Stitching

Stitching covers restitching seams that have pulled apart, repairing moccasin construction, and resewing uppers and welts where the thread has gone but the leather has not.

Thread fails before leather does

On a well-made shoe the stitching is usually the first thing to go. Thread abrades against the ground, rots where damp has been sitting, and lets go at the stress points — the toe of a moccasin, the seam at the back of a heel counter, the welt around the sole.

This is good news. Sound leather with failed stitching is one of the most repairable things a cobbler sees, and often one of the cheapest.

Do not wait for it to open up

A seam that has started to gape is pulling on the holes either side of it. Repaired early, it goes back through the original holes. Left too long, the leather itself tears and there is much less to sew.

Related, but separate

Welt-specific repairs are covered under Welt repair, and heavy hand-stitched leather goods (bags, belts, thick uppers) fall under Saddle stitching. Visible edge binding on moccasins and boat shoes is covered under Whip stitching.