Welt (shoe)

A welt is a strip of leather, rubber, or plastic that is stitched to the upper and insole of a shoe, as an attach-point for the sole. The space enclosed by the welt is then filled with cork or some other filler material (usually either porous or perforated, for breathability), and the outsole is both cemented and stitched to the welt. This process of making shoes is referred to as Goodyear welt construction, as the machinery used for the process was invented in 1869 by Charles Goodyear, Jr. the son of Charles Goodyear.^[1] Shoes with other types of construction may also have welts for finished appearance, but they generally serve little or no structural purpose.

Goodyear welt

The Goodyear welt process is the traditional method for the manufacture of mens dress shoes, taking its name from the inventor who devised the original hand sewn method. The benefit of a dress shoe which is made using the Goodyear welt construction is that the system allows for a constant flow of air through the shoe, which keeps the shoes ventilated, durable and strong.

Essentially, the upper part of the dress shoe is shaped over the last and fastened on by sewing a leather strip (also known as the "welt") to the inner and upper sole. As well as using a welt, a thread 12 strands thick is used to hold the material firmly together.

The welt forms a cavity which is then filled with a cork material known as "Flexofil". The final part of the dress shoe is the sole which is then attached to the welt of the dress shoe with a high strength adhesive.

The very nature of this shoe construction means that Goodyear welted dress shoes take much longer to manufacture than cheaper alternatives. Factories commonly hire scores of highly skilled operators to create dress shoes of comfort and durability. However, Goodyear welted construction is the chosen method for some highly reputable brands in the shoe industry, for example: Oliver Sweeney, Church, Cheaney, Crockett & Jones, Barker, Alfred Sargent, Oliver Grey, George Cleverley (RTW), Loake Shoes, Grenson Ltd, Caterpillar (CAT), Red Wing Boots.

References

pdf Document: Original Goodyear Welt Patent 1869

^ The shoe industry, 1922

Footwear

Men's dress shoes	Brogues Derby Court shoes Monks Oxfords Slip-ons (Loafers) Spectator shoes (Co-respondent shoes) Venetian style shoes Winklepickers Brothel creepers

Women's dress shoes	Ballet flats Pumps Mules Mary Janes Mojari Saddle shoes Slingbacks Slip-ons (Loafers) Venetian style shoes Winklepickers

Other shoes	Clogs Espadrilles Flip-flops Galoshes Geta Giveh Moccasins Platform shoes Sandals Slides Slippers Veldskoens

Military footwear	Ammunition boots Cold weather boots Combat boots Jackboots Jump boots Jungle boots Tanker boots Trench boots

Sport-related footwear	Athletic shoes Ballet shoes Boat shoes Climbing shoes Cycling shoes Football boots Hiking boots Ice skates Inline skates Jika-tabi Motorcycle boots Mountaineering boots Riding boots Roller skates Skate shoes Ski boots Swimfins Wrestling shoes

Fashion boots	Beatle boots Chelsea boots Go-go boots Knee-high boots Platform boots

Work boots/shoes	Australian work boots Chukka boots Cowboy boots Engineer boots Hip boots Rigger boots Steel-toe boots Waders

Other boots	Mukluks Valenki Wellington boots

Historical	Buskin Chopine Crakow (Poulaine) Galesh Hessian Hwa Opanak