Shoemaking

thumb|[[Woodcut of shoemakers from Frankfurt am Main, 1568.]]

thumb|Two shoemakers in Vietnam in 1923.

Shoemaking is the process of making footwear.

Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand, often by groups of shoemakers, or cordwainers (sometimes misidentified as cobblers, who repair shoes rather than make them). In the 18th century, dozens or even hundreds of masters, journeymen, and apprentices (both men and women) would work together in a shop, dividing the work into individual tasks. A customer could come into a shop, be individually measured, and return to pick up their new shoes in as little as a day.

Traditional handicraft shoemaking has now been largely superseded in volume of shoes produced by industrial mass production of footwear, but not necessarily in quality, attention to detail, or craftsmanship.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. A pair of bespoke shoes, made in 2020 according to traditional practices, can be sold for thousands of US dollars.

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.

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.

The production of clogs (wooden shoes) was widespread in medieval Europe. They were made from a single piece of wood roughly cut into shoe form. A variant of this form was a wooden sole to which a leather upper was attached. The sole and heel were made from one piece of maple or ash two-inches thick, and a little longer and broader than the desired size of shoe. The outer side of the sole and heel was fashioned with a long chisel-edged implement, called the clogger's knife or stock; while a second implement, called the groover, made a groove around the side of the sole. With the use of a 'hollower', the inner sole's contours were adapted to the shape of the foot. The leather uppers were then fitted closely to the groove around the sole. Clogs were of great advantage to workers in muddy and damp conditions, keeping the feet dry and comfortable. 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:

thumb|left|By the late 19th century, the shoemaking industry had migrated to the factory and was increasingly mechanized. Pictured, the bottoming room of the B. F. Spinney & Co. factory in [[Lynn, Massachusetts, 1872.]]

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.

The sewing machine was introduced in 1846, and provided an alternative method for the mechanization of shoemaking. By the late 1850s, the industry was beginning to shift towards the modern factory, mainly in the US and areas of England. A shoe stitching machine was invented by the American Lyman Blake in 1856 and perfected by 1864. Entering into partnership with McKay, his device became known as the McKay stitching machine and was quickly adopted by manufacturers throughout New England. As bottlenecks opened up in the production line due to these innovations, more and more of the manufacturing stages, such as pegging and finishing, became automated. By the 1890s, the process of mechanisation was largely complete.

A process for manufacturing stitchless, that is, glued, shoes—AGO—was developed in 1910. Traditional shoemakers still exist today, especially in poorer parts of the world, and create custom shoes. Current crafters, in developing regions or supply constrained areas may use surplus car or truck tire tread sections as an inexpensive and plentiful material resource with which to make strong soles for shoes or sandals. Generally, the modern machinery used includes die cutting tools to cut the shapes and grommet machines to punch holes for lacing.

Early 21st century has seen a resurgence in the shoemaking profession, particularly in the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom. This has been driven in large part by broader societal preferences in favour of leather restoration rather than replacement and extends to not only shoes but also handbags and other leather fashion accessories. Meanwhile, organizations within the industry have begun leveraging e-commerce and modern logistical networks to offer consumers greater convenience through the offering of services by mail.

Well-known shoemakers

Bata, Czech footwear, apparel and fashion accessories manufacturer and retailer founded by Tomáš Baťa
Berluti, French leather handmade shoe company founded by Alessandro Berluti
Bontoni, Italian shoe brand founded by Franco Gazzani and Lewis Cutillo
Carl Franz Bally, Swiss shoe manufacturing company founder
Christian Louboutin, French shoe designer, his stiletto footwear incorporates shiny, red-lacquered soles that have become his signature
Ed Meier, German shoemaking company, founded by Hans Mayr in 1596, it is the oldest existing shoemaking company in the world
Edward Green, English shoemaker
Giuseppe Zanotti, Italian footwear designer known for his sculptural, jeweled heels
Jimmy Choo, Malaysian Chinese shoe designer based in London
John Lobb, English shoemaker and the founder of the company John Lobb Bootmaker
Manolo Blahnik, Spanish shoe designer, founder of the eponymous high-end shoe brand
Rainbow Cobblers, 1970s American hippy shoe and boot designer in San Francisco, California
Rene Caovilla, Italian shoe designer
Roger Vivier, French shoe designer, his best-known creation was the stiletto heel
Rupert Sanderson, British shoe designer who was born in Penang, Malaysia
Salvatore Capezio, founder of the manufacturer of dance shoes Capezio
Salvatore Ferragamo, Italian shoe designer
Santoni, Italian shoe and leather brand founded by Andrea Santoni
Sergio Rossi, Italian shoe designer
Stefano Bemer, Italian shoemaker, based in Florence
Wildsmith, English footwear manufacturer founded by Matthew Wildsmith and Rebecca Wildsmith, their grandson Raymond Lewis Wildsmith invented the loafer design

Shoe store

A shoe store or shoe shop is a type of retailer that specializes in selling shoes. From slippers to athletic shoes to boots, the store could also sell shoe accessories, including insoles, shoelaces, shoe horns, shoe polish, etc. In addition, shoe stores may provide clothing and fashion accessories, such as handbags, sunglasses, backpacks, socks, and hosiery.

A shoe repair shop is a type of business establishment that fixes and remodels shoes and boots. Besides a shoe repair shop, a shoe repairer could work in department stores or shoe stores.

left|thumb|Men's shoes on display in a shopping outlet.thumb|Sewing machine for shoemaking, shoe repair, and bag and heavy fabric repair work. This machine is manually operated with a hand crank. The foot can be turned in any direction which changes the direction of the material feed.

References

External links

Shoemaker's Workshop – The Canadian Museum of Civilization
"Bespoke Shoemaking a guide to handmade shoemaking", a book teaching traditional hand shoemaking

Well-known shoemakers

Shoe store

See also

Further reading

References

External links