Shoemakers handle repairs and maintenance of shoes and leather products as well as customer service and advice. Specialization may include making original footwear and/or orthopaedic footwear. Shoemakers usually work in workshops/shops but also at prosthetic companies.
• repairing, renewing and taking care of the finishing of footwear
• sewing, soling, sanding, pasting, colouring, widening and patching shoes
• replacing zippers, tensioners and elastics
• sales of products related to shoemaking
As a shoemaker, it is important to be well acquainted with equipment and materials related to the profession, be able to work according to drawings and to apply the appropriate work method at any given time. You also need to know about safety protection in the workplace as well as the environmental impact of the substances used.
There have been no courses in shoemaking in Iceland in recent years, but according to the curriculum, this involves a three-year course, two semesters in school and 96 weeks of internship contracted to a master. The shoemaking trade is actually divided into two special fields: shoemaking (design and production) and shoe repair.
