Shoe and leather workers and repairers construct, decorate, or repair leather and leather-like products, such as luggage, shoes, and saddles. May use hand tools.

  • Cut out parts, following patterns or outlines, using knives, shears, scissors, or machine presses.
  • Construct, decorate, or repair leather products according to specifications, using sewing machines, needles and thread, leather lacing, glue, clamps, hand tools, or rivets.
  • Align and stitch or glue materials such as fabric, fleece, leather, or wood, to join parts.
  • Dye, soak, polish, paint, stamp, stitch, stain, buff, or engrave leather or other materials to obtain desired effects, decorations, or shapes.
  • Select materials and patterns, and trace patterns onto materials to be cut out.
  • Dress and otherwise finish boots or shoes, as by trimming the edges of new soles and heels to the shoe shape.
  • Estimate the costs of requested products or services such as custom footwear or footwear repair, and receive payment from customers.
  • Attach insoles to shoe lasts, affix shoe uppers, and apply heels and outsoles.
  • Cement, nail, or sew soles and heels to shoes.
  • Shape shoe heels with a knife, and sand them on a buffing wheel for smoothness.
  • Repair or replace soles, heels, and other parts of footwear, using sewing, buffing and other shoe repair machines, materials, and equipment.
  • Make, modify, and repair orthopedic or therapeutic footwear according to doctors' prescriptions, or modify existing footwear for people with foot problems and special needs.
  • Repair and recondition leather products such as trunks, luggage, shoes, saddles, belts, purses, and baseball gloves.
  • Place shoes on lasts to remove soles and heels, using knives or pliers.
  • Clean and polish shoes.
  • Check the texture, color, and strength of leather to ensure that it is adequate for a particular purpose.
  • Read prescriptions or specifications, and take measurements to establish the type of product to be made, using calipers, tape measures, or rules.
  • Inspect articles for defects, and remove damaged or worn parts, using hand tools.
  • Drill or punch holes and insert or attach metal rings, handles, and fastening hardware, such as buckles.
  • Attach accessories or ornamentation to decorate or protect products.
  • Cut, insert, position, and secure paddings, cushioning, or linings, using stitches or glue.
  • Draw patterns, using measurements, designs, plaster casts, or customer specifications, and position or outline patterns on work pieces.
  • Measure customers for fit, and discuss with them the type of footwear to be made, recommending details such as leather quality.
  • Stretch shoes, dampening parts and inserting and twisting parts, using an adjustable stretcher.
  • Nail heel and toe cleats onto shoes.
  • Prepare inserts, heel pads, and lifts from casts of customers' feet.
  • Re-sew seams, and replace handles and linings of suitcases or handbags.
Work Context

Work Context information for this career will be available soon.

Work Activities
  • Handling and Moving Objects — Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Detailed Work Activities
  • Cut fabrics.
  • Attach decorative or functional accessories to products.
  • Sew clothing or other articles.
  • Align parts or workpieces to ensure proper assembly.
  • Sew clothing or other articles.
  • Prepare fabrics or materials for processing or production.
  • Read More

Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Skills

Active Listening
  • Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Abilities

Manual Dexterity
  • The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Finger Dexterity
  • The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Near Vision
  • The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Read More

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Achievement/Effort
  • Persistence
  • Initiative
  • Leadership
  • Cooperation
  • Concern for Others
  • Social Orientation
  • Self Control
Read More

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Spreadsheet software
  • Microsoft Excel Hot Technology
Accounting software
  • Bookkeeping software
  • Financial accounting software
Inventory management software
  • Inventory tracking software
Point of sale POS software
  • Sale processing software