How over is it?

A mood ring wired to real instruments

AI exposure Production

Will AI replace shoe and leather workers and repairers?

Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers. US occupation 51-6041.

0.0%

of the time shoe and leather workers and repairers spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of shoe and leather workers and repairers' working hours go on tasks AI has already started taking off their plate.

Ranked 346 of 756 US occupations. No AI use seen in the work yet, along with 410 other occupations.No handover started yet, along with 410 other occupations.

Average US job 7.7%

Among the least exposed jobs there are.Still waiting for liberation.

What AI already does for shoe and leather workers and repairersWhat shoe and leather workers and repairers no longer do alone

O*NET lists 26 tasks for shoe and leather workers and repairers. None of them shows meaningful AI use at work yet.

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

26 of the 26 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.

  • Align and stitch or glue materials such as fabric, fleece, leather, or wood, to join parts.Core task
  • Construct, decorate, or repair leather products according to specifications, using sewing machines, needles and thread, leather lacing, glue, clamps, hand tools, or rivets.Core task
  • Cut out parts, following patterns or outlines, using knives, shears, scissors, or machine presses.Core task
  • Drill or punch holes and insert or attach metal rings, handles, and fastening hardware, such as buckles.Core task
  • Dye, soak, polish, paint, stamp, stitch, stain, buff, or engrave leather or other materials to obtain desired effects, decorations, or shapes.Core task
  • Inspect articles for defects, and remove damaged or worn parts, using hand tools.Core task
Show the other 20
  • Repair and recondition leather products such as trunks, luggage, shoes, saddles, belts, purses, and baseball gloves.Core task
  • Attach accessories or ornamentation to decorate or protect products.
  • Attach insoles to shoe lasts, affix shoe uppers, and apply heels and outsoles.
  • Cement, nail, or sew soles and heels to shoes.
  • Check the texture, color, and strength of leather to ensure that it is adequate for a particular purpose.
  • Clean and polish shoes.
  • Cut, insert, position, and secure paddings, cushioning, or linings, using stitches or glue.
  • Draw patterns, using measurements, designs, plaster casts, or customer specifications, and position or outline patterns on work pieces.
  • Dress and otherwise finish boots or shoes, as by trimming the edges of new soles and heels to the shoe shape.
  • Estimate the costs of requested products or services such as custom footwear or footwear repair, and receive payment from customers.
  • Make, modify, and repair orthopedic or therapeutic footwear according to doctors' prescriptions, or modify existing footwear for people with foot problems and special needs.
  • Nail heel and toe cleats onto shoes.
  • Place shoes on lasts to remove soles and heels, using knives or pliers.
  • Prepare inserts, heel pads, and lifts from casts of customers' feet.
  • Re-sew seams, and replace handles and linings of suitcases or handbags.
  • Read prescriptions or specifications, and take measurements to establish the type of product to be made, using calipers, tape measures, or rules.
  • Repair or replace soles, heels, and other parts of footwear, using sewing, buffing and other shoe repair machines, materials, and equipment.
  • Select materials and patterns, and trace patterns onto materials to be cut out.
  • Shape shoe heels with a knife, and sand them on a buffing wheel for smoothness.
  • Stretch shoes, dampening parts and inserting and twisting parts, using an adjustable stretcher.

How that compares

Among the 98 production occupations, shoe and leather workers and repairers rank 85. The group averages 0.8%, and its most exposed job is Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers at 12.1%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.

All 756 occupations, ranked

Level with 0.0%

  1. 346Sheet Metal Workers 0.0%
  2. 346Ship Engineers 0.0%
  3. 346Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks 0.0%

What this does and does not mean

Exposure is observed use, not a forecast. Anthropic maps work conversations with Claude onto the tasks O*NET lists for each job and asks, of the tasks AI could speed up, which are actually being used for at work. A use that does the task outright counts in full and a use that assists a person counts half. The task scores are averaged into the occupation figure by the share of time spent on each task.

A high figure means AI is already part of how this work gets done. It does not mean anyone has been replaced. Anthropic's own reading of the labour market finds no systematic rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting exposed jobs.No measurable rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting these jobs. Gap years for everyone. Labor market impacts, 5 March 2026.

Task list and titles from O*NET 31.0 by the US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. Scores from the Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Checked 1 November 2026. How the ranking works.