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Shop for heritage boots or good leather dress shoes and you will see the words Goodyear welt again and again, often presented as a badge of quality. It is a real advantage, but it helps to know what the phrase describes, what it costs you in weight and stiffness, and how it compares with the other ways shoes are put together. This guide covers the three construction methods you are most likely to meet: Goodyear welt, Blake stitch and cemented.
What is a Goodyear welt?
A welt is a strip of leather, rubber or plastic that runs around the edge of a shoe between the upper and the sole. In Goodyear welt construction, the upper, the lining and the welt are all stitched to a rib on the underside of a leather insole. A second row of stitching then attaches the outsole to the welt. The two stitch lines never meet, and the upper is never stitched directly to the outsole.
The space between the insole and the outsole is filled with cork or a similar material. Over months of wear, that filling molds to the shape of your foot, which is a large part of why welted boots get more comfortable the longer you own them.
The name comes from Charles Goodyear Jr., son of the inventor of vulcanized rubber, who developed a machine in the second half of the 1800s that could sew welts mechanically. Before that, welting was done entirely by hand, and hand welted shoes are still made by a few specialist makers today.
Goodyear welt construction, step by step
- The insole is prepared with a raised rib, sometimes called gemming, on its underside.
- The upper is stretched over a foot shaped form called a last and held in place.
- The welt, upper and lining are sewn to the rib in a single line of stitches.
- The cavity in the middle is filled with cork.
- A shank is added for support and the outsole is stitched to the welt around the edge.
When the outsole wears out, a cobbler can cut the stitches holding it to the welt and attach a new one without touching the upper at all. A well kept pair can be resoled several times.
Goodyear welt vs Blake stitch
Blake stitching, named after the American inventor Lyman Blake, takes a simpler route. The upper is folded under the insole and a single row of stitches runs straight through the insole, upper and outsole. There is no welt and no cork cavity.
- Profile: Blake shoes have a close cut sole edge and a sleeker, lighter look. That is why Italian loafers and dress shoes often use it.
- Flexibility: Blake shoes are flexible straight out of the box. Goodyear welted shoes are stiffer at first and need a break in period.
- Water: Because the stitches pass right through to the inside, Blake construction can let water in more easily.
- Resoling: Blake shoes can be resoled, but it needs a special machine and fewer cobblers offer it.
Some makers combine the two. Blake Rapid construction adds a midsole for a sturdier shoe that is still fairly sleek.
Cemented construction
Most shoes in the world, including nearly all sneakers, are cemented. The sole is glued to the upper with strong adhesive. Cemented shoes are light, flexible, quick to make and less expensive. The tradeoff is longevity. When the sole wears through, a cemented shoe is often difficult or impossible to repair well, so it tends to be replaced rather than resoled.
Stitchdown, Norwegian and storm welts
A few other terms come up on boots. Stitchdown construction turns the upper outward and stitches it straight to the midsole, which gives a wide, rugged edge seen on many workwear boots. Norwegian welt construction uses an exposed outward stitch for extra water resistance on mountain and hunting boots. A storm welt is a raised welt that wraps up against the upper to help keep water out.
Is Goodyear welt worth it?
For boots and shoes you plan to wear for years, usually yes. The upfront cost is higher and the first few weeks can be stiff, but the payoff is a shoe that shapes itself to your foot and can be rebuilt rather than thrown away. Over a decade, one welted pair resoled two or three times can work out cheaper than several cemented pairs.
Welted footwear does weigh more and runs warmer. If you want something light for travel, or a sneaker you will retire in a couple of years, a cemented shoe is perfectly fine.
Goodyear welted boots to know
Red Wing Heritage in Minnesota builds many of its classic boots this way, and our look at the Red Wing Iron Ranger 8111 covers one of the best known. Wolverine's 1000 Mile boots are another long running welted design, covered in our review of the Wolverine 1000 Mile plain toe. For dress shoes, Alden in Massachusetts is one of the most respected American makers of welted footwear. You will find more choices in our guide to Chippewa classic work boots and our roundup of the best heritage boots worth buying.
Caring for welted shoes
Brush off dirt after wear, use cedar shoe trees to hold the shape and absorb moisture, and condition the leather a few times a year. Take the pair to a cobbler before the outsole wears all the way through to the welt. If the welt itself is damaged, the job becomes much bigger.
Where to buy
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