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Shoes were originally made and used for protecting the feet of human from stones, dust, dirt, heat and cold. Now, it is an inevitable part of general clothing habits and seen as a symbol of style and comfort. It made a huge impact on the social and cultural thinking of men. The typical example is that in most of the countries around the world, showing the sole of the shoes is believed to be inappropriate and till today, the people of middle-east and Asian countries see throwing shoes or beating with shoes as the biggest insult.

At the beginning, foot wears were simple, made from single piece of leather that just covers the feet. Then slowly with increased demand for comfort, supporting structures like laces, buckles and straps were developed to be the part of modern shoes, that gave correct and comfortable fit to the feet. Shoe laces are mostly associated with formal leather shoes of men and sports shoes and those specialized for hiking, climbing, etc. Straps and buckles are mainly seen in all types of women’s foot wear, with an exception that some shoes do not have any secondary fitting, to respect the likes and choices of possible customers.

Over the years shoes have replaced the normal slippers that we often wear. They are useful in sports, office and just about everywhere.

The material content of the shoes also adds to the comfort of the wearer, especially that of the sole. An extra cushion is sometimes added to the insole to increase the comfort level.

Also, shoe accessories are like shoehorn, shoe tree, heel grip, shoe insert, shoe polish, etc. are used to increase the comfort level when wearing or using the shoes. In any case, shoes have become an unavoidable icon of style in day to day life.

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An item worn on the feet to protect it from damage when walking is called a footwear or shoe. It is worn by people of all ages. It is manufactured in different shapes and sizes to fulfill the requirements of the people. The shoe materials also differ based on the type of shoe. The most common materials used to make a shoe are leather, plastic, fiber, synthetic materials. In some cases, mild glass is also used to make shoes.

There are various types of shoes worn today. While some shoes completely cover the feet even over the ankle, some covers up to the ankle and some cover only the base of the feet. The basic type of footwear is the one which covers only the bottom of the feet. These are normally called as slippers. They are held to the leg by a pair of straps which joins together at the front portion of the slipper. This type of footwear is not very secure to the feet as it can be removed easily with the slightest movement.

The other type of footwear fully covers the leg. It may be up to the ankle or even over the ankle. This type of footwear is made up of three parts namely sole, body and shoelace. This is the regular shoe worn by most men and women. The sole is the hard bottom part which can withstand weight and friction. The body makes up the remaining part of the shoe and the shoelace tightens the grip between the shoe and the leg. Unlike slippers, they cannot be detached easily without untying the lace.

The shoes worn by most women are different when compared to the regular laced footwear. These shoes will be made of synthetic materials and will not have a shoelace. Instead it has a large space in it when the leg fits.