EN ISO 19952:2025
(Main)Footwear - Vocabulary (ISO 19952:2025)
Footwear - Vocabulary (ISO 19952:2025)
This document defines terms used in the footwear industry.
Schuhe - Begriffe (ISO 19952:2025)
Dieses Dokument legt die in der Schuhindustrie verwendeten Begriffe fest.
Chaussures - Vocabulaire (ISO 19952:2025)
Le présent document définit les termes employés dans l’industrie de la chaussure.
Obutev - Slovar (ISO 19952:2025)
Ta dokument opredeljuje izraze, ki se uporabljajo v obutveni industriji.
General Information
Relations
Standards Content (Sample)
SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-april-2025
Obutev - Slovar (ISO 19952:2025)
Footwear - Vocabulary (ISO 19952:2025)
Schuhe - Begriffe (ISO 19952:2025)
Chaussures - Vocabulaire (ISO 19952:2025)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN ISO 19952:2025
ICS:
01.040.61 Oblačilna industrija (Slovarji) Clothing industry
(Vocabularies)
61.060 Obuvala Footwear
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.
EN ISO 19952
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
February 2025
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
ICS 01.040.61; 61.060 Supersedes EN ISO 19952:2005
English Version
Footwear - Vocabulary (ISO 19952:2025)
Chaussures - Vocabulaire (ISO 19952:2025) Schuhe - Begriffe (ISO 19952:2025)
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 10 February 2025.
CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this
European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references
concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN
member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by
translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management
Centre has the same status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2025 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN ISO 19952:2025 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.
Contents Page
European foreword . 3
European foreword
This document (EN ISO 19952:2025) has been prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 216
"Footwear" in collaboration with Technical Committee CEN/TC 309 “Footwear” the secretariat of which
is held by UNE.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by August 2025, and conflicting national standards shall
be withdrawn at the latest by August 2025.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
This document supersedes EN ISO 19952:2005.
Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national standards
body/national committee. A complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CEN website.
According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the
following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland,
Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of
North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and the
United Kingdom.
Endorsement notice
The text of ISO 19952:2025 has been approved by CEN as EN ISO 19952:2025 without any modification.
International
Standard
ISO 19952
Second edition
Footwear — Vocabulary
2025-01
Chaussures — Vocabulaire
Reference number
ISO 19952:2025(en) © ISO 2025
ISO 19952:2025(en)
© ISO 2025
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
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Phone: +41 22 749 01 11
Email: copyright@iso.org
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii
ISO 19952:2025(en)
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
3.1 Footwear materials .1
3.2 Footwear manufacturing .4
3.3 Footwear components . 13
3.4 Footwear type . 25
3.5 Footwear performance . 39
3.6 Other terms .43
Bibliography .50
Index .52
iii
ISO 19952:2025(en)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through
ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee
has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations,
governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely
with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of ISO document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
patent(s). ISO takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent
rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO had not received notice of (a)
patent(s) which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that
this may not represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at
www.iso.org/patents. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions
related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 216, Footwear, in collaboration with the
European Committee for Standardization (CEN) Technical Committee CEN/TC 309, Footwear, in accordance
with the Agreement on technical cooperation between ISO and CEN (Vienna Agreement).
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO 19952:2005), which has been technically
revised.
The main changes are as follows:
— additional terms were added, such as antimicrobial footwear, bottom wall, boxing footwear, bridge,
components in contact with the skin, critical substances, drawn-up toe, extended sole spike heel, stiletto
heel, etc.;
— synonyms were combined, such as box toe and toe puff, runner and through sole, built heel and stack
heel etc.;
— some definitions were reviewed, such as bottom assembly, children’s footwear, etc.;
— terms were updated based on industry developments, for example double sole was changed to
multilayer sole;
— some unnecessary terms were deleted, such as school footwear/children’s school footwear.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.
iv
ISO 19952:2025(en)
Introduction
This document defines terms and definitions used in the footwear industry, in order to facilitate
communication and understanding across trade, designers, universities, manufacturers etc. in the footwear
sector. This document defines each type of footwear under the current technological processes.
v
International Standard ISO 19952:2025(en)
Footwear — Vocabulary
1 Scope
This document defines terms used in the footwear industry.
