Exodus 3:5 - "Then he said, ‘Do not come near; put off your shoes from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’ "

Luke 15:22 - "But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.’ "

The craft of shoemaking dates far back into history. In earliest times, shoes were worn by such people as shepherds to protect the feet against cold, damp soil, hot sands, and sharp stones. These shoes were simply a sole of leather or wood, supported by leather bands around the ankle. Increasing urbanization made the sandals common apparel, thus giving the shoemaker more work. Also, the wealthy became more style-conscious with women wearing elaborate shoes that covered the entire foot.

The job of the shoemaker also included restitching defective parts and replacing worn portions with new leather. To do his work, he used knives, shears, awls, and thread. His work was a very necessary one, and he was often looked up to in the cities.

From antiquity, shoes have symbolized authority. In the Bible, man humbled himself by removing his shoes, as our text shows. A Jew gave over his shoes to bind an agreement. The custom of throwing old shoes after newlyweds for luck is believed to have originated as a symbol of the bridegroom’s authority over his wife.

The progress of civilized man, the vagaries of fashion, and great changes in manufacturing are woven through the long history of shoes and shoemaking, which also gives us a comprehensive view of changing social trends through the centuries.

Today’s shoe makers and shoe repairmen keep pace with the changes in technology, and more improved methods of making shoes gives us better footwear at less cost. In its first hundred years of existence, the United States Patent Office granted about 10,000 patents on shoemaking machinery and on the improvements of existing methods. And today our shoe men are keeping up the same pace.