Shoe Encyclopedia: Lesson Two (After Hours, Gore, Tannage, And Spectator)

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

Image by Birdies100 via Flickr.com

Do you know shoe talk? If you've been paying attention, you caught lesson one on the language of shoe. If not, it's easy enough to catch up. Learning this lingo could be pretty useful, so what are you waiting for? Grab a friend and read on. Then, when you're done, you could test your knowledge with another friend who is more shoe-savvy than the pair of you. Better yet, use it to grab that pair of whatever those saucy things were in the mall window. Who knows? With these four extra words from the shoe encyclopedia, you may even know what you're talking about this time.

After Hours

Well, normally when you think after hours, you are probably thinking of a hot exclusive party after your favorite band's concert, right? Well, in the case of shoe talk, you'd be off just a little. Okay, maybe a lot. After Hours shoes are comfy shoes that you would not be caught chilling in at any party, but would definitely want to wear while chilling at the house. These would be slippers, moccasins, booties and other casuals.

Gore

Usually, you might associate gore with movies, not shoes. However, there is another definition besides the one used in horror flicks. When referring to shoes, a gore is actually a piece of material, generally elastic, fitted into both sides of the shoe vamp to make it easier to slip and off. It can also make the shoes more comfortable.

Tannage

This type of tannage doesn't involve your swimsuit or a beach. Tannage is actually the process that raw hides and skins go through to get turned into leather. There are actually a number of steps in the process. Leather footwear is made of material that has gone through this process.

Spectator

Spectators are a type of shoe. No, they won't be watching you. However, you might be eyeing and admiring them. Spectators are made of two materials, with one material being more dominant. The dominant material will have a pinking edge and the toe of the shoe will have a perforated design.


*I originally published a version of this via Yahoo Contributor Network