2 Normative references
There are no normative references in this document.
3 Terms and definitions
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1 Footwear materials
3.1.1
abrasive
hard substance that can wear away a softer material by rubbing it
Note 1 to entry: An abrasive is usually used to prepare materials for bonding.
3.1.2
adhesive
cement
chemical compound used for bonding two surfaces together
3.1.3
backer
piece of material applied to another usually to add strength or reinforcement
3.1.4
binding
narrow strip of material attached or wrapped around an edge (of a section)
3.1.5
bottom filling
bottom filler
material used to fill the void inside the lasted margin above the outsole assembly (3.2.2)
EXAMPLE Felt or cork.
Note 1 to entry: See Figure 2, Figure 3, Figure 4, Figure 5 and Figure 10.
ISO 19952:2025(en)
3.1.6
bridge
footwear support
piece of hardened paper, plastic, wood or other material to support footwear and maintain its shape during
transportation and storage
Note 1 to entry: Filled-paper can also act as bridge.
3.1.7
coated fabric
textile covered with a polymer or plastic coating such as polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or rubber
3.1.8
coated leather
coated split leather
leather (3.1.20) and split leather where the surface coating, applied to the outer side, does not
exceed one third of the total thickness of the product but is in excess of 0,15 mm
[SOURCE: ISO 15115:2019, 3.22, modified — The preferred term “coated and coated split leather” has been
changed to two preferred terms “coated leather” and “coated split leather”.]
3.1.9
coating
layer formed on the surface (3.6.22) of a substrate with a single or multiple application of material
3.1.10
combined material
composite material
material constituted of a combination of several different raw materials which cannot be separated
mechanically
EXAMPLE Coated textile/leather (a textile/leather covered by a polymer film), complex upper (upper and lining
are fully stuck by glue or other techniques and it is impossible to separate them), rubber boot upper (the sock can be
fully dissolved in rubber), soling material (in injected sole footwear the insole can be fully dissolved in the sole), foam
with adhesive or foam with residues of adhesive, etc.
3.1.11
double density
dual density
sole material comprising two layers of different density, from one or two polymers, solid and/or cellular in
construction (3.2.16)
3.1.12
elastic
tape, cord or fabric containing rubber or a similar substance that allows it to stretch and return to its
original shape
Note 1 to entry: Generally elastic materials are used in upper (3.3.65) construction in the quarters (3.3.48) or in the
straps to hold the shoe on the foot.
3.1.13
facing stay
reinforcement (3.1.21) used to prevent eyelets (3.3.25) pulling through the facer (3.3.26)
3.1.14
foam
porous material in which the pores are all or partly intercommunicating
ISO 19952:2025(en)
3.1.15
foxing
material that connects the upper (3.3.65) and sole to increase bendability strength
Note 1 to entry: Generally foxing is usually used in vulcanized footwear.
Note 2 to entry: See Figure 1.
Figure 1 — Foxing
3.1.16
heel flap
Louis high heel
sole material stuck to the heel breast (3.3.34), where the sole continues back from the waist (3.6.29) down
the front (breast) of the heel and extends to the heel tip (3.3.36)
Note 1 to entry: Such heels require a curvature at the top of the breast that blends into the waist.
3.1.17
heel grip
strip of material applied to the inside of the back part of the footwear upper (3.3.65) to prevent heel (3.3.33)
slip during walking
3.1.18
heel lift
single layer of material forming part of a built heel (3.3.10), excluding the top piece (3.3.61)
3.1.19
interlining
material that is between lining (3.3.42) and upper (3.3.65)
3.1.20
leather
hide or skin with its original fibrous structure more or less intact, tanned to be imputrescible, where the hair
or wool have been removed or not, whether or not the hide or skin has been split into layers or segmented
either before or after tanning and where any surface coating or surface layer, however applied, is not thicker
than 0,15 mm
Note 1 to entry: If the tanned hide or skin is disintegrated mechanically and/or chemically into fibrous particles, small
pieces or powders, and is then, with or without the combination of a binding agent, made into sheets or other forms,
such sheets or forms are not leather.
Note 2 to entry: If the grain layer has been completely removed, the term leather shall not be used without further
qualification, e.g. split leather, suede leather.
