'outsole' originates from English, specifically the compound 'out' + 'sole', where 'out' meant 'outside' and 'sole' meant 'the bottom (of a shoe)'.

'out' comes from Old English 'ūt' meaning 'out', and 'sole' comes from Old English 'sol' (from Latin 'solea' meaning 'sandal'); the compound 'outsole' developed in later English to refer specifically to the outer bottom of a shoe.

Initially, 'sole' (from Latin 'solea') referred broadly to a sandal or the bottom piece of footwear; over time, the compound 'outsole' came to mean specifically the outermost layer of a shoe that contacts the ground.