Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Many years ago, shoes were made one at a time and by hand. Of course, it took a lot of time, and traditional handicraft shoemaking has now been largely superseded in volume of shoes produced by industrial mass production of footwear.

Shoemakers, also known as cordwainers, can produce different types of footwear, from knee-high heavy boots to lightweight sandals. Shoemakers usually work with a wide range of materials, such as leather fabrics, rubber, wood, plastic, jute fabrics or other plant material. Shoes mostly consist of multiple parts so they can last longer.

The first shoes in history were produced around 4 thousand years ago. The first right- and left-footed shoes were invented in Philadelphia only in the 19th century: they used to be identical before.

The terms cordwainer and cobbler have often been considered not interchangeable, according to a tradition in Britain that restricted cobblers to repairing shoes. In this usage, a cordwainer is someone who makes new shoes using new leather, whereas a cobbler is someone who repairs shoes.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org