Cobblers did more than fix shoes, using their skill to craft or repair a wide variety of leather goods. Because leather goods like shoes were too expensive to throw away when they started to wear out, communities relied on people with the skills to repair and reuse them. Cobblers fixed all types of leather goods but specialized in shoes, giving old shoes new life by stitching ripped seams, replacing worn soles, and refitting broken heels. In this house, a cobbler worked from home, and the two front doors helped separate family life from business life.