Cordwainer

This article is about the occupation; for the science fiction writers, see Cordwainer Smith and Cordwainer Bird.

Cordwainer statue on Watling street, in the Cordwainer ward of the City of London.

A cordwainer (or cordovan) is somebody who makes shoes and other articles from fine soft leather. The word is derived from "cordwain", or "cordovan", the leather produced in Córdoba, Spain. The term cordwainer was used as early as 1100 in England. Historically, there was a distinction between a cordwainer, who made luxury shoes and boots out of the finest leathers, and a cobbler, who repaired them. This distinction gradually weakened, particularly during the twentieth century, when there was a predominance of shoe retailers who neither made nor repaired shoes.

In London, the occupation of cordwainers was historically controlled by the guild of the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers. There is a Cordwainer ward of the City of London, which is historically where most cordwainers lived and worked.

Until 2000, there had been a Cordwainer's Technical College in London. For over a hundred years the college has been recognised as one of the world's leading colleges for training cobblers and leather workers. The college produced some of the worlds' leading fashion designers, such as Jimmy Choo. Cordwainer's College was absorbed into the London College of Fashion in 2000. The shoe design and accessories departments are still titled "Cordwainer's at London College of Fashion".

The American author Paul Myron Anthony Linebarger used the pseudonym "Cordwainer Smith".

See also

• Shoemaking
• Leather crafting

References

• Occupation Cordwainer