Provided are, among other things, shoes and techniques for making them. One such shoe has: (a) a bottom portion that includes a sole and a bottom surface; and (b) an upper portion extending upwardly from the bottom portion. The bottom portion of the shoe is made of (i) an insert piece having a number of openings and (ii) a piece of fabric material that is partially on top of the insert piece and that partially extends into the openings, such that the bottom surface has alternating areas of the fabric material and the insert piece. The bottom surface has a portion that contacts the ground in normal use, and the fabric material covers at least 50% of such portion that contacts the ground in normal use.