| Patent leather | Leather created from cattle hide that is made to have a shiny, glossy appearance. |
| Pebax | An all-around flexible, comfortable and high performance athletic shoe made of a plastic known as polyether block amide. |
| Penny Loafer | A style of loafer shoe with a slit over the instep meant for the placement of a penny for good luck. |
| Perforation | Decorative pattern of holes punched into the trim of a shoe. |
| Performance Trainer | A lightweight shoe with enough cushioning and stability for some everyday training. |
| Personal Heel Fit | An Asics heel construction made of foam which guarantees a perfect fit around the wearer's heel. |
| Phylite | Nike's lightweight material that forms the midsole/outsole blend. |
| Phylon | Nike Phylon is a lightweight EVA foam that is molded into a midsole. Advantages are that it is lighter and more flexible than other midsole foams and provides very resilient cushioning. |
| Pillow Cushion | A thick layer of memory foam found in the shoe that when combined with other insole systems offers the ultimate in cushioned comfort in Carolina shoes. |
| Pinking | A serrated, decorative edging found on the vamp, toecap or quarter of the shoe. |
| Piping | A decorative piece of leather placed around the seam of a shoe. |
| Pitch | The angle of the part of the heel that meets the sole as compared to the angle of the front part of the heel where it meets the sole. This is important in the stabilization of the heel. |
| Platform | A style of shoe in which the sole is thicker at the front allowing for more height in the heel. |
| Polymer Toe | Carolina footwear which is known for its Non-Metallic Safety Toe for industrial work environments where steel is inappropriate. |
| Polyurethane | A heavier, less responsive yet more durable midsole material. Polyurethane or PU is usually used as an alternative to leather in Nike shoes. |
| Polyvinyl Chloride | A plastic material used to add extra support in heel counters and outsoles. |
| Poron Permafresh | A cushion insole that absorbs shock while providing anti-bacterial protection unique to the Carolina shoe brand. |
| Post (or medial post) | A thicker Nike midsole material added to the inner side of the shoe to reduce overpronation. |
| Predator | Thin, lightweight elements placed at the sweet spot and toe area to improve the comfort in the ball area of the foot. These elements also increase shooting power in some adidas footwear. |
| Pro-Moderator | The adidas brand Pro-Moderator is a lightweight, highly stable yet durable midsole motion control that enables a great toe-off. It provides the perfect amount of stability yet eliminates the abrupt stoppng that can occur when a denser material is used for motion control. |
| Pronation | The slight inward rolling of the foot which is a natural part of the gait cycle. |
| ProPLATE | adidas ProPlate is a stiff elastic plate that restricts the movement in the forefoot to minimize exhaustion for a more efficient stride. It refines the movement of the foot to enhance running performance. |
| Pumps | A low-cut, moderate heel height shoe made for women. |
| QD-15 last | A Nike last constructed from the heel of one last and the forefoot of another. When combined, they provide a great fit in running shoes. |
| Quarter | The most rear portion of the shoe which covers the heel and sides joined at the back seam. |
| Quarter lining | The inner lining of the rear of the shoe can be made from leather or another type of fabric. |
| Quickstrike | adidas brand carbon rubber outsole feature known to be flexible, light weight and durable. |
| Rearfoot | The back section of the foot behind the arch that absorbs the primary impact of the foot strike. |
| Regrind | Nike outer sole rubber that has been recycled from old running and athletic shoes. |
| Responsiveness | The ability of your forefoot to feel the ground as you push away from it. |
| Retro | Footwear designed to resemble the style of a past era in history. |
| Rhynoskin | An Asics brand highly abrasion-resistant synthetic leather attached to the shoe upper to avoid excessive wear. |
| Ride | The overall support of a shoe throughout the movement of the gait cycle. In order to be classified as a smooth ride, the gait cycle should feel like one continuous motion rather than impact and push off. |
| Riding boot | Knee-high boots meant to be worn during equestrian activities. The boots feature a low heel and elastic panels near the top. |
| Running shoe | A shoe made and used for short or long distance and trail running. Running shoes are known for their cushioning, stability and support of the foot while in a running stride. |
