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Shoe and Leather Worker

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AVG. SALARY

$34,140

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EDUCATION

High school preferred +

What They Do

Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers Career Video

About This Career

Constructs, decorates, or repairs leather and leather-like products, such as luggage, shoes, and saddles. May use hand tools.

This career is part of the Manufacturing cluster Production pathway.

A person in this career:

  • Dyes, soaks, polishes, paints, stamps, stitches, stains, buffs, or engraves leather or other materials to obtain desired effects, decorations, or shapes.
  • Cuts out parts, following patterns or outlines, using knives, shears, scissors, or machine presses.
  • Constructs, decorates, or repairs leather products according to specifications, using sewing machines, needles and thread, leather lacing, glue, clamps, hand tools, or rivets.
  • Repairs and reconditions leather products such as trunks, luggage, shoes, saddles, belts, purses, and baseball gloves.
  • Aligns and stitches or glues materials such as fabric, fleece, leather, or wood, to join parts.
  • Inspects articles for defects, and removes damaged or worn parts, using hand tools.
  • Drills or punches holes and inserts or attaches metal rings, handles, and fastening hardware, such as buckles.
  • Prepares inserts, heel pads, and lifts from casts of customers' feet.
  • Dresses and otherwise finishes boots or shoes, as by trimming the edges of new soles and heels to the shoe shape.
  • Attaches insoles to shoe lasts, affixes shoe uppers, and applies heels and outsoles.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

  • You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
  • Exposure to pollutants, gases, dust, fumes, odors, poor ventilation, etc.
  • Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
  • Exposed to hazardous equipment such as saws, machinery, or vehicular traffic more than once a month
  • Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
  • Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting
  • Work in this occupation involves making repetitive motions more than one-third of the time
  • Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

  • Seeing clearly up close
  • Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
  • Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

  • Regular working hours and limited travel

Specialty and Similar Careers

Careers that are more detailed or close to this career:

  • Cobbler
  • Stitcher
  • Boot Maker
  • Cutter
  • Leather Worker
  • Saddle and Harness Maker
  • Shoe Cutter
  • Shoe Maker
  • Shoe Repairer
  • Shoe Repairman

Contact

  • Email Support

  • 1-800-GO-TO-XAP (1-800-468-6927)
    From outside the U.S., please call +1 (424) 750-3900

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