The Art of Boot and Shoe Making

Book excerpt: 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