The most common materials used to make shoes are leather, textiles (cotton, polyester, wool, and nylon), synthetics, rubber, and foam (open and closed cell foam). Leather is flexible and elastic but very sturdy and strong which makes it the top choice for shoe making. For most of history, shoemaking has been a handicraft, limited to time-consuming manufacturing by hand. Traditional shoemakers used more than 15 different techniques for making shoes, including pegged construction, English welted (machine-made versions are referred to as " Goodyear welted" after the inventor of the technique), goyser welted, Norwegian, stitch down, turnout, German sewn, moccasin, bolognese stitched, and blake-stitched. Traditional handicraft shoemaking has now been largely superseded in volume of shoes produced by industrial mass production of footwear, but not necessarily in quality, attention to detail, or craftsmanship. Today, most shoes are made on a volume basis, rather than a craft basis. [3] A pair of "bespoke" shoes, made in 2020 according to traditional practices, can be sold for thousands of US dollars. [4] The most basic foot protection, used since ancient times in the Mediterranean area, was the sandal, which consisted of a protective sole, held to the foot with leather thongs or cords of various materials. Similar footwear worn in the Far East was made from plaited grass or palm fronds. In climates that required a full foot covering, a single piece of untanned hide was laced with a thong, providing full protection for the foot and so made a complete covering. [5] a b c Mathew, Scott. "7 Common Misconceptions About 18th Century Shoemaking". 18th Century History . Retrieved 29 May 2020.

The first steps towards mechanisation were taken during the Napoleonic Wars by the engineer, Marc Brunel. He developed machinery for the mass-production of boots for the soldiers of the British Army. In 1812 he devised a scheme for making nailed-boot-making machinery that automatically fastened soles to uppers by means of metallic pins or nails. [6] With the support of the Duke of York, the shoes were manufactured, and, due to their strength, cheapness, and durability, were introduced for the use of the army. In the same year, the use of screws and staples was patented by Richard Woodman. Brunel's system was described by Sir Richard Phillips as a visitor to his factory in Battersea as follows:Ravidas, Satguru of the Ravidassia religion, and member of the marginalized Chamar caste of cobblers and other leather workers Quality Shoe & Handbag Repairs". SoleHeeled. Archived from the original on 2019-01-27 . Retrieved 2019-01-27. By the 1600s, leather shoes came in two main types. 'Turn shoes' consisted of one thin flexible sole, which was sewed to the upper while outside in and turned over when completed. This type was used for making slippers and similar shoes. The second type united the upper with an insole, which was subsequently attached to an out-sole with a raised heel. This was the main variety, and was used for most footwear, including standard shoes and riding boots. [5] Romanian traditional shoemaking of opanak shoes, a type of moccasins Luxury Online Shoe & Handbag Repair". Cobbler Concierge. Archived from the original on 2019-01-27 . Retrieved 2019-01-27.

Daughters of St. Crispin, an American labour union of female shoemakers, and the first national women's labour union in the United States a b c "History of Shoemaking in Britain – Napoleonic Wars and the Industrial Revolution". Archived from the original on 2014-02-02 . Retrieved 2014-01-20.A process for manufacturing stitchless, that is, glued, shoes— AGO—was developed in 1910. Shoemaker and repairer in McLeod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh, India Trades that engage in shoemaking have included the cordwainer's and cobbler's trades. The term cobbler was originally used pejoratively to indicate that someone did not know their craft; in the 18th century, it became a term for those who repaired shoes but did not know enough to make them. [1] History [ edit ] Traditional methods [ edit ] A cordwainer making shoes, in Capri, Italy. Roadside cobblers, Rekong Peo, Himachal Pradesh, India. Roadside Lady Cobbler, in front of Kalighat Metro station gate, Kolkata, India. Until the 19th century, shoemaking was a traditional handicraft, but by the century's end, the process had been almost completely mechanized, with production occurring in large factories. Despite the obvious economic gains of mass production, the factory system produced shoes without the individual differentiation that the traditional shoemaker was able to provide. However, when the war ended in 1815, manual labour became much cheaper, and the demand for military equipment subsided. As a consequence, Brunel's system was no longer profitable and it soon ceased business. [6] Traditional shoemakers still exist today, shoemaker in Karachi Other types of ancient and traditionally made shoes included furs wrapped around feet, and sandals wrapped over them (used by Romans fighting in northern Europe), and moccasins—simple shoes without the durability of joined shoes.

Stern, Boris (1939). "Labor Productivity in the Boot and Shoe Industry". Monthly Labor Review. 48 (2): 271–292. JSTOR 41815683. Shoemakers may produce a range of footwear items, including shoes, boots, sandals, clogs and moccasins. Such items are generally made of leather, wood, rubber, plastic, jute or other plant material, and often consist of multiple parts for better durability of the sole, stitched to a leather upper part.

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The shoemaking trade flourished in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries but began to be affected by industrialization in the later nineteenth century. [2] a b c d James Paton (1902). "Shoemaking". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 2014-02-02 . Retrieved 2014-01-20.