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definitions

shoe leather

noun

leather used to make shoes
save shoe leather to avoid wearing out shoes, as by taking a bus rather than walking
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Examples from the Web for shoe leather

Contemporary Examples of shoe leather

  • Malkin also likes to get out of her house and do shoe-leather reporting, albeit with ideological intent.

    The Daily Beast logo
    Michelle Malkin Has Feelings, Too

    Lloyd Grove

    September 22, 2009

Historical Examples of shoe leather

  • Don't call me that—you, the most despicable liar that ever walked in shoe-leather.

    Sons and Lovers

    David Herbert Lawrence

  • "They might as well have saved their shoe-leather," said Mrs. Morel.

    Sons and Lovers

    David Herbert Lawrence

  • To that end he ate the king's victuals and wore the king's shoe-leather.

  • “Such a saving of shoe-leather,” the good little soul argued.

  • Mr. Howbridge is as fine a man as ever stepped in shoe-leather.