When shoes were created, they were ugly, utilitarian items designed solely to protect delicate human feet from rocks and other sharp objects. Now, not only are shoes highly designed in thousands of interesting styles, but they're also highly specialized. There are shoes for bicycling -- mountain biking shoes and cycling shoes -- shoes for running and jogging, shoes to swim in, shoes to protect your feet at construction sites. You can even get shoes to help ease your back pain or make you look taller. The types of shoes worn vary by area and purpose.For instance if you live in Alaska you might not see as many sandals as you would see if you live in California. To some, shoes are considered a very important part of fashion. The style of a shoe can be determining factor weather or not it is to be purchased. Some people only buy certain brands of shoes while others may purchase a pair of shoes solely on a price basis. Sneakers are more outdoor oriented and are mostly purchased by consumers for recreational purposes like basketball, football, or baseball. But there are some sneakers that can be considered collector items, for example the AIR JORDAN sneakers. This brand is known through out the sneaker world and can be very costly. The AIR JORDAN brand is considered the cream of the crop when it comes to sneakers. Being named after one of the greatest men in sports you can see why they are so popular. Another type of shoe is the designer dress shoes. You'll see these types of shoes more often at weddings, proms or most formal affairs.

These types of shoes consist of brands like Stacy Adams, Kenneth Cole, Gucci, Prada and many other high-priced name brands. Unlike sneakers, these types of shoes can cost anywhere from $200 to $600. You most likely will not see anyone shooting hoops with these types of shoes on. Next we have boots which are a heavier type of shoe that cover the foot and the ankle. Boots have many styles that can be worn in many different fashions. There are hiking boots, casual boots and even a formal style of boots. Timberland is a very popular brand that specializes in boots. Timberland has a more casual look, but can be worn in a semiformal fashion. As every year goes by there are more and more shoes being created. There are even hybrid shoes such as Creative Recreation, which is a brand of shoes that crosses sneakers and dress shoes together. These shoes are very original in design and can be worn in both formal and informal gatherings.