In the first part, a review of the existing definitions and classification of the icefoot is made, showing that the icefoot notion is inaccurate, often ambiguous and not the same for everyone. In the second part, a definition and a description of the icefoot in the St. Lawrence Estuary are offered. Two main types of icefoot are distinguished : the upper and the lower strand icefoot. The protective and the morpho-sedimentological role of this feature is also emphasized.