Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders: Career & Application Guide

What do shoe machine operators and tenders do?

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

This describes a U.S. occupation, not a live vacancy. Individual employers may use different titles and requirements.

O*NET reports these titles for this occupation. Compare the responsibilities in each posting before treating titles as equivalent.

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.

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