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Zappos.com - Glossary Terms
In addition to offering a wide variety of shoes, handbags and accessories, we strive to provide you with the best service in the industry. We feel it is our duty to not only provide you with great service, but we would also like to provide a reference guide for you to learn more about us and our industry. We are giving you the inside scoop to our company glossary so you can learn about shoes, handbags and accessories just like us. We hope this guide is useful to you and will make you feel more confident about the features that our products provide. Enjoy!
Other Guides:
- Measurement Guide:
- A guide to how we measure our products
- Size Conversion Chart:
- A guide to find your correct size no matter the shoe's origin
- Hammertoe
- A condition in which the toe is bent in a claw-like position, occurring most frequently in the second through fifth toes. Hammertoes are usually caused by an imbalance of muscle tissue, but can also be aggravated by arthritis and poorly-fitting shoes.
- Heel
- "Heel" can refer to both the rear, padded area of the underside of the foot, as well as the solid part of a shoe that supports the heel cup. The standard measure for heel heights is as follows: an 8/8 (low heel) is 1" high; a 16/8 (medium heel) is 2" high; and a 24/8 (high heel) is 3" high.
- Types of shoe heels include:
- Baby Louis - The same shape as a Louis heel but a 12/8 or shorter.
- Built Heel - Created from layers of leather or fiber with contrasting tones.
- Continental - A higher heel with a slightly curved back and flat front.
- Cuban - A thick, stacked heel with little or no curvature and tapered at the bottom; usually medium in height.
- Louis or French - Features a curved back and ranges in height from 16/8 to 24/8.
- Stacked - Similar to the built heel but typically can be created from synthetic and leather materials. Often found on spectator shoes.
- Wedge - A heel of any height that is as wide as the shoe itself and follows the shoes contour from toe to heel.
- Heel Breast
- The forward-facing side of the heel.
- Heel Height
- Heel height is measured on a vertical line at the breast of the heel, and goes from the bottom surface of the sole (where it meets the heel) to the floor. Heel height is traditionally measured in increments of 1/8th inches, so for example an 8/8 heel is 1" high.
- Heel Seat
- The part of the shoe directly below where the heel of the foot rests, and where the sole and the heel are joined together.
- Heel Spurs
- Soft deposits of calcium that grow on the "plantar fascia", a band of tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot, and are typically very painful.
- Hidden Gore
- An elastic panel at the front of a shoe that is covered by the shoe's tongue and provides added comfort.
- Hide
- The skin of a large animal that is treated, tanned or finished for use in boots, shoes, handbags, and clothing.
- Hobo Handbag
- A roomy, unstructured, rounded bag, typically with a single top zipper and shoulder strap.
- Hook & Loop
- A method of keeping something closed, using 2 pieces of fabric. One piece has small hooks, to attach to the other piece which has 2 loops.
- Huarache
- A flat sandal or shoe with a woven leather upper.