Note 3 to entry: The material shall be of animal origin.
[SOURCE: ISO 15115:2019, 3.52]
ISO 19952:2025(en)
3.1.21
reinforcement
material used to improve the strength and modify the stretch properties of upper (3.3.65) and/or lining
materials or outsole (3.3.47) during manufacture or during wear
3.1.22
thick leather
leather (3.1.20) with a thickness greater than 2 mm
3.1.23
top facing
strip of material stitched inside a footwear upper (3.3.65) at the top to finish off the lining (3.3.42) and to
reinforce the footwear
3.2 Footwear manufacturing
3.2.1
adhesion
state in which two surfaces are joined together by chemical bond or interfacial forces
Note 1 to entry: This can be via adhesive, or through a chemical reaction, i.e. thermoplastic adhesion where the soling
is stuck to the rubber shoe via heating.
3.2.2
assembly
matching or bringing together the various components (3.3.16) of the footwear with or without the lasts
3.2.3
attached rib
ply rib
rib
wall which is perpendicular to the flat surface (3.6.22) of a sole or insole (3.3.39) and slightly inward from
the edge, usually made of fabric, fixed to the insole to present a wall similar to a Goodyear insole rib
Note 1 to entry: This can be formed by cutting a channel or lip or by folding a piece of material.
Note 2 to entry: See Figure 4.
3.2.4
back seam
seam (3.2.34) at the back of the heel (3.3.33) joining or closing the upper (3.3.65) together
3.2.5
beading
folding
process of folding over an edge, usually the top line (3.3.60)
3.2.6
binding
attaching a narrow strip around an edge
3.2.7
Blake sewn
chainstitch (3.2.13) method in which the upper (3.3.65) and sole are sewn together with a single
stitch from the inside, resulting in a clean and seamless appearance on the exterior of the footwear
Note 1 to entry: This sewing method was invented by Blake.
Note 2 to entry: See Figure 10.
ISO 19952:2025(en)
3.2.8
bottom assembly
bringing together all the parts of the footwear bottom
3.2.9
buffing
bringing up a shine or polishing or roughing or scouring in preparation for adhesion (3.2.1)
3.2.10
burnishing
treatment to add highlights, including edge treatment involving application of heat to a skive so that it
assumes a quarter-round section
3.2.11
butt seam
seam (3.2.34) made by butting two edges together with no overlap, usually sewn using a zigzag stitch
3.2.12
California
construction (3.2.16) in which the upper (3.3.65) is stitched to a flexible insole (3.3.39) or a light sock (3.3.31)
to make a bag into which the last (3.6.13) is forced
Note 1 to entry: The band is then used to cover the edge of a midsole (3.3.43) before the outsole (3.3.47) is stuck on.
Note 2 to entry: See Figure 2.
Key
1 upper
2 covering
3 bottom filling/filler
4 outsole
Figure 2 — California construction
ISO 19952:2025(en)
3.2.13
chainstitch
stitch made by a single thread passing to and fro through a hole in the material and caught on one side by a
loop formed by the previous stitch
3.2.14
cohesion
state in which the particles of a single substance are held together by the primary or secondary valence forces
3.2.15
construction
particular method or process used for constructing or assembling a sole (outsole (3.3.47))
3.2.16
construction
manner in which the outsole (3.3.47) is attached to the upper (3.3.65)
3.2.16.1
cemented construction
flat lasted
stuck-on sole construction
stuck-on
method of construction where the upper (3.3.65) is fixed or lasted to the sole using adhesive (3.1.2)
Note 1 to entry: See Figure 3.
