Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers

Career Description: Construct, decorate, or repair leather and leather-like products, such as luggage, shoes, and saddles.

Industry: Production

Other Job Titles for Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers:

• Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
• Investigative: Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
• Artistic: Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
• Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
• Enterprising: Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
• Conventional: Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
• First Interest High-Point: Primary-Rank Descriptiveness
• Second Interest High-Point: Secondary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness
• Third Interest High-Point: Tertiary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness

• 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, and/or rivets.
• Align and stitch or glue materials such as fabric, fleece, leather, or wood, in order 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 and/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; then 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, and/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, first dampening parts; then 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.
• Maintain records of goods produced, supplies used, production costs, and machine maintenance and repair activities.
• Attach cloth to take-up rollers, placing it in feeding position and threading it through equipment as necessary.
• Requisition supplies, materials, and equipment and receive stock.
• Pack and label cartons, boxes, or bins of finished products.
• Provide assistance in the design and layout of forms and materials to be printed.
• Place spools of thread or wire on holders, and thread through machines.
• Apply glue or tape to holes in screens to repair leaks.
• Clean workpieces, using wire brushes.
• Install gears and holding devices on conveyor equipment.
• Operate sandblasting equipment to roughen and clean surfaces of workpieces.
• Cut metal or other materials, using shears or band saws.
• Charge furnaces.
• Chase decorative designs on silver blanks that are to be used as models for steel production dies.

Emerging Tasks

• Fit garments on clients, altering as needed.
• Perform "preflight" check of required font, graphic, text and image files to ensure completeness prior to delivery to printer.
• Proofread and perform quality control of text and images.
• Mix and apply glazes to pottery pieces using tools such as spray guns.
• Operate gas or electric kilns to fire pottery pieces.
• Pack and ship pottery to stores or galleries for retail.

• Analyzing Data or Information: Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
• Assisting and Caring for Others: Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• Coaching and Developing Others: Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
• Communicating with Persons Outside Organization: Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Controlling Machines and Processes: Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
• Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others: Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
• Developing and Building Teams: Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
• Developing Objectives and Strategies: Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
• Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment: Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information: Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards: Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates: Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
• Handling and Moving Objects: Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material: Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
• Interacting With Computers: Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others: Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
• Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People: Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• Monitoring and Controlling Resources: Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment: Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• Performing Administrative Activities: Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public: Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
• Performing General Physical Activities: Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
• Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
• Provide Consultation and Advice to Others: Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
• Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment: Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing machines, devices, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of electrical or electronic (not mechanical) principles.
• Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment: Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
• Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others: Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
• Scheduling Work and Activities: Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
• Selling or Influencing Others: Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
• Staffing Organizational Units: Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.
• Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• Training and Teaching Others: Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Detailed Work Activities

• apply adhesives, caulking, sealants, or coatings
• calculate dimensions or specifications of fabric or leather pattern
• cut or trim fabric or leather
• draw master pattern for fabric or leather goods
• dye fabric or leather articles
• engrave variety of materials and products
• examine products or work to verify conformance to specifications
• fabricate, assemble, or disassemble manufactured products by hand
• measure and mark reference points or cutting lines on workpieces
• measure, weigh, or count products or materials
• operate sewing machine
• read specifications
• read tape measure
• read work order, instructions, formulas, or processing charts
• repair tears or defects in fabrics, garments, or leather products
• sew by hand
• understand technical operating, service or repair manuals
• use hand or power tools
• use leather fabrication or repair equipment
• use portable electric fabric cutter
• use shoe repair materials
• perform safety inspections in manufacturing or industrial setting
• read work order, instructions, formulas, or processing charts
• set up production equipment or machinery
• signal directions or warnings to coworkers
• test manufactured products or materials
• use hand or power tools
• use precision measuring tools or equipment
• use electrical or electronic test devices or equipment
• use hand or power tools
• use precision measuring tools or equipment
• use voltmeter, ammeter, or ohmmeter
• use x-ray or magnetic inspection techniques
• process photographic prints
• read production layouts
• read specifications
• read work order, instructions, formulas, or processing charts
• receive customer orders
• restore photographs
• retouch negatives or prints
• set page layout or composition
• set up production equipment or machinery
• strip negatives
• understand technical operating, service or repair manuals
• use color analyzer
• use densitometer
• use desktop publishing software
• use hand or power tools
• use precision measuring tools or equipment
• record test results, test procedures, or inspection data
• sort manufacturing materials or products
• test manufactured products or materials
• understand engineering data or reports
• understand measuring devices
• understand technical operating, service or repair manuals
• use computers to enter, access or retrieve data
• use electrical or electronic test devices or equipment
• use hand or power tools
• use hazardous materials information
• use interpersonal communication techniques
• use knowledge of investigation techniques
• use knowledge of metric system
• use long or short term production planning techniques
• use oral or written communication techniques
• use precision measuring tools or equipment
• use quality assurance techniques
• use research methodology procedures within manufacturing or commerce
• use spreadsheet software
• use technical information in manufacturing or industrial activities
• use x-ray or magnetic inspection techniques

Overall Experience
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience may be helpful in these occupations, but usually is not needed. For example, a teller might benefit from experience working directly with the public, but an inexperienced person could still learn to be a teller with little difficulty.

Job Training
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees.

Education
These occupations usually require a high school diploma and may require some vocational training or job-related course work. In some cases, an associate's or bachelor's degree could be needed.

Examples
These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include sheet metal workers, forest fire fighters, customer service representatives, pharmacy technicians, salespersons (retail), and tellers.

• Average hourly wage (2007) -$10.37
• Average annual wage (2007) - $21,570.00

• Employment (2006): 15,575

• Etchers and Engravers
• Fabric Menders, Except Garment
• Jewelers
• Sewers, Hand
• Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Prepress Technicians and Workers
• Printing Machine Operators
• Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers
• Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders
• Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing