How Shoes Are Made- The origin of Shoemaking

Leather Shoes came in to existence 5000 years ago and were made of only piece of cowhide fascinating isn’t it? The modern day shoes are not only made of leather but a number of fabrics have been created by industry expert to design a perfect and comfortable shoe for its end users to fulfill their needs. As we move along it not only the fabric that has changed but the ways of manufacturing leather shoes have also evolved over the years.

When Was the First Leather Shoe Made?

The first shoe that is known to human kind was in the form of sandals and that was exactly made from sagebrush bark and date back to 7000 or 8000 BCE. You would be surprised to now that the shoe history was found in the cave of Oregon back in 1938 and remains the oldest known footwear sample. Furthermore, if we talk about the leather shoe like where from it came to knowledge of simple human being. Well, it was also found in cave and dated back to 3500 BCE.

Most of the people believe that raw shoes and sandals have been used for centuries. During the old eras clothing, even footwear were considered as a sign of power and Status and the people were mostly being distinguished on the basis of their attire and appearance for example salves used  to appear barefoot whereas soldiers were issued given various styles of footwear depending on their rank and honor.

The Turnshoe Process: Comfort Fit and Fashion:

During the middle ages, the turnshoe was one of the common ways for shoe manufacturing. As the name suggests turnshoe it was assembled inside-out and then turned once done bringing the seams to the interior of the shoe. This process helped the manufacturer to improve their way of doing better.

• The life of the shoe and water resistance got better by turning the seams inside.
• Tab flaps were used to improve the Fit
• During the 16^th Century, doubled soles were added to the shoes to increase the durability and comfort.

This very method is still in use today.

The Seam on Sole:

The goodyear welted method of Shoe Manufacturing

The above mentioned method has been replaced with the welted method which helps to increase the life of shoes. It’s one of the oldest, most labor intensive and most durable methods of shoe manufacturing still used today.

During the good early years of 1800 most of the leather shoes were made without any difference in the pair size of the left and right foot.  The roman used to make the shoes via using turnshoe method without any difference of the right and left foot until the industrial era.

In the mid of 18^th centuries shoemaking became industrialized but yet being done by hand. This was the point where the cottage industry moved to a large factory setting.

The Patching Sole- Glue Era

The process first stared in 1910. From time to time it helped manufacturers to discover more useable and suitable material to use for shoemaking. The sole which were used to stitch on by hand are now goes into the mass-production and glued on by machines.

Most Recent Shoemaking Process:

From their humble beginnings as pieces of grass and bark, shoes have gone a long way. The shoe industry has developed from a traditional craft into a multibillion-dollar market with a wide range of materials, styles, and uses thanks to contemporary production and materials. Check out this video from the London's Victoria & Albert Museum for a fast rundown of the contemporary shoemaking process.