Clicker Presses for Footwear Manufacturing
Footwear manufacturing involves cutting uppers, insoles, outsoles, heel stiffeners, and lining materials — often from multiple different materials in the same production run. Australian footwear manufacturers and cobblers use clicker presses for the combination of cut accuracy, speed, and the ability to cut around hide defects when working with leather uppers.
Which Press for This Industry
The preferred press for footwear production. The large, consistent cutting area handles the range of die sizes used in footwear — from small heel components to full outsole shapes. Multi-layer cutting capability means you can cut several layers of lining or synthetic material in one stroke, which matters for production efficiency.
Used in smaller workshops and repair operations. Good for cutting leather uppers where you need to position the die around defects in the hide. Less suited to high-volume production than a beam press, but lower entry cost and simpler to operate.
Used for pressing and bonding operations — attaching soles, pressing insoles, and heat-activating adhesives. Different from a cutting press; these apply even pressure across a flat surface rather than cutting through material.
Material Considerations
| Material | Typical Thickness | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Leather uppers (full grain) | 1.5–3mm | Standard for quality footwear. Force factor 10–20 N/mm² |
| Leather outsoles | 4–8mm | Requires more tonnage. Use upper end of veg tan force range |
| Synthetic upper materials | 1–3mm | Consistent thickness makes force calculation straightforward |
| EVA / rubber outsoles | 5–20mm | Rubber requires significantly more force than leather. Check Shore A rating |
| Textile lining | 1–3mm | Low force. Multi-layer cutting common |
| Insole board / stiffener | 2–5mm | Similar to cardboard — force factor 15–25 N/mm² |
For a full breakdown of force requirements by material, use our interactive tonnage calculator.
What to Look for When Buying
- 01Footwear dies are typically larger than leather goods dies — outsole shapes can have a perimeter of 1,000mm+. Calculate required tonnage based on your largest die, not your average.
- 02Multi-layer cutting is common in footwear — if you're cutting 4–6 layers of lining fabric at once, multiply your single-layer force calculation accordingly.
- 03ATOM beam presses are the industry standard in Australian footwear manufacturing. The SE and Alpha series are the most common models in production use.
- 04Cutting board condition is critical for clean edges on thin lining materials. Replace nylon boards more frequently than you think you need to.
- 05For outsole cutting from thick rubber, verify the press can handle the material hardness — not just the thickness. A Shore A 70 rubber outsole at 15mm requires significantly more force than EVA at the same thickness.