My older brother was a chemical engineer from MIT. His first job in 1935 was improving quality of rubber in
sneakers. I was reminded of this as I put on my athletic shoes this morning, and noted how well the "foxing" was
standing up. That was the word my brother taught me for
the rubber tape that joined the fabric to the sole and the
cover over the toes. I searched and found Keds ads that
still use the word. I'll bet few members have heard it before. Incidentally, I didn't know until a couple years ago that "ked" is Scots word for tick or louse.

I searched for definition of "foxing" and found this:
3. To repair the feet of, as of boots, with new front upper
leather, or to piece the upper fronts of.