Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers

Typical tasks

From O*NET 31.0. Core tasks first. Few of these tasks have a benchmark today.

• Dye, soak, polish, paint, stamp, stitch, stain, buff, or engrave leather or other materials to obtain desired effects, decorations, or shapes.
• 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.
• Repair and recondition leather products such as trunks, luggage, shoes, saddles, belts, purses, and baseball gloves.
• Align and stitch or glue materials such as fabric, fleece, leather, or wood, to join parts.
• 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.
• Prepare inserts, heel pads, and lifts from casts of customers' feet.
• Dress and otherwise finish boots or shoes, as by trimming the edges of new soles and heels to the shoe shape.
• Attach insoles to shoe lasts, affix shoe uppers, and apply heels and outsoles.
• Clean and polish shoes.
• Cement, nail, or sew soles and heels to shoes.