GOODYEAR WELT
The “Gold Standard” for Footwear
If you’re new to the world of quality footwear, Goodyear Welt Construction is one of the first major upgrades separating heritage boots and higher end dress shoes from disposable footwear. Though expensive, time-consuming, and difficult to master, Goodyear Welt Construction creates a tightly-crafted shoe that is water-resistant and wearable for years to come. It’s a better way to build a boot that combines centuries of human ingenuity with skilled craftsmanship.
Goodyear welt construction involves stitching a welt to the upper and a strip of preformed canvas like a "rib" that runs all around and bottom (known as "gemming") cemented to the insole of a shoe as an attach-point for the outsole or midsole (depending on the Goodyear welt variant). The space enclosed by the welt is then filled with cork or some other filler material such as foam (usually either porous or perforated, for breathability and cushioning), and the outsole is both cemented and stitched to the welt.