Footwear Patternmaker Food, Wood & Garment Trades Workers
SaveWhat Does a Footwear Patternmaker Do?
Footwear patternmakers design and cut patterns for all kinds of footwear using a variety of hand and simple machine tools. They check various nesting variants and perform material consumption estimation. Once the sample model has been approved for production, they produce series of patterns for range of footwear in different sizes.
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Pattern Grading
Know about cutting patterns accurately and grading the patterns to obtain the size series in case of mass production. Know how to mark notches, holes, seam allowances, and other technical specifications. Make adjustments and obtain the final patterns for cutting in order to compensate any identified problems during sampling.
These are common skills for this role, based on a European framework. Requirements vary between jobs, including in the UK. Real-world experience matters more than ticking every box - use this as a guide, not a checklist.
Skills You Need to Become a Footwear Patternmaker
Essential Skills
Essential Skills
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EssentialPattern Grading knowledge
Know about cutting patterns accurately and grading the patterns to obtain the size series in case of mass production. Know how to mark notches, holes, seam allowances, and other technical …
No book recommendations available yet.
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EssentialFootwear Materials knowledge
The characteristics, components, advantages and limitations of a wide range of materials used in footwear production: leather, leather substitutes (synthetics or artificial materials), textile, plastic, rubber etc.
Recommended Books
2 books -
EssentialFootwear Components knowledge
Footwear components both for uppers (vamps, quarters, linings, stiffeners, toe puffs etc.) and bottoms (soles, heels, insoles etc.). Ecological concerns and the importance of recycling. Selection of suitable materials and …
Recommended Books
1 book -
EssentialFootwear Manufacturing Technology knowledge
Footwear processes technology and machinery involved. The footwear manufacturing starts in the cutting/clicking room , cutting the uppers and bottom components. The upper components are joined together in the closing …
Recommended Books
1 book -
EssentialFootwear Quality knowledge
Quality specifications of materials, processes and final products, the most common defects in footwear, quick tests procedures, laboratory tests procedures and standards, adequate equipment for quality checks. Quality assurance of …
Recommended Books
1 book -
EssentialMake Technical Drawings Of Fashion Pieces skill
Make technical drawings of wearing apparel, leather goods and footwear including both technical and engineering drawings. Use them to communicate or to convey design ideas and manufacturing details to pattern …
Course recommendations coming soon.
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EssentialWork In Textile Manufacturing Teams skill
Work harmoniously with colleagues in teams in the textile and clothing manufacturing industries.
Course recommendations coming soon.
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EssentialCreate Patterns For Footwear skill
Produce the mean form or shell, a two-dimensional representation of the three-dimensional shape of the last. Create scaled patterns for uppers and bottom components by manual methods from the designs.
Course recommendations coming soon.
Optional Skills (5 of 10 displayed)
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OptionalErgonomics In Footwear And Leather Goods Design knowledge
The principles used in the design of various styles of footwear and leather goods for the correct anatomic and ergonomic proportions and measurements.
Recommended Books
2 books -
OptionalManual Cutting Processes For Leather knowledge
Cutting rules, variance of the leather properties on its surface and elongation directions of the footwear pieces.
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OptionalFootwear Creation Process knowledge
Footwear creation projects starting from inspiration to technical design and manufacturing by following several stages. Latest trends in footwear materials, components, processes, and concepts.
No book recommendations available yet.
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OptionalApply Development Process To Footwear Design skill
Understand the needs of the consumer and analyse the fashion trends. Innovate and develop the footwear concepts from an aesthetic, functional and technological point of view by using a wide …
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OptionalCreate Solutions To Problems skill
Solve problems which arise in planning, prioritising, organising, directing/facilitating action and evaluating performance. Use systematic processes of collecting, analysing, and synthesising information to evaluate current practice and generate new understandings …
Course recommendations coming soon.
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OptionalPrepare Footwear Samples skill
Create, test and verify prototypes or samples of footwear against a predefined set of criteria throughout all stages of the manufacturing process. Revise the initial design concepts and implement technical …
Course recommendations coming soon.
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OptionalReduce Environmental Impact Of Footwear Manufacturing skill
Assess the environmental impact of footwear manufacture and minimise environmental risks. Reduce environmentally harmful work practices in different stages of the footwear manufacturing.
Course recommendations coming soon.
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OptionalUse Communication Techniques skill
Apply techniques of communication which allow interlocutors to better understand each other and communicate accurately in the transmission of messages.
Course recommendations coming soon.
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OptionalCreate Technical Sketches For Footwear skill
Be able to use various sketching and drawing techniques, including artistic representation, by hand or by computer, being aware of proportion and perspective, to sketch and draw footwear, lasts, soles, …
Course recommendations coming soon.
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OptionalDevelop Footwear Collection skill
Transform footwear design ideas and concepts into prototypes and, finally, a collection. Analyse and check the designs from various angles like functionality, aesthetics, comfort, performance and manufacturability. Manage the development …
Course recommendations coming soon.