This article needs additional citations for verification. Please last minute valentine gifts improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. A last is a mechanical form shaped like a human foot.

It is used by shoemakers and cordwainers in the manufacture and repair of shoes. Swedish läst, Danish læste, German Leisten. 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 soles and heels, durable lasts used in modern mass production, and custom-made lasts used in the making of bespoke footwear.

Today, wooden lasts are generally used only for bespoke shoemaking, particularly in Europe and North America. Cordwainers, or bespoke shoemakers, often use lasts that are specifically designed to the proportions of individual customers’ feet. Made from various modern materials, they don’t need to withstand the pressures of mass production machinery, but they must be able to handle constant tacking and pinning, and the wet environment associated with stretching and shaping materials such as leather. Handbook of Footwear Design and Manufacture.

Dictionnaire Etymologique des Aglicismes et des Américanismes. This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity. He is the last person we’d want to represent us. The lecture won’t start until every last person is seated.

He arrived last at the party. When last seen, the suspect was wearing a checked suit. We’ve seen the last of her. That’s the last we’ll hear of it. We are going on vacation the last of September.

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS? Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift. He was lost in thought for several minutes, but at last he spoke.

The ship docked at long last. He was nearly 90 when he breathed his last. We’ll enjoy ourselves while our money lasts. They were handsome shoes but they didn’t last. They lasted the war in Switzerland. What is a basic definition of last?