Whatever garments are worn on the feet are called footwear. Technically footwear consists of shoes and sandals and other varieties which are basically drawn from these tow categories. It is worn for protection against the environment but in the present scenario has become more of a fashion statement. There is a fetishism attached to footwear and many people are fond of possessing many pairs of fashion footwear.
Socks and other varieties of hosiery are worn under footwear generally. A variety of materials are use in the manufacture of footwear for instance leather, plastic, textiles like wool etc. Each kind of footwear has a special significance. Leather footwear is more for the outdoor wear and generally formal wear. Footwear made from rubber and plastic is usually for wearing at home and also for rain wear. This is because leather footwear gets spoilt in the rain. Footwear made from wool is worn in the cold climate at home.
There is a variety of footwear that is manufactured from these materials to serve a variety of purposes. For instance cowboy boots are a special kind of riding boots that were worn by cowboys in the olden days. Platform boots are those that have a combination of thick and high heels. They were very popular in the 1970s in the UK. The Wellington boot was another boot that was very popular in times of Arthur Wellesley and is a type of gumboots most worn during the 19 th century.
A V shaped strap and a flat sole are what make up the flip flop. This sandal is a comfort wear which can be worn with just about anything and comes in a variety of materials like plastic, leather etc. There are also some kind of specialized footwear like snow shoes which are worn in places where it snows in the winters and also because they don’t wet the wearer’s feet. |