Key
1 upper
2 outsole
3 bottom filling/filler
4 insole
Figure 3 — Cemented construction
3.2.17
cutting area
usable area of material, for example, a hide or skin, from which components (3.3.16) are cut
ISO 19952:2025(en)
3.2.18
direct moulding
method of having a sole/heel mould that is held against the lasted upper (3.3.65), making contact at the bite-
line where the welt-plate touches the upper, thus enclosing a cavity within which the sole/heel is formed
3.2.18.1
injection moulding
type of direct moulding (3.2.18) where the sole is formed from polymer that is forced into the mould while in
a molten state
3.2.18.2
direct vulcanizing
dv moulded
type of construction (3.2.16) where uncured rubber is placed in a sole mould in contact with the lasted
margin of the upper (3.3.65) and cured or vulcanized in situ via the application of heat and pressure
3.2.18.3
reaction moulding
type of construction (3.2.16) where a sole, such as a polyurethane (PUR) sole, is formed in the mould attached
to the lasted upper by mixing the components of the PUR (e.g. polyol and isocyanate) immediately before they
are introduced into the mould and where the components react in the mould to produce a cellular PUR outsole
3.2.19
direction of stretch
directions with the most and least stretch (modulus) respectively, usually with leather (3.1.20), but also
with other upper materials
3.2.20
edge
3.2.20.1
edge finishing
application of inks and colorants to raw edges
3.2.20.2
edge guide
mechanical device fitted to equipment to aid following of edges, often seen on stitching machines
3.2.20.3
edge iron
setter
heat treatment applied by using a tool shaped to match the edge profile and to make edges smooth
3.2.20.4
edge trimming
operation with tool to define the profile on the edge of a component (3.3.16) so its edge is neat and/or
matches an adjacent component
Note 1 to entry: Top stitching is often known as under edge trimming.
3.2.21
finishing
applying the final treatments, colourants and glosses to footwear
3.2.22
fitting
matching the dimensions of the foot most accurately to a given size of foot
ISO 19952:2025(en)
3.2.23
force lasting
method of lasting (3.2.28) where the upper (3.3.65) is joined to the insole (3.3.39) or insock (3.3.38) and
forced on to a last (3.6.13)
3.2.24
Goodyear welted
type of construction (3.2.16) in which the welt (3.3.70) and the upper (3.3.65) are sewn to the insole rib
(3.2.3) by the welt sewing (3.2.48) machine or by hand, then welt is sewn to the midsole (3.3.43) or outsole
(3.3.47)
Note 1 to entry: See Figure 4.
Key
1 upper
2 welt
3 outsole
4 seam
5 rib
6 bottom filling/filler
7 welt sewing
8 insole
Figure 4 — Goodyear construction
3.2.25
halogenation
treatment, usually with chlorine, to improve the bondability (3.5.4) of materials
Note 1 to entry: Other halogens such as iodine or bromine may also be used.
3.2.26
lace hooks
small hooks inserted like eyelets (3.3.25) into footwear or boot facings (3.3.26) used for temporary
closing during lasting (3.2.28), to prevent damage
ISO 19952:2025(en)
3.2.27
lacing
drawing together, or fastening, two opposite portions of the upper (3.3.65) with a lace (3.3.40) drawn
through eyelets (3.3.25) or around hooks
3.2.28
lasting
footwear-making operation that pulls and stretches the upper (3.3.65) to conform to the shape of the last
(3.6.13)
3.2.29
lockstitch
double thread stitch that locks the threads together within the material so that breaking one stitch does not
permit the seam (3.2.34) to come apart
3.2.30
Norwegian construction
reversed welted
variation of the welted construction (3.2.16) in which the welt (3.3.70) (with a specifically designed cross
section) is sewn vertically to the side of footwear, so that the sewing is visible, the major part of the welt
below the sewing is then out-flanged and the sole stitched to this flange
Note 1 to entry: See Figure 5.
Key
1 upper
2 outsole
3 seam
4 seam “with the insole”
5 midsole
6 bottom filling/filler
7 insole
Figure 5 — Norwegian construction
ISO 19952:2025(en)
3.2.31
roughing
mechanically treating the lasted margin of the upper (3.3.65) in order to improve adhesion (3.2.1) usually by
using a rotating wire brush or scouring band
3.2.32
rub
flatten any protrusion on the upper (3.3.65) or lining (3.3.42), usually applied to a raised seam (3.2.34)
3.2.33
saddle seam stitch
seam (3.2.34), usually with decorative purposes, formed by placing two pieces of material together facing
outwards and stitching close to the edge with heavy thread to give the appearance of hand sewing
3.2.34
seam
line of stitching that joins two or more components together
3.2.35
side wall sewn
footwear construction (3.2.16) in which the upper (3.3.65) is directly stitched to the side wall running
around the footwear
3.2.36
slug, verb
reinforce the top piece (3.3.61) of a heel (3.3.33) by driving in a series of metal nails or slugs
around the perimeter thus giving increased resistance to wear during walking
3.2.37
split, verb
cut a material into two or more layers
3.2.38
spring
toe spring
distance between the ground level and the bottom surface (3.6.22) of the sole at the toe
3.2.39
stamping
imprinting information, usually using heat or pressure, onto the sock (3.3.31) lining (3.3.42) or sole
3.2.40
stitch density
number of stitches per unit length
3.2.41
stitchdown
veldtschoen
basic footwear construction (3.2.16) where the edge of the upper (3.3.65) is lasted outward and stitched
with a welt (3.3.70) directly to the insole (3.3.39) or sole, and the sole is attached by stuck-on (3.2.16.1)
Note 1 to entry: See Figure 6.
