How leather shoes are made

Finer leather shoes still have their soles sewn on, a method that has been standard since the 17th century.

stations: 6
things upstream: 61
raw sources: 17
steps from the ground: 9

The short version

A leather shoe begins as pieces of leather cut to pattern and stitched into an upper. The upper is stretched over a wooden or plastic foot-form called a last, attached to an insole, then joined to an outsole by stitching or cement. A heel is added and the shoe is polished.

Cut the pattern pieces

A die or knife cuts the vamp, quarters and lining out of leather, avoiding scars and weak spots in the hide.

Goes in
Leather
Stitch the upper

Sewers join the pieces with heavy stitching to make the part of the shoe that covers the top of the foot, and add eyelets or hooks for the laces.

Goes in
Sewing thread
Fit the insole board

An insole made of stiff paperboard or a synthetic nonwoven board forms the inside floor of the shoe. The edge of the upper is attached to it.

Goes in
Cardboard
Last the upper

The upper is wrapped tight around a last, a foot-shaped form, and its bottom margin is pulled over the insole. The shoe takes its shape here.
Attach the sole

On finer shoes the outsole is stitched on, a method that has been standard since the 17th century. Cheaper shoes cement the sole in place with adhesive.

Goes in
Vulcanized rubber Adhesive
Add the heel and finish

A heel is nailed or glued on, the edges are trimmed and the shoe is polished. A rubber heel plate adds traction.

End of the lineLeather shoe

Worth repeating

Marc Brunel developed machinery to mass-produce boots for the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars.
A rubber heel for boots and shoes was patented on January 24, 1899, by Humphrey O'Sullivan of Lowell, Massachusetts.
Shoe manufacturers in China account for 63 percent of world shoe production.