Shoe repairers (cobblers) repaired used shoes. Shoes were expensive and were repaired until they were no longer necessary.

A shoemaker is a craftsman who traditionally makes and repairs shoes and other footwear such as boots, sandals, and moccasins. These are traditionally made from materials such as leather, wood, rubber, or jute.

Shoemakers use a last, a typical tool for this profession, which used to be made of wood or metal, but is now made of plastic, on which the shoe can be shaped.

In the past, the cobbler was often someone physically unable to work the land and performed various odd jobs, such as running errands or babysitting other people’s children. This is how the “nursery school” emerged within the cobbler’s trade, the predecessor of the kindergarten.

The shoemaking profession is almost extinct. There are, however, orthopedic shoemakers and a few craftsmen who produce shoes to order or on a small scale.