Vintage Cast Iron Cobbler Shoe Last

Once used to help a cobbler shape shoes, this heavy, cast-iron shoe last has a wonderfully rusty patina and is perfect as a doorstop, paperweight or bookend.  It is marked “Malleable C3″ on top and measures 8 1/2 inches long and 2” tall at the tallest part.

Historically, lasts were typically made from hardwoods and cast iron because these materials retain their shape, even when in contact with wet materials (like leather) and subjected to the mechanical stresses of stretching and shaping shoes on them.  This last is straight and does not distinguish between the left and right foot, meaning that it was likely used to repair shoes.  The socket in the heel would have been turned upside down so that it could be placed on a cobbler’s anvil.