How did the Pioneers Make Shoes?
During the 19th Century, the Shoshone people of Cache Valley made their shoes with soft leather stitched together by hand and decorated in many beautiful designs. To learn more, read about Native American Indian Moccasins.
As white settlers began to arrive after 1859, many of them brought skills and traditions from Europe. Shoemakers, also called cordwainers, used different stitching patterns and styles, but the basic process of shoemaking was the same.
The Art of Shoemaking
In the early years, it was not possible for Cache Vally pioneers to buy ready-made shoes! New shoes were made to order. Shoe and boot makers worked out of their homes or in shoe shops, sometimes with the help of an apprentice or family members.
First, the shoemaker measured the customer's feet. A wooden or iron shoe form called a last would provide the proper shape for the shoe. Pieces of leather or cloth were cut to the correct measurements, stretched over the last and stitched together by hand or with a sewing machine. These pieces made the upper, which was then attached to the insole.
Soles were usually made of wood or thick leather and sewn to the upper. Heels were then hammered into place using tacks. Shoe manufacturers later added welts, which are strips of leather that wrap around the shoe.
Watch Emiko Matsuda from Foster & Son demonstrate the process of making shoes by hand.
The Industrial Era
In the first half of the 19th century, shoes were made entirely by hand by trained shoemakers. When the sewing machine was invented in 1846, the shoemaking process began to involve the use of machines. Shoe sizes and shapes eventually became standardized. Gradually, shoe manufacturing moved away from local shops and into factories.
By the year 1900, as factory-made shoes became more widely available at new mercantile and clothing stores around Cache Valley, the demand for traditional shoemakers began to decrease. But shoe repairs were always needed and local shoe repair shops were plentiful!
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Do you think shoemaking looks easy? Why or why not?
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How do you think shoemakers felt when new machinery was invented?
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Would you rather buy ready-made shoes or have shoes made just for you?