ISO 19952:2025(en)
Key
1 upper
2 welt
3 outsole
4 insole/runner
Figure 6 — Stitchdown (veldtschoen) construction
3.2.42
string lasted construction
construction (3.2.16) where a string around the lasting margin is used to fix the upper (3.3.65) at the last
(3.6.13)
Note 1 to entry: See Figure 7.
Figure 7 — String lasted construction
3.2.43
Ströbel construction
construction (3.2.16) wherein the edge of the insole (3.3.39) is stitched at the edge of the upper (3.3.65) and
the ströbel stitching position is matching with the feather edge (3.3.27) of the last (3.6.13)
Note 1 to entry: See Figure 8.
ISO 19952:2025(en)
Key
1 upper
2 last
3 insock
4 seam stitching
Figure 8 — Ströbel construction
3.2.44
tack lasting
type of lasting (3.2.28) carried out on a plated last (3.6.13) in which the upper (3.3.65) is fixed by tacks not
subsequently removed
3.2.45
tight to toe
correct way to cut upper components with the direction of material stretch perpendicular to the direction of
greatest lasting tension
3.2.46
waist lasting
side lasting
lasting (3.2.28) process applied to the upper (3.3.65) from toe to waist (3.6.29)
3.2.47
welt beating
welt hammering
operation of lightly beating the welt (3.3.70) into a smooth position around the edge of the footwear prior to
attaching the sole
3.2.48
welt sewing
sewing of the welt (3.3.70) and the upper (3.3.65) on to the raised lip of the insole (3.3.39)
Note 1 to entry: See Figure 4.
3.2.49
wheeling, noun
ornamental line made across a footwear sole or around a heel rand by means of a corrugated wheel
ISO 19952:2025(en)
3.2.50
whole cut
one-piece upper (3.3.65)
Note 1 to entry: This is distinct from one consisting of a number of joined sections.
3.2.51
wrinkle chase, noun
removal of creases in an upper (3.3.65) by heating or in other ways
Note 1 to entry: For leather (3.1.20), this is done by using heat to cause the grain surface of the leather to shrink
slightly therefore eliminating fine wrinkles on the upper.
3.2.52
yield area
proportion of material used in cutting a pattern, as opposed to the waste generated
3.3 Footwear components
3.3.1
accessible components
components that can be directly reached or touched without dismantling or destroying any permanent
joining of the footwear
3.3.2
accessory
indispensable visible components which have a technical function in the footwear construction (3.2.16)
EXAMPLE Fasteners, zipper, laces (3.3.40).
3.3.3
apron
plug
central portion on the top of the vamp (3.3.66)
Note 1 to entry: See Figure 9.
Key
1 apron/plug
Figure 9 — Apron
3.3.4
arch support
shaped piece usually of shank (3.3.50), wood, firm rubber or similar material fitted to the insole (3.3.39) in
the arch (3.6.1) region
ISO 19952:2025(en)
3.3.5
Blake sewn
sole sewn on by a chainstitch (3.2.13), using single or double thread
Note 1 to entry: See Figure 10.
