Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders
Also called Boot Maker, Inseamer, Side Laster, or Stitcher
What Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders do
Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders operate or tend a variety of machines to join, decorate, reinforce, or finish shoes and shoe parts.
Who tends to enjoy it
Hands-on
People who like building, fixing, working with tools, machines, plants, or animals.
Organizing
People who like keeping things accurate, orderly, and running on schedule.
Curious
People who like figuring things out, research, science, and solving problems.
What you'd actually do
- 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.
- Study work orders or shoe part tags to obtain information about workloads, specifications, and the types of materials to be used.
- Perform routine equipment maintenance such as cleaning and lubricating machines or replacing broken needles.
A typical day involves
Skills that matter most
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
What you'll need to know
- Production and Processing
- Administration and Management
- Education and Training
- Customer and Personal Service
- Personnel and Human Resources
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Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA), occupation 51-6042.00, used under CC BY 4.0 and modified by Whittle. Program links: NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. How we build these pages.