Shoe definitions beginning with the letter N
Nap
The term used to describe a velvety surface of leather or cloth. In leather the nap is created by buffing with sandpaper.
Nappa Leather
Skins, normally from lambs, which are remarkably soft and supple; primarily used for shoes where comfort is the key.
Nature-Form Shoes
Nature-form shoes are shoes with straight inside edges, low heels and adequate width for joints and toes that are designed to be as close as possible in shape to the natural foot.
Category: shoe styles
Negative Heel
Popular in comfort footwear, a type of footbed with a lowered heel area designed for more natural foot placement.
Category: heels, shoe parts
Neoprene
Neoprene is the trade name used by Du Pont for the synthetic rubber, polychloroprene developed in their laboratories in 1931. Neoprene is widely used as an adhesive in shoemaking and in soling compositions.
Category: materials
Non Woven Fabric
Also known as: Stiffening material
Sheet material made from fibres bonded together. Non woven fabric is not woven in any way and is commonly used as a reinforcement for shoe uppers.
Category: materials, shoe parts
Non Woven Insole Material
A material used for making insoles made from synthetic fibres that are bonded together with a small proportion of synthetic rubber allowing custom shaping of the insoles that is not possible to achieve with woven materials.
Category: materials
Non-Safety Work Boots
Boots that are designed specifically for light industrial work that does not require steel safety caps over the toe box area.
Category: boots, shoe styles
Non-woven synthetic
Non-woven materials are flat flexible porous sheet structures that are produced by interlocking layers of fibers, filaments, or film-like filamentary structures.
Category: materials
Nubuck Leather
Nubuck is a grain leather that has been slightly brushed on the surface to create a very fine velvet-like appearance. A superior brushing technique than that which is used for suede, the texture of Nubuck is finer than suede because the natural grain pattern is left intact.
Nylon Tape
A thin strip of synthetic material used for reinforcing joins and points of weakness in footwear, particularly strap joins and top lines.
Category: materials, shoe parts
