Wiktionary
a. basic#Adjective, old-fashioned or traditional#Adjective; ''specifically'' (context journalism English) '''shoe-leather journalism''' or '''shoe-leather reporting''': journalism involving walking from place to place observing things and speaking to people, rather than sitting indoors at a desk. n. 1 leather that is used to make shoes. 2 Leather from which shoes are made that is worn out through walking.
Usage examples of "shoe-leather".
We all went to our cabin, and the boys cooked him the best dinner the camp could furnish the materials for, and while they were about it Hillyer and I outfitted him from hat to shoe-leather with new clothes of ours, and made a comely and presentable old gentleman of him.
I expect we'll have the eggs, but apart from that we'll probably have to eat shoe-leather with avgolemono sauce.
Gronningen said, leaning back in his own bivy and masticating the shoe-leather jerky.