Editing Last (section)

{{Short description|Mechanical form shaped like a human foot}}
{{Use dmy dates |date=December 2024}}
{{Other uses}}
[[File:PikiWiki Israel 13497 shoe trees.JPG|thumb|upright=1.35|A pair of wooden lasts.]]
[[File:Schuhmacherwerkstatt HH.jpg|thumb|right|Wooden lasts in a shoemaker's workshop in [[Hamburg]], [[Germany]]]]

A '''last''' is a mechanical form shaped like a [[human foot]]. It is used by [[Shoemaking|shoemakers]] and [[cordwainer]]s in the manufacture and repair of [[shoe]]s. Lasts come in many styles and sizes, depending on the exact job they are designed for. Common variations include simple one-size lasts used for repairing [[sole (shoe)|soles]] and [[heel (shoe)|heels]], custom-purpose mechanized lasts used in modern [[mass production]], and custom-made lasts used in the making of [[bespoke footwear]]. Lasts are made of firm materials{{mdash}}[[hardwood]]s, [[cast iron]], and high-density plastics{{mdash}}to withstand contact with wetted leather and the strong forces involved in reshaping it. Since the early 19th century, lasts typically come in pairs to match the separate shapes of the right and left feet. The development of an automated lasting machine by the [[Surinamese-American]] [[Jan Ernst Matzeliger]] in the 1880s was a major development in [[shoe production]], immediately improving quality, halving prices, and eliminating the previous [[putting-out system]]s surrounding shoemaking centers.

{{anchor|Etymology|Names}}