Skip to content
ESCO occupation

shoemaker

Back to ESCO occupations

Shoemakers use hand or machine operations for traditional manufacturing of a various range of footwear. They also repair all types of footwear in a repair shop.

7536.2 ISCO 7536 ESCO source
Competences
23
Groups
4
Essential
17
Optional
6

Competences and skills

23 ESCO relations
Essential knowledge 7 competences

Occupation specific

0 competences

No competences in this bucket.

Sector-specific

7 competences
footwear components

Footwear components both for uppers (vamps, quarters, linings, stiffeners, toe puffs etc.) and bottoms (soles, heels, insoles etc.). Ecological concerns and the importance of recycling. Selection of suitable materials and components based on their influence on the footwear style and characteristics, properties and manufacturability. Procedures and methods in chemical and mechanical processing of leather and non-leather materials.

green
ESCO source
footwear equipments

Functionality of the wide range of equipments and the basic rules of regular maintenance.

ESCO source
footwear machinery

The functionality of the wide range of footwear machines, and the basic rules of regular maintenance.

ESCO source
footwear manufacturing technology

Footwear processes technology and machinery involved. The footwear manufacturing starts in the cutting/clicking room , cutting the uppers and bottom components. The upper components are joined together in the closing room by following a precise order of specific operations: skiving, folding, sewing etc. The closed upper, the insole and other bottom components are brought together in the assembling room, where the main operations are lasting and soling. The process ends with finishing operations in the finishing and packing room.

ESCO source
footwear materials

The characteristics, components, advantages and limitations of a wide range of materials used in footwear production: leather, leather substitutes (synthetics or artificial materials), textile, plastic, rubber etc. 

ESCO source
footwear quality

Quality specifications of materials, processes and final products, the most common defects in footwear, quick tests procedures, laboratory tests procedures and standards, adequate equipment for quality checks. Quality assurance of footwear production processes and fundamental concepts on quality including footwear quality framework and standards.

ESCO source
manual cutting processes for leather

Cutting rules, variance of the leather properties on its surface and elongation directions of the footwear pieces.

ESCO source

Cross-sector

0 competences

No competences in this bucket.

Essential skills and competences 10 competences

Occupation specific

0 competences

No competences in this bucket.

Sector-specific

10 competences
apply assembling techniques for cemented footwear construction

Be able to pull the uppers over the last and fix the lasting allowance on insole, manually or by special machines for forepart lasting, waist lasting, and seat lasting. Apart from the main group of lasting operations, the responsibilities of those assembling footwear cemented types may include the following: bottom cementing and sole cementing, heat setting, sole attaching and pressing, chilling, brushing and polishing, last slipping (before or after finishing operations) and heel attaching etc.

ESCO source
apply basic rules of maintenance to leather goods and footwear machinery

Apply basic rules of maintenance and cleanliness on footwear and leather goods production equipment and machines that you operate.

ESCO source
apply footwear bottoms pre-assembling techniques

Split, scour surfaces, reduce sole edges, rough, brush, apply primings, halogenate the soles, degrease etc. Use both manual dexterity and machinery. When using machines, adjust their working parameters.

ESCO source
apply footwear finishing techniques

Apply various chemical and mechanical finishing procedures to footwear by performing manual or machine operations, with or without chemicals, such as heel and sole roughing, dying, bottom polishing, cold or hot wax burnishing, cleaning, removing tacks, inserting socks, hot air treeing for removing wrinkles, and cream, spray or antique dressing. Work both manually and use the equipment and machines, and adjust working parameters.

ESCO source
apply footwear uppers pre-assembling techniques

Prepare lasts and uppers, attach insole, insert stiffener and toe puffs, mould the upper on back part, and condition the uppers before lasting. Perform the above-mentioned operations both manually or by using machines. In case of using machines, adjust working parameters.

ESCO source
apply pre-stitching techniques

Apply pre-stitching techniques to footwear and leather goods in order to reduce thickness, to reinforce, to mark the pieces, to decorate or to reinforce their edges or surfaces. Be able to operate various machinery for splitting, skiving, folding, stitch marking, stamping, press punching, perforating, embossing, gluing, uppers pre-forming, crimping etc. Be able to adjust the working parameters of the machinery.

ESCO source
apply stitching techniques

Apply footwear and leather goods stitching techniques using the appropriate machines, needles, threads and other tools in order to obtain the required model and to comply with the sewing technical specifications.

ESCO source
create patterns for footwear

Produce the mean form or shell, a two-dimensional representation of the three-dimensional shape of the last. Create scaled patterns for uppers and bottom components by manual methods from the designs.

ESCO source
cut footwear uppers

Check and complete cutting orders, select leather surfaces and classify cut pieces. Identify faults and defects on the leather surface. Recognise colours, shades and type of finishes. Use the following tools: knife, pattern templates, cutting board and marking needle.

ESCO source
perform pattern grading

Know about cutting patterns accurately and grading the patterns to obtain the size series in case of mass production. Know how to mark notches, holes, seam allowances, and other technical specifications. Make adjustments and obtain the final patterns for cutting in order to compensate any identified problems during sampling.

ESCO source

Cross-sector

0 competences

No competences in this bucket.

Optional knowledge 1 competence

Occupation specific

0 competences

No competences in this bucket.

Sector-specific

1 competence
automatic cutting systems for footwear and leather goods

The use and description of automatic systems technologies used in footwear and leather goods industry such as laser cutting, knife cutting, punch cutting, mill cutting, ultra-sound cutting, water jet cutting and the cutting machinery such as swing beam cutting presses, traveling head die cutting presses or strap cutting machines.

ESCO source

Cross-sector

0 competences

No competences in this bucket.

Optional skills and competences 5 competences

Occupation specific

0 competences

No competences in this bucket.

Sector-specific

2 competences
apply machine cutting techniques for footwear and leather goods

Adjust and establish the machine technical operating parameters for cutting footwear and leather goods. Check and select the cutting dies, classification of the cut pieces against cutting restrictions, specifications and quality requirements. Check and complete the cutting orders. Perform simple procedures for maintenance of machines.

ESCO source
reduce environmental impact of footwear manufacturing

Assess the environmental impact of footwear manufacture and minimise environmental risks. Reduce environmentally harmful work practices in different stages of the footwear manufacturing.

green
ESCO source

Cross-sector

3 competences
create solutions to problems

Solve problems which arise in planning, prioritising, organising, directing/facilitating action and evaluating performance. Use systematic processes of collecting, analysing, and synthesising information to evaluate current practice and generate new understandings about practice.

ESCO source
innovate in footwear and leather goods industry

Innovate in the footwear and leather goods sector. Evaluate new ideas and concepts to turn them into marketable products. Use entrepreneurial thinking in all stages of the product and process development to identify new business opportunities for the targeted markets.

ESCO source
use communication techniques

Apply techniques of communication which allow interlocutors to better understand each other and communicate accurately in the transmission of messages.

ESCO source