The author, William H. Dooley, the Principal of the Lowell Industrial School, was asked in 1908 by the Lynn Commission on Industrial Education to make an investigation of European shoe schools and to assist the Commission in preparing a course of study for the proposed shoe school in the American city of Lynn. A close investigation showed that there were several textbooks on shoemaking published in Europe, but that no general textbook on shoemaking had been issued in this country adapted to meet the needs of industrial, trade, and commercial schools or those who have just entered the rubber, shoe, and leather trades. This book was thus written to serve this need.

This 1885 classic by John Bedford Leno (1826–94) includes over 100 diagrams and illustrations inside the following chapters: 1. Historical 2. The Anatomy of the Foot 3. The Foot:—Its Ailments, and Their Remedies 4. Measurement 5. Lasts 6. Fitting Up the Last 7. Choice and Purchase of Materials 8. Cutting Out 9. Fitting and Closing 10. Boot and Shoemaking: Men’s Work 11. Boot and Shoemaking: Women’s Work 12. Leggings and Gaiters 13. Mending 14. Furring 15. Bows and Rosettes 16. Boot and Shoe Armour: Tips, Plates, and Nails 17. Kit-Cutting 18. Sharpening Knives and Awls 19. Special Operations 20. Boot and Shoe Machines 2.1 Leather Cutting, Splitting, and Rolling Machines 22. Machines Employed for Preparatory Processes—Upper Splitting and Skiving 23. Upper Closing and Sole Attaching Machines 24. Machines for Building, Moulding, Attaching, Breasting, and Finishing Heels 25. Machines Used for Levelling Seams of Uppers, Edge Setting, and Levelling and Buffing Bottoms 26. Useful Receipts for Shoemakers 27. Conclusion

A complete guide to the art of shoe-mending, including a full course on how to do expert shoe repairing from beginning to end. Written in clear, simple language and profusely illustrated, this timeless guide contains everything a layman needs to know to start properly repairing shoes. It will also appeal to those with an interest in historical shoe-mending and manufacturing techniques Contents include: “Follow the Model”, “How to Nail a Sole in a Turned Shoe”, “To Prepare a Sole on a Slip-sole”, “To Straighten a Heel”, “Broken Counter from a Heel”, “The Right Way to Sew Rips in a Torn Sole”, “How to Prepare a Patch on a Sole”, “The Right Kind of Heel Plates”, “What Makes Crime?”, “Everybody is an Expert, and the Next Shoe Repairer Knows It”, etc. Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality addition complete with a specially commissioned new introduction on the history of shoemaking.

A beginner’s guide to the fundamental techniques of shoemaking. Do you want to learn how to make shoe patterns? Do you know how to design a last for a high-heeled fashion shoe, a sneaker, or dress shoe? In Footwear Pattern Making and Last Design, we will teach you the shoe last design process and detail the basic techniques of footwear pattern making. Footwear Pattern Making and Last Design will show you how lasts are made, the shoe last design process, the hidden geometry, special features, functions, and size grading principles of lasts. You will see many different last designs and shapes for sneakers, trainers, high-heels, boots, and more. This book covers the craft of footwear pattern making, including a step-by-step guide to patternmaking for beginners. Hundreds of color photos illustrate the patternmaking process. See and compare sample patterns for joggers, hi-top sneakers, high-heels, and many other shoes. Learn patternmaking procedures, how to make a sneaker forme, computer-aided design software for pattern making, and shoe pattern grading. Why is a shoe last shaped that way? How can you make a shoe pattern with simple tools? You will find these answers inside! 200 pages, 11 Chapters, Over 500 color photos.