The skilled hands of a shoe maker have touched virtually every shoe purchased, along with leather products such as belts, purses, saddles, and baseball gloves. Shoe and leather workers and repairers construct and decorate shoes and a variety of leather and leather-like products. They cut shoe pieces, join them with glue or stitching, attach insoles and uppers, and then apply soles and heels. They may use special equipment to buff or trim shoe parts. For other leather products, they may dye and stain the leather before shaping it to a pattern. Some shoe makers make orthopedic footwear following a doctor’s prescription. Shoe repairers estimate repair costs for customers, and maintain a stock of materials for a variety of repairs. Shoe machine operators and tenders use a variety of machines to make shoes. After studying work orders, they adjust settings so machines properly stitch and edge shoes and operate at the correct rate. Operators collect shoe parts to move into the next stage of production, and make sure the finished products meet specifications and quality standards. Shoe machine operators may also perform basic equipment maintenance. A high school diploma or equivalent is usually needed for shoe making and repair positions.
What they do:
Operate or tend a variety of machines to join, decorate, reinforce, or finish shoes and shoe parts.
On the job, you would:
Study work orders or shoe part tags to obtain information about workloads, specifications, and the types of materials to be used.
Remove and examine shoes, shoe parts, and designs to verify conformance to specifications such as proper embedding of stitches in channels.
Perform routine equipment maintenance such as cleaning and lubricating machines or replacing broken needles.
Manufactured or Agricultural Goods
manufacture and distribution of products
Engineering and Technology
mechanical
Education and Training
teaching and course design
Basic Skills
listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
reading work related information
Problem Solving
noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
Hand and Finger Use
keep your arm or hand steady
hold or move items with your hands
Controlled Movement
quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat
People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.
They do well at jobs that need:
Dependability
Self Control
Adaptability/Flexibility
Attention to Detail
Integrity
Cooperation
You might use software like this on the job:
Spreadsheet software
Microsoft Excel
Document management software
Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat
Inventory management software
Inventory tracking software
high school diploma/GED or no high school diploma/GED usually needed
Get started on your career:
New job opportunities are less likely in the future.
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