Daily AncestorLaster
A laster was a shoemaker or shoe factory worker who stretched the upper leather over a last, the foot-shaped form, and fastened it in shape.
Lasting gave a shoe its shape, and it was one of the most skilled steps in factory shoemaking. The laster pulled the upper tight and smooth over the last and tacked it to the insole before the sole was attached.
In shoe towns of the later 1800s, workers were listed by their step in the process, so a census page may show lasters, cutters, stitchers and finishers in the same street.
As seen in a recordOccupation column of the 1850 to 1880 census
Chas. Nye, 33, Laster, Shoe factory
Sources
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Laster." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/occupations/laster. Last checked 2026-10-01.