Practitioners of the craft of shoemaking are called shoemakers, cobblers, or cordwainers. Leathermaking, shoemaking, carpentry, and weaving were prominent crafts. While growing up, he apprenticed in carpentry, shoemaking, and plastering. The town was a center for shoemaking with almost 150 families listed as shoemakers. He also gave lessons in cooking, carpentry and shoemaking. It emphasised technical subjects like bricklaying, shoemaking and metal work, and modern languages. Alois attended elementary school, and took lessons in shoemaking from a local cobbler. Trades that engage in shoemaking have included the cordwainer's and cobbler's trades. Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Shoemaking and dairy farming became major industries during and after the Civil War. Shell cordovan (or cordovan) is a type of leather commonly used in high-end shoemaking. Still practiced is the ancient crafts such as shoemaking. Boys were taught manual skills like shoemaking and metal working. Daventry's economy remained largely rural, with shoemaking as the main industry.