Glossary of Footwear Terminology, O

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International Language Terminology Cross-Reference

General Glossary of Footwear Types

Ocrea
Boots or Hose

Ocreae Rostratae
May refer to piked boots.

Ocreas
Anglo Norman term for a type of shoe, although it may be the same as ocrea.

Off-cut
A bit of leather scrap from cutting out pieces, or from paring seams, or trimming soles. [Goubitz, 2001]

Oil Dressing (also Chamoised, Fat/Oil Curing, Oil Curing, Oil Tanning, Shamoyed)
This is a process in which a raw skin or hide has various oils and fats massaged into it, keeping the skin supple and pliable while triggering an oxidization reaction in the skin with the kneading and manipulation. Cod liver oil is a frequent choice for this in shoemaking. This process goes back to at least the 3^rd millennium BCE, although it doesn’t survive well under archaeological conditions. Buff Leather is made this way, by taking buffalo (Bos bubalus, or perhaps Bos Bonasus ) hide, or ox hide, oiling it, and buffing up the surface. See also Combination Tannage, Tanning, Smoke Tanning, Tawed leather.

One-piece shoe
A shoe consisting of a single piece of leather, including the sole. [Goubitz, 2001]

One Piece (Upper)
See Wrapround

Opanke
The term originates from a Serbian word for a shoe, worn by the rural population, with a hard molded sole turned up all around the edge forming part of the upper. The European Opanke can have a center front and/or back seam in the bottom unit. The Native American shoe referred to by anthropologists as an Opanke has no seams in the bottom unit and a soft upper which is attached to it. [Thornton/Swann, 1983][Webber, 1989]

Open Tab
An upper pattern where the tabs are left unattached (open) to the center front vamp e.g. Derby (q.v.) [Thornton/Swann, 1983]

Opening
Of a shoe or boot: entrance for the foot (in contrast to closure or fastening opening). [Goubitz, 2001]

Openwork decoration
Designs made by cutting or punching shapes and figures out of the leather. [Goubitz, 2001] (See Pinking)

Orgone (Latin: Organum)
This term appears in a 15^th century poem, Lystyne lordys verament. It may refer to a musical instrument, specifically a wind instrument.

Outer Sole (also Out-Sole, Outer soal, Outsole)

The sole layer that actually comes in contact with the ground.
The bottom sole which is in contact with the ground. [Webber, 1989][Holme, 1688]
Out-Sole. This has been wetted and hammered into shape, then pasted on the flesh side prior to stitching [Devlin, 1840]
Outer soal [Martin, 1745]
In modern shoes, The bottom exterior of a shoe. Generally, they're built with durable materials that provide good traction. [www.eastbay.com/help/glossary]

Outseam
See Stitching

Outside Counter
See Counter.

Outside Seam
Uses the flat stitch to close the uppers. [Devlin, 1840]
See Flat Seam.

Outsitiched
A term use in modern craft hand shoemaking for a stitchdown shoe (See Stitchdown)

Overlap closure
A part of the leg leather that extends across the closure opening on the instep or shin and fastens on the side. [Goubitz, 2001]

Overlapped Seam (Lapped Seam, Stabbed Seam)
See Stabbed Seam.

Overleather (Other medieval spellings include Ovyr Lethyr, Ouerledyr. Also Overleathers, Uberleder, Upper leather, Uppers)
Generally this refers to the forefoot, quarters, linings and tongue.

Overpronation
When your foot rolls excessively inward upon contact with the ground. Overpronators are generally characterized by a low arch. [www.eastbay.com/help/glossary] When your foot flattens too much [www.skibootspecialist.com]

Overshoe
a shoe worn over another for extra protection against wet or cold. Also in boot form. [Thornton/Swann, 1983][Webber, 1989]

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Footwear of the Middle Ages - Glossary of Footwear Terminology O, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005 I. Marc Carlson.
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