Different Kind of Shoe Cutouts

Actress Aimee Teegarden wears shoes with cutouts to the "Beneath the Darkness" premiere in Hollywood, California, in 2012.

Whether you're looking for a way to truly amp up your footwear collection or if you've been wondering about some of the reductive detailing in your shoes, shift your shoe focus toward cutouts. From the removal of pieces of your shoes purely for its aesthetic value to those moments when parts of your shoes have been taken out for a utilitarian purpose, the world of cutouts makes footwear all the more interesting and just might make your ensemble that much more eye-catching. Does this Spark an idea?

Upper Structural

Some shoe cutouts promote a certain shoe shape or style, particularly larger cutouts. For example, a woman's pair of pumps may have a peep-toe cutout to expose just the toes; this type of cutout allows a woman to show off a pedicure for an added dose of accessorizing. Another type of upper structural cutout may include backless wedges. The leather covering the entire foot up to the ankle may include a peep toe or may have a more substantial area cut out to create two or more straps across the foot. Or a sandal wedge with a back may have a circular cutout to frame the top of the foot while creating the appearance of two straps with extra artistic value.

Upper Laser Detail

Laser detailing creates a type of artistic cutout on the upper surface of shoes that adds cosmetic value to your footwear. Visualize a pair of loafers with what looks like perforation on the toe of the shoe; the cutouts may be in the shapes of circles, hearts, stars or any other shape. Now imagine a pair of leather, high-heel slingback sandals with an allover cutout grid that results in empty windows or squares. From slim slits to specific shapes, laser cutouts create patterns or single images in your shoes for a unique look.

Heel

In women's wedge shoes, you may find heel cutouts. When you turn the shoe sideways, part of the portion between the shoe's insole and outsole may be missing. This cutout is valuable because it adds an extra-interesting visual element to your footwear, and it often removes added weight that can be uncomfortable while walking. In men's footwear, you may have noticed a notch, referred to as a gentleman's "notch" or "corner." These tiny removals of the corners of a man's dress shoe heel were initially employed to keep pants from catching on men's shoes and "still signify a well-made pair of shoes," according to "Valet Magazine."

Functional

You have likely noticed that some of your shoes -- particularly athletic shoes -- have holes in them. Take a look at the inside of the foot on a Converse-style sneaker and you will probably find small holes surrounded by grommets often referred to as eyelets. These small cutouts are surrounded by metal to keep the rest of the material from splitting apart. The cutouts provide air circulation to the interior of the shoe to keep feet cool.

References

• InStyle: Alexander Wang Eliza Cut-Out Wedges
• InStyle: Summer Accessories -- Edgy Cut-Out Wedges
• InStyle: Summer Accessories -- Cut-Out Wooden Wedges
• InStyle: Donna Karan New York Wedge Cuff Sandals
• Valet Magazine: Ask Valet -- Well Heeled
• Valet: Anatomy of a Classic -- The Converse All Star