Key
1 upper
2 outsole
3 stitch
4 bottom filling/filler
Figure 10 — Blake sewn
3.3.6
bottom assembly
bottom parts of a footwear which can include insole (3.3.39), welt (3.3.70), midsole (3.3.43),
shank (3.3.50), non-removable insock (3.3.38), heel (3.3.33) and outsole (3.3.47)
3.3.7
bottom unit
sole unit or complete sole with heel (3.3.33) attached
3.3.8
bottom wall
upright edge on the side of the sole
3.3.9
box toe
toe puff
piece of material (fabric, composite or metal) inserted as a stiffener (3.3.18) in the toe of a footwear between
the outside and the lining (3.3.42) to retain the original contour of the toe of the last (3.6.13) in the footwear
3.3.10
built heel
stacked heel
heel (3.3.33) comprising several layers or lifts
ISO 19952:2025(en)
3.3.11
cap
section covering the toe area of the vamp (3.3.66)
3.3.12
cleat
solid protrusion of a tread (3.3.62) pattern of sole
Note 1 to entry: See Figure 11.
Figure 11 — Cleat
3.3.13
cleat sole
sole with a tread (3.3.62) pattern containing cleats
3.3.14
collar
cuff
upper (3.3.65) section which follows the top line (3.3.60) or top edge of the quarters (3.3.48)
3.3.15
complete upper assembly
finished upper (3.3.65), fully seamed, joined or laminated together as appropriate, comprising the centre
material and any lining(s) together with all components such as interlinings, adhesives (3.1.2), membranes,
foams or reinforcements (3.1.21), but excluding toe puffs and stiffeners (3.3.18)
Note 1 to entry: The complete upper assembly can be flat, two-dimensional or comprise lasted upper in the final
footwear.
3.3.16
component
part of the footwear
EXAMPLE Upper (3.3.65), outsole (3.3.47), lining (3.3.42).
ISO 19952:2025(en)
3.3.17
component in contact with the skin
component (3.3.16) closely in contact with foot or leg skin during wearing
EXAMPLE Linings (3.3.42), tongues, insoles (3.3.39) and insocks (3.3.38).
Note 1 to entry: Foot (leg) skin hose includes sock, stocking, tights, etc.
Note 2 to entry: If a footwear has no lining, the inside of the upper (3.3.65) should be taken as lining and regarded as
component in contact with the skin.
3.3.18
counter
stiffener
support to give stiffness, inserted between the lining (3.3.42) and the upper (3.3.65), or outside the upper
over the heel area
3.3.19
covered heel
heel (3.3.33) covered entirely with material
3.3.20
D-ring
metal or plastic piece often used for sport footwear, enabling a lace (3.3.40) to slide but different from an
eyelet (3.3.25) or a lace hook (3.3.41)
Note 1 to entry: See Figure 12.
Figure 12 — D-ring
3.3.21
decorative attachment
ornament
component (3.3.16) with no functional property and usually designed for aesthetic purposes
Note 1 to entry: If a decorative attachment is removed, there is no function loss for the footwear.
3.3.22
direct moulded sole
sole made by direct moulding (3.2.18)
ISO 19952:2025(en)
3.3.23
drawn-up toe
part of the outsole (3.3.47) that extends up onto the toe area at the front of the footwear, used to strengthen
the bond between the sole and the upper (3.3.65)
3.3.24
extended sole
sole whose edge protrudes from around the feather edge (3.3.27)
3.3.25
eyelet
metal or plastic tube or cylinder inserted through the thickness of an upper (3.3.65) to take a lace (3.3.40)
or thread
3.3.26
facer
facings
facing row
part of the upper (3.3.65) carrying the eyelets (3.3.25)
Note 1 to entry: It is usually present in rows.
3.3.27
feather edge
line that denotes the boundary between the sole and the upper (3.3.65)
3.3.28
fibreboard
material made from fibres, usually either leather (3.1.20) or cellulose, which has been reconstituted into a
sheet (or board) using paper-making techniques
3.3.29
footbed
component (3.3.16) fitted onto either the insole (3.3.39) or the insock (3.3.38), or both, usually to aid either fit
or comfort, or both, e.g. via contouring or shock absorption
3.3.30
forepart
front half of a last (3.6.13) or footwear, i.e. the toe end
3.3.31
full sock
sock
single layer of material permanently bound to the foot side of the insole (3.3.39)
3.3.32
half sock
seat sock
sock (3.3.31) covering only half the visible area of the insole (3.3.39), usually the heel end
3.3.33
heel
support placed under the seat of the footwear to give it its intended stance
ISO 19952:2025(en)
Key
1 heel angle
2 heel height
3 top piece
4 heel breast
5 heel seat
6 heel tip
Figure 13 — Heel
3.3.34
heel breast
forward face of the heel (3.3.33)
Note 1 to entry: See Figure 13.
