Shoe Makers and Repairers
A soler is someone who makes or repairs shoes and other footgear. In colonial times, a cordwainer was a shoemaker as opposed to a cobbler, who had significantly less training and were often prohibited by law from making shoes. A shoe cobbler, or simply cobbler, is a person who mends and repairs shoes. The earliest known shoes are sandals made from sagebrush bark and date back to 7000 or 8000 BCE, found in a cave in Oregon in 1938.
In Mesopotamia, circa 1600 to 1200 BC, mountain people wore a type of soft shoes made of wraparound leather, similar to a moccasin.
The Finest Shoemakers
A shoemaker is someone who makes or repairs shoes and boots, with synonyms including cobbler, bootmaker, and souter. They are artisans with expert craftsmanship and often include hand-stitched detailing. Notable shoemakers have included individuals like Christopher Nelme, the earliest recorded named shoemaker in the American colonies, who sailed to Virginia from Bristol in 1619.
Repairing Shoes
If your shoe has a problem, such as a falling-off heel or a rip, a cobbler can assist you. In modern times, though people often opt to buy new shoes, the role of cobblers was historically vital. To hide cracks in shoes, one can clean the shoes to remove as much debris as possible and then use a leather filler.
The word "cordwainer" comes from an Old French word, "cordoan," meaning the leather from Cordova, Spain. Egyptians began making shoes from woven reeds as early as 1550 BC.
Salvatore Ferragamo, one of the most innovative shoe designers of the 20th century, gained fame in the 1930s. Whether you refer to them as cobblers or cordwainers today, both terms denote individuals skilled in the art of shoe making.