Anthropology

but leather sandals weren't super expensive. Expensive items were metal items since it took a lot of time and energy to produce them. A good cobbler could probably knock off a child's sandal in an hour or two, probably using rawhide since durability wasn't a factor in a child who was growing like a weed.

And I'll bet a major reason this kid lost a shoe is that his/her mother insisted on buying a much bigger size than s/he needed. It's what my mother always did to me, the shoes finally fitting properly when they were completely worn out.