3.3.35
heel seat
part of the heel (3.3.33) that is in contact with the upper (3.3.65)
Note 1 to entry: See Figure 13.
3.3.36
heel tip
reinforcement (3.1.21) of metal, rubber or plastic, fixed to the bottom of a heel top piece (3.3.61) to give
increased wear resistance at this point during walking
Note 1 to entry: See Figure 13.
3.3.37
inaccessible component
component (3.3.16) hidden inside which cannot be reached or touched without dismantling or destroying
some permanent joining of the footwear
ISO 19952:2025(en)
3.3.38
insock
component (3.3.16), usually multilayer (removable or not), covering the insole (3.3.39) to improve the
performance, comfort and shock absorption of the bottom assembly (3.3.6)
3.3.39
insole
component (3.3.16) used to form the base of the footwear to which the upper (3.3.65) is usually attached
during lasting (3.2.28)
3.3.40
lace
cord or string used for drawing together two edges, usually the quarters (3.3.48) of a footwear
3.3.41
lace hooks
small hooks inserted like eyelets (3.3.25) into footwear or boot facings (3.3.26) to hold the lace
(3.3.40) for fastening
3.3.42
lining
materials that constitute the inside of the footwear and that are against the foot, leg or sock
Note 1 to entry: To aid labelling, where there are no other pieces of material attached to the upper (3.3.65) to form
a lining, the inner face of the upper is considered as the lining. Any uncovered part of the insole is included in the
calculation. Where one material constitutes at least 80 % of the surface area of the inside of the footwear, this is
[54]
labelled as one of the material types listed in EU Directive 94/11/EC. Where no one material constitutes at least
80 % of the inside area of the footwear, the two main materials are described (in descending order of area).
Note 2 to entry: See Figure 14.
Key
1 lining
Figure 14 — Lining
ISO 19952:2025(en)
3.3.43
midsole
runner
through sole
layer of material, usually combination of rigid support materials and polymeric foam materials of varying
Shore hardness values, inserted between the outsole (3.3.47) and the insole (3.3.39)
Note 1 to entry: See Figure 5 and Figure 28.
3.3.44
multilayer sole
sole that comprises two or more layers
3.3.45
multiple D-ring
plastic piece gathering several D-rings (3.3.20) and usually sewn on to the upper (3.3.65)
3.3.46
orthotic
moulded insert in a footwear which provides support at the arch (3.6.1), heel (3.6.9) or ball of the foot
3.3.47
outsole
bottom component (3.3.16) of the footwear, at least part of which is in contact with the ground
3.3.48
quarter
complete half (either inside or out) of the back area of the footwear upper (3.3.65) covering the side and
counter (3.3.18)
Note 1 to entry: See Figure 15.
Key
1 quarter
Figure 15 — Quarter
3.3.49
quarter lining
material that lines the quarter (3.3.48) of an upper (3.3.65)
3.3.50
shank
thin strip of material in different shape, usually wood or steel, used to stiffen or prevent excessive bending
of the plantar arch (3.6.1)
Note 1 to entry: See Figure 16.
ISO 19952:2025(en)
Figure 16 — Example of shanks
3.3.51
slide fastener
means of securing two flexible materials consisting of interlockable teeth (3.3.51.7), each attached to one of
the opposing edges of two tapes (3.3.51.6), and a movable slider (3.3.51.4) that spans the interlocking teeth,
which, when moved in one direction, causes the teeth of one tape to interlock with the teeth of the other tape
Note 1 to entry: When the slider is moved in the opposite direction, it causes the teeth to disengage.
Note 2 to entry: See Figure 17.
