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Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders
Operate or tend a variety of machines to join, decorate, reinforce, or finish shoes and shoe parts.
Other titles employers use
Boot Maker · Cobbler · Inseamer · Insole Department Worker · Shoe Cementer · Shoe Maker · Side Laster · Stitcher
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Inspect finished products to ensure that shoes have been completed according to specifications.
- Align parts to be stitched, following seams, edges, or markings, before positioning them under needles.
- Operate or tend machines to join, decorate, reinforce, or finish shoes and shoe parts.
- Remove and examine shoes, shoe parts, and designs to verify conformance to specifications such as proper embedding of stitches in channels.
- Switch on machines, lower pressure feet or rollers to secure parts, and start machine stitching, using hand, foot, or knee controls.
- Draw thread through machine guide slots, needles, and presser feet in preparation for stitching, or load rolls of wire through machine axles.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to practical and organizing work.
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
Subjects to know
- Production and Processing
- Administration and Management
Useful strengths
- Near Vision
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Control Precision
- Manual Dexterity
- Finger Dexterity
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 3.3 | Shared rooms, but not shoulder to shoulder |
| On your feet | 3.3 | Up and down through the day |
| Talking face to face | 4.2 | A regular part of the day |
| Working with your hands | 5.0 | Handling tools, instruments or materials |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a high school diploma. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- High school or less 85%
- A certificate or some college 15%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Document management software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Electronic mail software
- Presentation software
- Word processing software
- Inventory management software
- Industrial control software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 410
- Job openings each year
- 50
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- −8.9%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maine | 410 | 50 | −8.9% |
| Missouri | 180 | 20 | −21.7% |
| Washington | 150 | 20 | 25.0% |
| Ohio | 10 | 0 | — |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.