Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders

What the job really is

Operate or tend a variety of machines to join, decorate, reinforce, or finish shoes and shoe parts.

At a glance

• Sector: Production
• O*NET-SOC code: 51-6042
• O*NET job zone: 2 — some preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Turn screws to regulate size of staples.
• Hammer loose staples for proper attachment.
• 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.
• Test machinery to ensure proper functioning before beginning production.
• Select and place spools of thread or pre-wound bobbins into shuttles, or onto spindles or loupers of stitching machines.

Tools and technology

Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Adjustable hand wrenches, Automatic staple guns, Bobbin winders, Claw hammers, Heavy duty scissors, Heel wheels

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Sewing Machine Operators
• Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers
• Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand
• Cutters and Trimmers, Hand
• Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing
• Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 2 (some preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.