It’s hard to believe that, until the mid-1970s, just one brand of athletic shoe dominated the market. Before the 1980s, if you played basketball, you were probably wearing Chuck Taylor’s Converse All Star basketball sneaker, which once controlled more than 80 percent of the athletic footwear market.

Today, the average person is faced with scores of styles, hundreds of brands and a wider price range from the “retro-culture” to the trendy. Cross-trainers, running shoes, walking shoes, basketball shoes – finding the most versatile or best specific type of athletic footwear has become a major decision.

However, choosing athletic footwear should be more than simply making a fashion or cultural statement. It’s an important step to preventing injury. Buying the right footwear requires some homework, and learning a little bit about how an athletic shoe is designed will help. Below are a few common terms shoe professionals use to describe various parts of athletic shoes:

• Ankle collar. The padded area around the ankle.
  
  
• Heel tab. The notched area of the ankle collar, designed to reduce stress on the Achilles tendon.
  
  
• Insole. Part of the sole that fits inside the shoe, providing cushion and arch support.
  
  
• Outsole. Outside area of the sole that hits the ground. This portion is treaded for traction.
  
  
• Midsole. The padded portion between the insole and outsole designed for comfort, cushioning and shock absorption.
  
  
• Upper. This is the top part of the shoe where the laces reside and hold the shoe together.
  
  
• Toe box. Tip of the shoe where the toes reside.
  
  
• Counter. The rigid material around the heel of the shoe. The counter stabilizes the heel and keeps it in place.