the shoe's overall style or type.

Sole
The sole is the bottom portion of the shoe which protects the foot from contact with the ground, excluding the heel.  There are fewer variations on the sole than on the upper or the heel.
 
Heel
The heel is the key element of distinction in women's fashion footwear.  No discussion is complete without a full set of heel terms!