The replaceable protective piece on the bottom of a shoe’s heel, also called a top lift or heel tip.
The heel cap is the protective ground-contact piece at the bottom of a shoe’s heel. Paraboot describes a hard rubber or metal piece glued or nailed into a leather heel to protect it from wear. Product care guidance may call this part a heel tip. Manolo Blahnik explains that heel tips deteriorate with extensive wear and that an unstable heel can affect balance and the shape of the shoe. Identifying this wearing part separately from the heel structure makes a care discussion more precise. The heel counter is a different component around the back of the upper.
In job listings
This is a practical word for shoe care and repairs. An advisor or repair coordinator may need it when a client’s top lift has worn down, since replacing this part is routine and is not the same as replacing the heel. Search local jobs for “footwear”.