Anatomy of Sneakers

The upper part of a sneaker is the one designed to cover the foot from the toe to heel. It houses the foot. It can be stitched or glued to the sole and usually made with interwoven parts. One of its functions is to keep the foot secure to the sole. The material used for the upper can be a breathable polymer, canvas, leather, etc.  

From the upper, we have:

Toe Box: The toe box is the area that houses the toes at the front of the upper. The part is usually reinforced to provide more protection and give the upper more ability to withstand wear and tear. It can be decorated sometimes to look more appealing. 

Vamp: Vamp is usually the area that extends from the end of the tongue to the top of the toe area. It may sometimes feature perforations to allow an inflow of air. 

Eyelets: Eyelets are the holes through which shoelace is threaded. 

Eyestay: Eyestay is the part that features the eyelets 

Shoelace: A shoelace is a string-like material used for customisation of fits. It keeps the tongue in the right position on the instep thereby keeping the foot stabilised and secured. A wearer can do his/her shoelace by threading it through the eyelets alternately. It can often be adjusted and tightened, depending on the fit the wearer wants. 

Aglet: Aglet is at the end of a shoelace.  One of its functions is preventing the lace from fraying. 

Tongue: It’s the part that covers the instep. The shoelace supports the tongue to keep the foot locked in securely. Some tongues can be padded to provide a smooth feel on the instep. 

Forefoot:  Forefoot is the area at the bottom of a shoe and it is where the ball of the foot sits. 

Heel: The heel is found at the rear of a shoe. 

Heel Counter: Heel counter is the material that stiffens and reinforces the heel for additional support. 

Lining: Lining is the inside of the upper that makes direct contact with a  foot. It is usually constructed to be lightweight and breathable. 

Collar: The collar can be found in the opening area of a shoe. It’s the area that wraps around the ankle. it’s often padded to provide more cushion and comfort. 

Pull Tab: Some sneaker has pull-tab on the heel to enable easy wearing. 

Foxing: Foxing is the material that joins the upper part to the sole 

Medial: Medial is the name given to the arch side of a shoe. It’s the inner part of the outsole 

Lateral: Lateral is the opposite of medial. It’s the part of the outsole that faces the outward. It can also be recognised as the non-arched side. 

The Nike Air Max 95 below shows a good example of medial and lateral.