63220 Shoe repairers and shoemakers

What this occupation covers

Shoe repairers repair footwear and shoemakers make specialized and custom shoes and boots. They are employed in shoe repair shops or custom shoemaking establishments, or they may be self-employed.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 9 main duties for this code.

• Discuss type of footwear to be made and obtain measurements from customer
• Select patterns and leather or other material and outline and cut patterns
• Select or assemble lasts, fasten insoles to lasts and sew or glue other parts into place
• Trim, dress and otherwise finish boots or shoes
• Estimate custom footwear costs and receive payment from customers
• May supervise other shoemakers and shoe repairers.
• Repair soles, heels and other parts of footwear using sewing, buffing and other shoe repair machines, materials and equipment
• Repair belts, luggage, purses and similar products
• Estimate footwear repair costs and take payment.

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 2 of its 9 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 94132 Industrial sewing machine operators
• 95109 Other labourers in processing, manufacturing and utilities
• 95105 Labourers in textile processing and cutting

Excluded from this code

• Footwear sewer (See 94132 Industrial sewing machine operators)
• Labourer - shoe manufacturing (See 95109 Other labourers in processing, manufacturing and utilities)
• Shoe parts cutter - footwear manufacturing (See 95105 Labourers in textile processing and cutting)
• Shoe parts sewer (See 94132 Industrial sewing machine operators)
• Shoe sewer (See 94132 Industrial sewing machine operators)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

boot repairer · bootmaker · cobbler · custom shoemaker · orthopedic shoe repairman/woman · orthopedic shoemaker · shoe dyer · shoe mender - retail · shoe repairer · shoe repairer - retail · shoemaker

Employment requirements

• Some secondary school may be required.
• Several months of on-the-job training is provided for shoe repairers.
• Extensive on-the-job training is provided for shoemakers.
• Shoemakers may require experience as shoe repairers.