Tips No One Told Me: Shoe Parts

Below is a list of stuff I always found annoying as a total newbie reading about running and would have to look up. Even then, half the time the definition or concept wasn't spelled out (I like to tell people to explain things to me like I'm five).


Upper: It's the soft "clothey" parts of the shoe that hugs over your feet. Everything that isn't the insole, midsole and outsole. Basically the part of the shoe you're not stepping on. When I was a newb newb I imagined that this only referred to the tongue.

Upper

Midsole: It's the part of the sole that does most of the cushioning. Generally shoes have a removable piece of smooth cushioning called the insole. This is the piece you're usually directly stepping on. Under that is the midsole, most often the foamy white "meat" of the sole. When I was a newb newb I thought everything you were stepping on was called the midsole. I was wrong. It was insole-midsole-outsole.

Outsole: This is the "hard" piece of rubber stuff under the meaty midsole. The outsole often isn't one piece, instead made up of patches of hard rubber under the midsole at highly used contact points with the ground, in order to extend the life of the shoe. Otherwise, the soft midsole would wear away quickly. Many minimalist shoes barely have an outsole at all, instead having just a few patches of rubber lugs and leaving the rest of the midsole exposed. This contributes to the relatively short life of minimalist shoes. Personally, I don't like outsole material as I find them to neutralize some of the shock absorbing quality of the midsole. I've actually had cobblers shave off the outsole on some of my shoes (pics to come).

Laces: Yeah, we all know what shoelaces are. The key is that there are generally two main kinds, flat and round. Most people prefer flat laces as they feel it relieves pressure on top of the foot (when the laces are twisted, anyways). Round laces on the other hand, are stronger and last longer, which is why they come on hiking boots. I personally think round laces look cooler, too.

To some people, barbwire.

Toebox: I consider this part to be from the forefoot and on. Basically, the widest part of your foot and on, not just the toes themselves. In "barefoot" style running, often associated with minimalist running, the ability of the toes to splay (spread) onto the ground becomes more crucial in order to dissipate shock and to induce good running form. Eventually, most people prefer to stick with shoes with wide toeboxes once they run minimalist, partly because your toe and footshape itself can start changing (no, really).

This is why some minimalist shoes look so funky. Because they actually follow the shape of a human foot.

Heel counter: The hard thing that keeps the back part of the upper stiff. Shoes have varying degrees of firmness and support to them, which minimalist runners preferring less heel counter (surprise!). The advantage of them is that they give support and heel stability. The disadvantage is that some people hate support and believe it's best to let the body do its own thing. Heel counters also add weight. Lastly, shoes without heel counters feel super comfy (check out the Nike Frees as an example).

Overlay: It's the hard stiff material manufacturers use to add structural support on the outside of the mesh upper. If you were to take a look at the Asics line of shoes, they clearly use the Asics "criss cross" design to double as structural support for the shoe, which helps it hug your foot and give the shoe its shape.

The black lines on the side.