Semiconducting nanowire heterostructures are of particular interest because of their fascinating properties and potential applications in the field of nanoscale science. CdS, with a direct bandgap of 2.42 eV, is considered to be an excellent material for various optoelectronic applications in the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum. On account of this, the diverse heterostructures based on CdS nanowires have drawn great attention owing to their novel properties. Here, we focus on recent routes used to synthesize diverse heterostructures based on CdS nanowires and the emergent properties of the one-dimensional nanowires heterostructures, and discuss their potential applicability in different fields. In particular, the mechanisms of various synthetic methods for the heterostructure based on the CdS nanowires are discussed detailedly.