# Mini Puzzler: Why are brake shoes called "shoes"? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Show\ **Created:** [August 20, 2024, 10:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mini-puzzler-why-are-brake-shoes-called-shoes/195881 "2024-08-20T22:48:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 10:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mini-puzzler-why-are-brake-shoes-called-shoes/195881/1 "2024-08-20T22:48:26Z")
They don’t look much like shoes. Shoes for walking are flat, brake shoes are curved. So why do most folks still call them “shoes”? ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 11:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mini-puzzler-why-are-brake-shoes-called-shoes/195881/2 "2024-08-20T23:08:49Z")
Because they don’t look like sandals… 😆 ---
**Author:** ![RandomTroll](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/randomtroll/32/12184_2.png) [@RandomTroll](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RandomTroll)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 2:03am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mini-puzzler-why-are-brake-shoes-called-shoes/195881/3 "2024-08-21T02:03:18Z")
Because they replaced the way we used to brake: putting our shoes on the ground, à la Fred Flintstone. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s-Me](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/it_s-me/32/12660_2.png) [@It\_s-Me](https://community.cartalk.com/u/It_s-Me)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 3:59am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mini-puzzler-why-are-brake-shoes-called-shoes/195881/4 "2024-08-21T03:59:29Z")
The same reason your CV joints have “Boots”. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 6:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mini-puzzler-why-are-brake-shoes-called-shoes/195881/5 "2024-08-21T06:00:04Z")
I call mine pads. Edit: just for the hard of hearing, I didn’t mean to imply that folks in the Midwest call drum brake liners, pads. Disc brake pads. Drum brake shoes to be clear, but been about 30 years having any brake shoes. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 12:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mini-puzzler-why-are-brake-shoes-called-shoes/195881/6 "2024-08-21T12:43:39Z")
Or, why do Brits call station wagons shooting-brakes? ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 2:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mini-puzzler-why-are-brake-shoes-called-shoes/195881/7 "2024-08-21T14:09:52Z")
The shoes are referring to the metal backing. The pads are glued (or in the past riveted) to the shoes. The term shoe has many meanings beyond footwear…back in the day, they had wooden blocks attached to the shoe and those blocks rubbed on a wagon wheel. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 2:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mini-puzzler-why-are-brake-shoes-called-shoes/195881/8 "2024-08-21T14:25:00Z")
> [@Purebred](#): > > why do Brits call station wagons shooting-brakes? [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_brake) Curious about that one myself. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 2:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mini-puzzler-why-are-brake-shoes-called-shoes/195881/9 "2024-08-21T14:52:43Z")
> [@bing](#): > > I call mine pads. Must be a regional thing. Disc brake pads are called Pads, Drum brakes are called shoes. No place I ever lived called drum brakes pads. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 3:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mini-puzzler-why-are-brake-shoes-called-shoes/195881/10 "2024-08-21T15:19:52Z")
> [@bing](#): > > been about 30 years having any brake shoes. Yes, but you don’t have a 50 year-old vehicle as your daily driver, nor do all other members of the forum… except for one person. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 3:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mini-puzzler-why-are-brake-shoes-called-shoes/195881/11 "2024-08-21T15:33:39Z")
Mike thought it was a regional thing to call shoes pads is all. Not that it matters but I ordered new brake shoes from jc Whitney for my 60 Morris. When I got them, they were just the liners that had to be riveted to the shoes. Even in 1966 nobody riveted liners to shoes. I just included them with the car when I sold it. They didn’t have liquid nails back then or that might have been an option. (That was a joke for the hard of hearing, not to be taken seriously) ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 3:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mini-puzzler-why-are-brake-shoes-called-shoes/195881/12 "2024-08-21T15:39:08Z")
> [@bing](#): > > Mike thought it was a regional thing to call shoes pads is all I guess I am hard of hearing also . I read your post that you were calling pads shoes . ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 3:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mini-puzzler-why-are-brake-shoes-called-shoes/195881/13 "2024-08-21T15:44:11Z")
What can I say except I’ll try to be more clear in the future. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 4:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mini-puzzler-why-are-brake-shoes-called-shoes/195881/14 "2024-08-21T16:02:37Z")
Eh, I’m having my wingtips repadded🤪 ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 5:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mini-puzzler-why-are-brake-shoes-called-shoes/195881/15 "2024-08-21T17:05:47Z")
Wingtips? Still got them? And who in the world is still in business to repaid them? Everyone retired years ago around here. ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 5:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mini-puzzler-why-are-brake-shoes-called-shoes/195881/16 "2024-08-21T17:25:20Z")
> [@bing](#): > > Even in 1966 nobody riveted liners to shoes. Yes they did. The most reputable brake shop where I lived in 66 had rolls of liners, in different widths. The mechanic would run a liner into a shearing press and cut to length, then take the cut pad to a punch press and punch in the holes, then to the rivet press and rivet the liner to the old shoes. At that time, riveted shoes were the premium shoes, bonded shoes were the cheap shoes. A little while later, riveted and bonded shoes became the premium shoes as the old guys still did not trust bonded only shoes. ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 5:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mini-puzzler-why-are-brake-shoes-called-shoes/195881/17 "2024-08-21T17:26:11Z")
Why were the 1st Saturn’s called, a Coupe = SC1-2, the Wagon = SW 1-2 and then the Sedan = SL 1-2?? Of course 1=SOHC & 2=DOHC and the S=Saturn SC&SW makes total sense, but SL for Sedan? L=Long maybe?? lol ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 7:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mini-puzzler-why-are-brake-shoes-called-shoes/195881/18 "2024-08-21T19:05:19Z")
My theory: One of the first car’s was German Karl Benz’s Motorwagon, invented in ~~1866~~ 1886. Benz intended to manufacture & sell his car to the public. He became depressed b/c nobody would buy it, thinking the car a neat idea presumably, but otherwise impractical. Road conditions and few fuel sources, etc. His wife noticed his sadness, and decided to take matters into her own hands. She wanted to show everybody the car is indeed practical. So she fueled-up and set off by herself on a 40 mile journey to visit her mother. She had to stop along the way several times at drugstores, the only available source for fuel. But she made it to and back. So what does this have to do with the term " brake shoes"? Before embarking on this trip she decided based on test drives she needed to somehow improve the brakes. Karl – being a man — was interested in going forward, not stopping, so he compromised on the brake design. Before the trip the wife hired someone to install leather pads on the brakes, which was sort of like a leather sole found on shoes, hence “brake shoes”. The leather sole reportedly made the brakes work considerably better, but the brakes still remained the most troublesome part of her trip, especially when going downhill. ---
**Author:** ![Hugemoth\_144444](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ee7513/32.png) [@Hugemoth\_144444](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Hugemoth_144444)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 7:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mini-puzzler-why-are-brake-shoes-called-shoes/195881/19 "2024-08-21T19:38:53Z")
On my 62 Falcon station wagon a rear wheel cylinder sprung a leak and saturated the shoes with brake fluid. One of the glued together shoes came apart and jammed the wheel. Hitched a ride to the nearest auto parts store and bought riveted shoes. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 8:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mini-puzzler-why-are-brake-shoes-called-shoes/195881/20 "2024-08-21T20:16:22Z")
> [@George\_San\_Jose1](#): > > One of the first car’s was German Karl Benz’s Motorwagon, invented in 1866. A bit later, patented in 1886. [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mini-puzzler-why-are-brake-shoes-called-shoes/195881.md?page=2)