At Henry Bucks, we are proud to stock some of the best shoe brands in the world. They all carry the high standard of craftsmanship that takes decades to refine. Today, Loake of England explains to us how the most important part of the shoe is made, the sole or soul (literally) of fine footwear. Surprisingly, the Goodyear Welt has nothing to do with car tyres – it’s a particular type of shoe construction, probably the best, in which Loake has mastered for over 130 years of producing quality footwear. The “welt” is a strip of leather which is sewn around the bottom edge of a shoe. This stitching (the welt seam) attaches the welt to both the insole and the upper of the shoe. The welt is folded out to form a point of attachment for the outer sole. The outer sole (two layers can be used in heavier shoes) is sewn to the welt, with a heavy-duty lock-stitch seam. Crucially, this stitching runs around the outside of the sole (rather than piercing the part under the foot) to maximise the sole’s water-resistance. In contrast, the Blake construction (a widely used method for making formal shoes) involves stitching the outer sole directly to the insole, resulting in a seam that can sometimes be felt inside the shoe, and which is more likely to leak. In the welted construction, there is a thin cavity between the insole and the outer sole. We fill this with cork, a material that is lightweight, insulating, moulds to the shape of the foot – and, most importantly, breathes. Although adding slight bulk to the shoe, welted construction gives it an exponential years of longevity as compared to thinner sole. Particularly, they can be repaired more easily and they are highly weather-resistant. Between the Italians and the British, you can probably guess who, historically, has chosen slim soles, and who has been more concerned with dry feet.
Posted on: Wed, 20 Aug 2014 06:00:01 +0000
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