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The outsole is the most basic part of a shoe. The outsole is a protective layer of material between the foot and the ground. The word itself comes from the Latin word solum, which means soil. Outsoles have a wide variety of functional properties such as wear, flexibility, traction, insulation to mention a few. These properties vary in accord with the type of footwear. Most shoes today use a "unit sole" which means the sole and heel are combined into one unit. The unit sole is applied in one operation and reduces the cost of production. There is no one type of outsole that is regarded "best" for all footwear. Below Large Size Shoes for Women will give a brief description of the most widely used outsoles used today.
Leather
Leather is still regarded as the king of sole materials, despite it's limited use. The cost of leather limits it's use to better-grade women's shoes.
Thermoplastic Rubber (TPR)
TPR is the most dominant type of sole material used today. TPR soles are light-weight, durable, flexible and slip resistant. TPR soles have very good esthetics and can be made to look like leather. TPR soles are used on casual shoes for women and light-weight work oxfords.
PVC (polyvinylchloride)
At one time PVC was a popular sole material but it has limited esthetics. Because it is very durable, it is used today in work shoe and hiking boot type shoes. Many of the lug type soles we see are made from PVC.
Rubber Compounds
Neoprene, Nitrile and Hypalon are all rubber compounds. They are used mainly in the construction of "sneakers". Again, because of there durability they are sometimes used on work shoes.
Crepe
Crepe is a member of the rubber family and can be either natural or man made. It is heavy, loses color and can be hot in warm weather. It's use is limited to some sport and casual shoes.
Composition
This is a term for any mix of materials used to create slab soles that are inexpensive but long wearing. They are used mainly on inexpensive footwear. Usually they will resemble leather in apperance.
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