The Complete Guide to Sneaker Terminology

What’s an aglet? Where’s a sneaker’s lateral side? What’s the difference between Zoom Air and ZoomX? Whether you’re new to sneakers or a veteran of the game, it can all get confusing. But we’re here to help with this sneaker glossary.

You don’t need to speak sneakerhead to know about Air Jordans, Nike Dunks, and Adidas Superstars, but what about the individual components that go into each of them? What about the nuances between different leathers and foam compounds? If you’ve ever wondered about these technical elements, or maybe some of those abbreviations like PE or QS, then this is the guide for you.

Below you’ll find a living document for these sneaker terms, which will expand as new technology or slang enters the lexicon. Here’s your complete guide to sneaker terminology.

Every Air Jordan Releasing in 2026

The Best Nike SB Dunks of All Time, Ranked

110: ”110″ is UK-based slang for the Nike Air Max 95, derived from the shoe’s original £110 price.

ACG: ACG is short for Nike’s All Conditions Gear line, an outdoor-focused Nike line that includes footwear, apparel, and accessories.

Adapt: Nike’s Adapt is a self-lacing technology inspired by the Nike Mag from Back to the Future Part 2.

Aglet: Aglets are hard plastic or metal tips at the end of shoelaces.

Air Max: Air Max is Nike’s proprietary air bag cushioning technology. It was first used in the Nike Air Max 1 in 1987.

AMM: AMM is short for A Ma Maniere, a sneaker boutique with locations in Atlanta, DC, and Houston, and frequent collaborator with Nike and Jordan Brand. It was founded by James Whitner.

B-Grade: B-Grade sneakers are often found at outlets with some type of flaw or imperfection, and sold for a reduced price.

Beaters: Sneakers used for daily wear with little regard for their care and condition are known as beaters by sneakerheads.

Boost: Boost is an Adidas cushioning technology created with BASF, and introduced in 2013 in performance running. It was later widely used in Kanye West’s Yeezy line.

Bot: A bot is specialized software used to automate the purchase of online sneaker releases, often at the expense of those trying to buy manually.

Bred: “Bred” is a nickname given by sneakerheads to shoes such as the Black and Red Air Jordan 4, derived from combining the two colors into one word.

Brick: Sneaker slang for a shoe that doesn’t sell out and will eventually go on sale is referred to as a brick.

Campout: Camping out is a method to better ensure a chance at buying a hyped sneaker by simply spending the most time waiting in line, even if it’s overnight.

CDP: Air Jordan Countdown Packs, known as CDPs, released in 2008 in honor of the line’s 23rd anniversary. The shoes comprising the packs added up to 23—for example, the Air Jordan 11 and 12 and Air Jordan 3 and 20 released together.

Co.JP: Co.JP, or Concept Japan, Nike releases began in the late 90s and early 2000s as a series of Japan-exclusive designs that were highly coveted worldwide.

Collab: A collab, or collaboration, is a project involving an outside party helping to design a sneaker. Some of the most hyped examples include Supreme x Nike and Travis Scott x Jordan Brand.

Colorway: A colorway refers to the specific combination of colors used on a specific version of a sneaker.

Cop: To cop a sneaker is sneaker slang for acquiring or purchasing through either a retailer or reseller.

Counter: Counters are rigid structural components of a shoe, often found in the heel or forefoot, used to stabilize the foot over the footbed.

Cushlon: Cushlon is a type of EVA-based foam cushioning technology. Cushlon 3.0 is currently the brand’s top version of the material.

Deadstock (DS): A deadstock sneaker is one that has never been worn, regardless of its age.

DMP: The DMP, or Defining Moments Pack, was the first multi-shoe release from Jordan Brand. It released in 2006 and included an Air Jordan 6 and 11 that honored the first of each of Michael Jordan’s two threepeats.

Dubrae: A dubrae is a tag found at the base of the shoelaces of some shoes, most notably the Nike Air Force 1.

Dupe: A dupe is a counterfeit sneaker typically of high quality that’s intent is to be perceived as the real thing.

EKIN: An EKIN is an internal Nike product specialist who helps educate fellow Nike employees as well as consumers. The name is derived from Nike spelled backwards.

EQT: Short for “equipment,” Adidas’ EQT line was originally developed as essential product for athletes and known for its signature green color.

EVA: EVA is short for ethylene-vinyl acetate, a common foam used in sneaker cushioning.

Eyelet: Eyelets are the holes in the upper of a sneaker that the shoelaces pass through.

Eyestay: A sneaker’s eyestay is the strip that runs along the top of the upper, over the tongue, that contains the eyelets.

Friends and Family: Friends and family sneakers are exclusive versions of a shoe that aren’t released at retail. They often are extremely valuable based on their exclusivity.

GOAT: GOAT is a reselling platform. It’s differentiated by its competitors by offering the sale of worn sneakers.

GR: A GR, or general release, is a sneaker that is widely available throughout a variety of retailers.

Grail: Short for holy grail, a sneakerhead’s grail is a highly sought after sneaker, often with an unattainable resale value.

GS: GS is short for Grade School, a smaller sizing that may contain different construction, shape, and technology than its comparative adult sneaker.

HTM: HTM was a design collective that included then-Nike CEO Mark Parker, legendary designer Tinker Hatfield, and Fragment Design’s Hiroshi Fujiwara. They collaborated on a number of sneakers including the Nike Air Force 1, Air Woven, and Kobe 9.

Hypebeast: A hypebeast is a somewhat derogatory term used by sneakerheads to describe a sneakerhead who chases only what’s popular, rather than what they actually like.

