BOOT MAKER’S GLOSSARY
UPPER: The shaft and vamp of the boot.
Everything from the insole up.
DIE: A metal pattern that is used to cut out
sections of leather for parts of the boot.
COUNTER: The leather heel piece.
VAMP: The portion of the upper that
covers the foot.
SHAFT: The part of the upper that runs
from the ankle up.
SHANK: A small piece of steel that
provides arch support and reinforces the
sole of the boot.
LAST: The mold for the boot which the
vamp is formed around.
WELT: A strip of leather that wraps around
the upper and joins it to the insole.