Key
1 top end 4 puller
2 teeth 5 tape
3 slider 6 end stop
Figure 17 — Slide fastener
ISO 19952:2025(en)
3.3.51.1
end stop
top stop
terminal component of the teeth (3.3.51.7) to prevent the slider (3.3.51.4) from disengaging from the teeth
and tape (3.3.51.6)
3.3.51.2
locking device
component (3.3.16) that prevents unintended movement of the slider (3.3.51.4) during use or wear
3.3.51.3
puller
piece of plastic or metal attached to the slider (3.3.51.4) as a means of manual grip for the user to operate
3.3.51.4
slider
means of drawing the two interlocking teeth (3.3.51.7) together or apart as it traverses the length of the teeth
3.3.51.5
stringer
textile tape (3.3.51.6) with an attached row of teeth (3.3.51.7) designed to interact with a row attached to
another tape
3.3.51.6
tape
fabric panel to support other teeth (3.3.51.7) of the slide fastener (3.3.51)
3.3.51.7
teeth
individual components (3.3.16) of the slide fastener (3.3.51) or continuous plastic spiral which interlocks
with an opposing element
3.3.52
slug
small pointed piece of metal, with or without a head, or a piece of metal wire cut and driven
in mechanically, intended to fix together the separate layers of a heel (3.3.33) or various parts of the
footwear bottom
3.3.53
spike heel
very high tapering heel (3.3.33)
3.3.54
stiletto heel
medium or high heel (35 mm or above) with a very small top piece (3.3.61) tapering in to a very fine point
3.3.55
Thomas heel
heel (3.3.33) manufactured with an anterior medial extension approximately 1,27 cm longer than the
standard heel
Note 1 to entry: The purpose of the Thomas heel is to give added support under the sustentaculum tali and the medial
longitudinal arch.
Note 2 to entry: See Figure 18.
ISO 19952:2025(en)
a) Thomas heel b) lateral Thomas heel
Figure 18 — Thomas heel
3.3.55.1
lateral Thomas heel
heel (3.3.33) that supports the cuboid area and rotates the foot externally, thus abducting the foot
Note 1 to entry: A wedge can be inserted if additional support is needed.
Note 2 to entry: See Figure 18.
3.3.56
throat
footwear vamp (3.3.66) opening as the entrance for the forepart of the foot
3.3.57
toe cap
forepart (3.3.30) of the upper (3.3.65) which extends from the tip of the footwear to part way up the vamp
(3.3.66)
3.3.58
tongue
part of the upper (3.3.65), or a section fixed to the upper, which extends from the rear edge of the vamp
(3.3.66) and lies under the lacing as a protection for the instep
3.3.59
top lift
outermost layer in a built-up heel to which the top piece (3.3.61) is joined
3.3.60
top line
line that runs around the footwear at the top of the vamp (3.3.66) and quarter (3.3.48)
ISO 19952:2025(en)
3.3.61
top piece
part of the heel (3.3.33), usually detachable, in contact with the walking surface
Note 1 to entry: See Figure 13.
3.3.62
tread
weight-bearing pattern and surface (3.6.22) of the sole of a footwear
3.3.63
trim
item attached to the upper (3.3.65), including either decorative or functional attachments, or both
EXAMPLE Buttons, upper decorations.
3.3.64
unit sole
moulded sole in which heel (3.3.33) and sole are moulded as a single unit in predetermined sizes
3.3.65
upper
materials forming the outer face of the footwear, which is attached to the sole assembly (3.2.2) and covers
the upper dorsal surface of the foot
Note 1 to entry: In the case of boots (3.4.4), this also includes the outer face of the material covering the leg. Only the
materials that are visible are included, no account should be taken of underlying materials.
Note 2 to entry: To aid labelling, where one material constitutes at least 80 % of the surface area, this is labelled as
[54]
one of the types of material listed in EU Directive 94/11/EC. Where no one material constitutes at least 80 % of
the upper area, the two main materials are described (in descending order of area). No account should be taken of
accessories or purely decorative trims.
Note 3 to entry: See Figure 19.
Key
1 upper
Figure 19 — Upper
ISO 19952:2025(en)
3.3.66
vamp
fore section of the upper (3.3.65), excluding the quarters, which covers the toes and front of the foot
Note 1 to entry: See Figure 20.
Key
1 vamp
Figure 20 — Vamp
3.3.67
vamp lining
piece of material which lines the vamp (3.3.66) of an upper (3.3.65)
3.3.68
vamp wing
each side of the back va
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