Hyperstrike: A hyperstrike release is similar to a quickstrike, but even more limited, often releasing with little or no notice, in extremely limited quantities.

Infrared: Infrared refers to a specific shade of red, best known for its use on the Air Jordan 6 and Nike Air Max 90.

Last: A last is a foot-shaped mold that is used as the basis for a shoe’s shape. Different last shapes are utilized for different use cases, in addition to aesthetics.

Lateral: The lateral side of a shoe is the outer side, or small toe side.

Lifestyle: A lifestyle sneaker is one that is intended to be used casually rather than for performance. They often include heavier or less breathable materials.

Medial: The medial side of a shoe is the inner side, or big toe side.

Midsole: A sneaker’s midsole is found between the upper and outsole, and typically responsible for the cushioning—whether foam or an embedded tech unit.

Mudguard: Mudguards are strips of material that wrap just above a sneaker’s midsole and act as an extra layer of support and protection.

NBHD: Nike’s NBHD accounts are top-tier retail partners that typically are allocated the most exclusive and sought-after releases.

Near Deadstock (NDS): A near deadstock, or NDS, sneaker is one that has been used, but is still in pristine condition with little sign of wear.

Nike By You: Nike By You, formerly known as Nike iD, is a customization program that allows buyers to create their own colorways of popular sneakers. It currently includes sneakers like the Nike Air Max 95, Nike Ja 3, Nike Air Force 1.

NSW: NSW, short for Nike Sportswear, is a line of casual and lifestyle sneakers and apparel.

Nubuck: Nubuck is a type of top-grain leather that’s been sanded or buffed to produce a soft finish that’s smoother than suede, but still has texture.

OG: OG is sneaker slang for an original release of a sneaker, as opposed to a later retro re-release.

Oreo: An “Oreo” colorway is a nickname given by sneakerheads to shoes that feature black and white color blocking, often also using speckled finishing techniques.

Outsole: A sneaker’s outsole is its bottom-most layer, typically rubber, and responsible for providing traction.

Patent: Patent leather is a type of coated leather known for its shiny, high gloss surface. It was famously introduced to the sneaker world with the Air Jordan 11.

PE: A PE, or player exclusive, is a sneaker that’s been customized for an athlete, either with a unique colorway or additional details that differentiate it from retail versions.

Phylon: Phylon is a midsole material created using compressed EVA particles.

Plug: A sneaker plug is sneaker slang for having an inside connection to acquire hyped releases outside of the typical retail channels.

PS: PS refers to preschool sizing, which is smaller than GS, or grade school sizing.

Quickstrike (QS): A quickstrike is a sneaker that releases with little notice, often with exclusive availability and only through top tier retailers.

Raffle: A raffle is a method of sneaker release intended to give a fair opportunity to anyone who wants to purchase a pair. Unlike a campout, the will to wait in line doesn’t benefit entrants, as everyone has the same chance.

Regional: Regional exclusive sneakers only release in specific geographic areas. Oftentimes, different colorways of a shoe, like Union’s Air Max 95 collab, release in different locales as part of the same launch.

Rep: Short for replica, a rep is another name for a fake sneaker, or dupe.

Reseller: A reseller buys sneakers for one price, typically retail or less, for the purpose of later selling them for a profit. Resellers may or may not actually be sneakerheads.

Restock: A restock is when additional pairs of a sneaker are sold at retail following an initial sell out.

Retro: Retro sneakers are recreations of originals, or OGs. Retros can be 1:1 versions of the original, or made in new colorways. The practice was popularized by the Air Jordan line.

Sample Size: During the sample phase of development, sneakers are typically produced in size 9 to verify colors and materials.

SB: SB is Nike’s skateboarding division. It was formed in 2002 under the helm of Nike veteran Sandy Bodecker, and is best known for its Nike SB Dunk line.

Shank: A shank is a rigid material found between a shoe’s insole and outsole, sometimes made of carbon fiber, that’s implemented to provide stability and energy return.

Shock Drop: Shock drops are unannounced sneaker releases, often through the Nike SNKRS app. They are sometimes geotargeted to coincide with specific events.

SNKRS: Nike’s SNKRS app is the brand’s primary online-based release device for its most coveted sneakers. In addition to being a purchase platform, the app offers access to content, events, and official information.

StockX: StockX is a reselling marketplace that gives users the opportunity to set asks and bids, and acts as a third party between buyer and seller that verifies authenticity before allowing transactions to finalize.

Team Bank: A team bank shoe typically refers to performance silhouettes with basic color blockings intended to match a school’s colors.

Tier Zero: Tier Zero was once the highest level of Nike retail accounts.

TN: TN refers to Nike’s Tuned Air cushioning. The system, aimed at adding more stability to Air Max technology, is best known for its use in the Nike Air Max Plus.

Toebox: A sneaker’s toebox is the front portion of the shoe that houses the toes. The shape of the toebox can impact both comfort and function.

Tooling: A sneaker’s tooling is its molded midsole unit that may house additional cushioning elements.

Uptowns: Uptown is one of the most popular nicknames for an Air Force 1. The sneaker slang is derived from its popularity in Harlem, which is located in Uptown Manhattan.

Vamp: A vamp is a part of a sneaker’s upper that covers from the toebox to the instep at the base of the tongue.

Vulcanized: A vulcanized sole is a type of construction that cures the sole using heat and pressure.

Zoom Air: Nike’s Zoom Air cushioning technology uses low-profile pressurized Air bags that contain tensile fibers, and is known for its responsive feel.

ZoomX: ZoomX is a foam-based cushioning from Nike that is softer, lighter, and more responsive than standard foams.