How to become a Shoemaker
Makes and repairs boots or shoes.
Main tasks
- Measures customers' feet for shoe size
- Designs patterns and prototypes of shoes
- Cuts and shapes shoe components to desired specifications
- Assembles shoes using adhesives, rivets or stitching
- Repairs shoes by replacing components
- Provides shoe care advice to customers
Ways in
- Apprenticeship: Certificate III in Footwear. Trade occupations are usually entered through an apprenticeship: paid work plus this qualification, typically 3 to 4 years.
- TAFE and VET: Certificate III in Footwear (MST30416); Certificate IV in Custom-Made Footwear (MST40316)
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- About 1,400 people work in this job group now, and about 1,500 are projected by 2035. (+6%)
- AI is more likely to help with parts of this job than to do it. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as low.
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Questions people ask
How do I become a Shoemaker?
Ways in include: Certificate III in Footwear; Certificate IV in Custom-Made Footwear; Certificate III in Footwear.
Is a Shoemaker a growing career in Australia?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 6% by 2035, from about 1,400 to about 1,500 people (Jobs and Skills Australia).
Do you need a degree to become a Shoemaker?
Usually not. Only 9% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Certificate III in Footwear; Certificate IV in Custom-Made Footwear; Certificate III in Footwear.
Will AI change the work of a Shoemaker?
AI is more likely to help with parts of this job than to do it. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as low.
Sources
- Jobs and Skills Australia: Occupation data (ANZSCO), from ABS Labour Force and Census (February 2026), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
- Jobs and Skills Australia: Generative AI Capacity Study, interactive table data (September 2025), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
- Jobs and Skills Australia: Employment Projections (Victoria University) (May 2025 to May 2035), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
- Australian Taxation Office: Taxation Statistics, Individuals Table 15A (2023-24), CC BY 2.5 AU, retrieved 2026-10-04
Updated 2026-10-04