How to become a Shoemaker or Cobbler

Official title: Shoemaker/Cobbler

Also called: Bespoke shoemaker, Burnisher (shoemaking), Clicker cutter (shoemaking), Clicking machine operator (shoemaking), Cobbler, Edge trimmer (shoe finishing), Footwear maker, Footwear repairer, Heel builder (shoe), Ironer (shoe finishing), Lasting machine operator (shoemaking), Orthopaedic footwear maker

Shoemaker/Cobbler makes complete or repairs standard footwear, mainly of leather, for individual customers. He/she takes measurements of feet and selects and adapts last, makes patterns and selects materials, cuts out various parts by hand or machine. He/she may also remove old parts of the footwear and clean surfaces. He/she glues lining to leather parts and sews them together, and pulls upper onto last to give it required shape. He/she fixes sole to upper, builds up and fixes heels, trims and smooths footwear and applies inked wax, stain or paint where required.

Main tasks

• Making, modifying and repairing standard footwear to meet individual requirements
• Making, modifying and repairing orthopaedic or therapeutic footwear according to doctors’ prescriptions, or modifying existing footwear for people with foot problems and special needs
• Repairing belts, luggage, purses and similar products
• Taking plaster casts of deformed legs or foot to prepare drawings
• Preparing inserts, heel pads, and lifts from casts of customers’ feet
• Studying drawings and other specifications to make footwear according to customer’s needs
• Studying work orders and/or shoe part tags to obtain information about workloads, specifications, and the types of materials to be used
• Checking the texture, colour, and strength of leather to ensure that it is adequate for a particular purpose

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Related jobs

• Leather goods maker/assembler
• Tailor/Dressmaker
• Garment and related pattern-maker/cutter
• Upholsterer and related worker

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Questions people ask

Will AI change the work of a Shoemaker or Cobbler?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

• International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

Updated 4 October 2026