What Do Shoe and Leather Workers Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Shoe and Leather Workers construct, decorate, or repair leather and leather-like products, such as luggage, shoes, and saddles. They also dress and otherwise finish boots or shoes, as by trimming the edges of new soles and heels to the shoe shape.

Other tasks include:

• 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.
• 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.
• Shape shoe heels with a knife, and sand them on a buffing wheel for smoothness.

We asked Shoe and Leather Workers how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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61% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 46% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Shoe and Leather Workers repair or replace soles, heels, and other parts of footwear, using sewing, buffing and other shoe repair machines, materials, and equipment. They attach insoles to shoe lasts, affix shoe uppers, and apply heels and outsoles.

A typical day for a Shoe and Leather Worker and Repairer will also include:

• Clean and polish shoes.
• Cement, nail, or sew soles and heels to shoes.
• Shape shoe heels with a knife, and sand them on a buffing wheel for smoothness.
• Attach accessories or ornamentation to decorate or protect products.
• Dress and otherwise finish boots or shoes, as by trimming the edges of new soles and heels to the shoe shape.

We asked some Shoe and Leather Workers a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	50% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	30% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	62% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	31% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	0% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	38% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Shoe and Leather Workers also make, modify, and repair orthopedic or therapeutic footwear according to doctors’ prescriptions, or modify existing footwear for people with foot problems and special needs. They may also re-sew seams, and replace handles and linings of suitcases or handbags.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Shoe and Leather Workers Measure customers for fit, and discuss with them the type of footwear to be made, recommending details such as leather quality. They might also Read prescriptions or specifications, and take measurements to establish the type of product to be made, using calipers, tape measures, or rules.

In addition, they Prepare inserts, heel pads, and lifts from casts of customers’ feet.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Stretch shoes, dampening parts and inserting and twisting parts, using an adjustable stretcher.

To some Shoe and Leather Workers, it is also their responsibility to Repair and recondition leather products such as trunks, luggage, shoes, saddles, belts, purses, and baseball gloves.

Working life

Standard 40 hour work week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Shoe and Leather Worker and Repairer, you can expect to work 40 hour work week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery..

They also like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes516041.htm