The Anatomy of a Stikii

As you may already know, we wear shoes to help protect our feet from not only everyday use, but from hazardous objects, stubbing our toes, and more. The shoe works as a sort of protective “armor” around the foot and helps to make walking, running, standing, sports, etc. more comfortable and safe. Shoes are also seen as an accessory that adds to an outfit, which is where all of the different styles and colors of shoes come in to play. There is such a vast variety of shoes on the market today that it is hard to keep track of them all! They may differ in appearance, but most of shoes are made of the same or comparable components.

Similar to the foot, a shoe is made up of several different pieces and parts. What varies between them is that depending on the style and/or purpose of the shoe, these components may slightly differ to accommodate for the function, whereas our feet are structured the same! Below are the different parts of the Stikii shoe:

Counter
The counter is located in the heel area of the shoe and helps to retain its shape. The counter stiffens the back part of the shoe and also provides additional stability.

Heel
The heel is the part of the sole that raises the rear of the shoe in relation to the front.

Upper
The upper, is the top (or “upper”) portion of the shoe that covers the top of the foot. It is basically the part of the shoe that is seen. The upper attaches to the sole of the shoe, and can be made of various different materials. The Upper of a Stikii shoe uses our exclusive microfiber stik material that is made up of a hook and loop fastener mechanism that allows for the Stik-em accessories to be applied directly to the upper and stick firmly in place.

Sole
The Sole is the entire bottom portion of the shoe, and includes the outsole, midsole and insole. It is usually made from durable materials like rubber or leather. Sole thickness is measured in units called “irons”. One iron is equivalent to 1/48th inch, thus, a sole measuring 12 irons is ¼ inch thick!

EVA Outsole
A shoe’s outsole is the portion of the sole that comes into contact with the ground. It provides traction and has various functional properties, such as, flexibility, durability, traction and more. Stikii’s use an EVA outsole that contributes to Stikii’s ultra-light-weight feel.

Vamp
The vamp is a part of the upper that covers the toes and a portion of the instep. It could be considered the front of the shoe. All closed toed shoes have a vamp!

Hook
The hook is a small loop located at the back of the shoe. It is used to help the wearer put on the shoe.

Tongue
The tongue of a shoe is a strip that runs up the top-center of the shoe and sits on the top part of the foot. A tongue is found on nearly all shoes that have laces. Its purpose is to protect the top of the foot, and to keep the laces from rubbing against and irritating the foot. They are often sewn into the shoe or are a part of the VAMP.

Eyelets
Eyelets are the small circular or loop pieces of the shoe that the laces are thread through. These help to hold the laces in place.

Shoe Laces
Shoelaces are used to secure the shoe in place on the foot. They are pulled tight and tied so that the shoe stays on the foot during movement.

Memory Foam Insole
The insole is hidden inside of the shoe, and is glued, stapled or sewn into place. It helps to provide comfort to the wearer. Stikii uses a Memory Foam material for the insole which provides extra cushion for the foot and adapts to the wearers foot shape.

Stik-em Accessories
Stik-ems are Stikiis unique line of shoe accessories. They come in multiple shapes, sizes and colors and attach directly to the shoe. Stik-ems allow the wearer to fashion a new shoe design with each wear!

And there you have the major components of the Stikii shoe! Can you identify the items in the image below on your own pair??