Textbook of Footwear Materials

“Textbook of Footwear Materials” is a comprehensive reference work covering the raw materials, processing, manufacture and finishing of footwear materials. Edited by J. H. Thornton, the volume spans the full supply chain—from leather preparation through vegetable tanning liquors, to the compounds, fabrics and synthetic substitutes used in footwear. With some 474 pages as noted in the 1955 edition, it offers depth and breadth in the study of the materials that go into boots and shoes.

In “Textbook of Footwear Materials” the reader is presented with detailed chapters on leather manufacture, pattern-cutting, clicking, closing, bottom stock, making, finishing and slipper manufacture. Each section is grounded in trade-technique and material science, reflecting the evolution of the footwear industry in the mid-20th century when scientific and mechanical methods were increasingly applied. The editor’s aim is to equip students, technicians and industry professionals with a solid grounding in materials technology.

This textbook is ideal for those interested in the footwear manufacturing industry, materials science or industrial history. “Textbook of Footwear Materials” stands as a testament to the technical sophistication of its era—a blend of craft tradition and industrial innovation that still informs our understanding of footwear production today.