Boot and Shoe Making

1
Boot and Shoe Making
Upper
Help. The names of the objects are in the wrong
place. Can you help the shoemaker and draw
arrows to put them in the right place?
Sole
Heel
Name of object
What it does
1
After measuring the foot, a model (the last) is
made of it in wood. The last is used as a mould
on which the shoe is built.
Singer Sewing Machine

2
Rotary Clocking-on Machine
Cutting the leather to make the upper parts of
the shoe. This has to be very precise so as not
to waste leather.
3
Robinson Heel attacher
It was used to make sure that nobody was going to
be late for work in the factories!
4
The first machine. It was used for stitching
together parts of the upper.
Pattern Grading Machine
5
Last Makers Bench
Another machine for fitting and stitching
together the various parts of the upper.
6
Bed Laster
Fixing the sole and the heel to the upper.

2
Boot and Shoe Making
Upper
Help. The names of the objects are missing. Can
you help the shoemaker by finding them and
writing them in?
Sole
Heel
Name of object
What it does
1
After measuring the foot, a model (the last) is
made of it in wood. The last is used as a mould
on which the shoe is built.

2
Cutting the leather to make the upper parts of
the shoe. This has to be very precise so as not
to waste leather.
3
It was used to make sure that nobody was going to
be late for work in the factories!
4
The first machine. It was used for stitching
together parts of the upper.
5
Another machine for fitting and stitching
together the various parts of the upper.
6
Fixing the sole and the heel to the upper.

3
Boot and Shoe Making
All of these pieces of equipment could be found
in Kettering, either in factories or in
workshops, in the 19th and 20th Centuries. Each
one is involved in a process of making shoes or
boots. Try to find each one, write down its
name, and explain what it does.
Name of machine
What it does
1
2

3
4
5
6
4
Boot and Shoe picture task Teachers
notes Aim to explain the process of
shoe-making to encourage children to
identify and explain objects Introduction Whole
group seated - Remind/inform children of stages
of making a shoe - Explain that machines
gradually took over from hand tools in
shoe-making - Explain task each group is to a)
do activity card
b) be a museum guide to explain
a piece of equipment 5 minutes Research
and preparation Groups of 2-3 - Fill in
activity cards - Prepare to explain the piece of
machinery that corresponds with their group
number. - What its called - What it does -
Which stage of the shoe-making process it is used
for - How it is better than hand tools - How
dangerous it is - Any interesting detail about
it 12 minutes The guided tour Whole
group The whole group goes round together,
visiting each piece of machinery in turn, and
each relevant group explains its
item. 10 minutes Feedback Whole group
seated What are advantages/disadvantages of
machinery? 3 minutes Resources activity
sheets instruction cards