Sole of Shoe

The Sole is the bottom of the foot. Much like the palm of the hand, it has thicker skin than most other parts of the body, and is relatively less pigmented. A set of creases, formed in the womb, criss-cross the sole.

In footwear, sole also refers to the bottom of a shoe.

Heel of Shoe

Plimsoll Shoe

Footwear

Socks

Boots Definition

Sandals

Shoe Laces

Sneaker

Clogs

Athletic Shoes

Learn more about shoes.

The Sole of the Foot

The word sole names first an anatomical surface: the bottom of the foot. It is the part of the body that meets the ground in standing and walking, and its skin is adapted to that work. Much like the palm of the hand, the sole has thicker skin than most other parts of the body, a toughness that protects against pressure, friction and rough surfaces during a lifetime of steps. It is also relatively less pigmented than skin elsewhere, a visible difference most people notice when comparing the underside of the foot with its top. A set of creases, formed in the womb, criss-cross the sole. Those creases are present before the foot has borne any weight at all, and they flex as the foot bends, allowing the thick skin of the underside to move with the arch and toes rather than resisting them.

Because the sole is the body's own ground-contact surface, it shapes what footwear must do. A shoe that fits the upper but ignores the shape and movement of the sole will press, rub or tire the foot, since standing and walking load the body through this surface alone. The health and comfort of the sole also explain familiar footwear concerns: protection from sharp or hot ground, cushioning under the heel and the ball of the foot, and grip that keeps the underside from slipping. Even barefoot, the sole is not passive. Its thickened skin registers surface and temperature, and its creased, flexible structure works with the muscles of the foot to balance the body. Anatomy, in this case, is the original that footwear copies.

The Sole of the Shoe

In footwear, sole also refers to the bottom of a shoe. The transfer of the word is direct: the shoe's sole occupies the same position as the foot's sole, lying beneath it, facing the ground, and taking the contact, wear and pressure that would otherwise fall on the skin itself. Together with the heel of the shoe, to which it is closely related at the back of the foot, the sole forms the underside on which the whole shoe stands. When a shoe is described, repaired or worn out, the sole is usually the part in question, because it is the first component to meet abrasion and the component whose condition decides whether the shoe can still be worn safely and comfortably.

Different kinds of footwear use the sole differently, but none can omit it. A plimsoll, a boot, a sandal, a clog, a sneaker and an athletic shoe all rest on a sole, whether that sole is thin and flexible, thick and rigid, flat, or raised at the heel. Socks are worn inside the shoe above the sole, and laces secure the upper so the foot stays positioned over it. Judging a shoe therefore begins from the bottom: whether the sole is intact, whether its surface still grips, whether it has worn evenly or more on one side, and whether it still protects the foot's own sole as it should. The double meaning of the word is a reminder of that correspondence. One sole is living skin, thickened and creased before birth; the other is the made underside of a shoe, built to stand between that skin and the ground.