As you can read in my previous article about quality shoe making and how to look after your shoes; therefore, in this article, I am induced to write about the anatomy of the shoe. Which every man must know about; let's begin with the upper.
The upper is crafted leather by the cobbler (shoemaker) according to the pattern that has been chosen and then stitched together to create the basic pattern of the shoe.
The perforation: is the small decorative holes on your shoes also called the brogues and the most familiar one is the toe medallion design.
Thereafter, adding the inner lining which gives a warm and smoothness to your foot and afterwards begins to lasting process; of placing the insole (which would give your foot softness and comfort) and nailing which would create the actual shape of the shoe.
However, the upper has three sections: the vamp which is the front portion of the shoe (it covers your toe and the lower instep of your foot), and the quarter is the midsection of the shoe (it covers your higher instep and towards the arch area of your foot), then the heel counter; which is the back portion of the shoe to support your heel ( it covers your heel the calcaneus), exceptionally the whole-cut oxford because the upper; cuts entirely as a one-piece of leather and stitch only in the heel counter.
Although, if the shoe is lace-up then In the upper midsection has eyelets; the holes are used for lacing. For an oxford shoe, a closed lacing system for a derby open lacing system, and eventually the tongue which would be sporting the lacing system and the higher instep of your foot.
Therefore, let's look a bit lower on the shoe; which means beneath the upper you could see a piece of leather stitched around the upper; which is called the welt (Goodyear welt and hand welt), it's a sign of the high-quality shoe and good craftsmanship; also you could repair your shoes (resole) quite easily.
The outsole: is attached (stitched onto the welt) to the upper to give flexibility and protect your foot on the surface that you walk, and you have two options for choosing the outsole for your shoes which are the leather sole and rubber sole, comparatively, the leather sole will reveal the high level of the formality, then the heel of your shoe which would be balancing the height and support your foot as well.
The bevelled waist and feddle waist are relatively narrow on the mid-portion of the outsole, and it enhances the arch area also creates nice arch support for your foot, besides the fiddle waits has a small raised ridge along the mid-portion of the outsole, therefore, it quite resemblance to the back of the violin, it creates a nice aesthetic look to the shoe as well.
For these types of the waist, you could get on some high-end ready-to-wear and made-to-order shoes, otherwise the bespoke is the best option.
The toe plate (taps): is a small metal (steel and brass) plate that is placed beneath the tip of the toe; it would prevent damage to the welt and also increases the time to replace the outsole of your shoes.
Cheers gentleman