SHOE of an Anchor, a small block of wood, convex on the back, and having a small hole, sufficient to contain the point of the anchor fluke, on the foreside. It is used to prevent the anchor from tearing or wounding the planks on the ship's bow, when ascending or descending; for which purpose the shoe slides up and down along the bow between the fluke of the anchor and the planks, as being pressed close to the latter by the weight of the former.