The Goodyear Welted
The Goodyear Welted was invented in United States at the end of the XIXth century by Charles Goodyear Junior, son of Charles Goodyear, the inventor of the vulcanization. The Goodyear welted, except with its origins, is completely different of the vulcanization.
At the end of the XIXth century, the greatest names of the fine shoes for men industry, in wide majority English and French shoes maker fascinated by the qualities and the fame of this new way of construction, came to America to learn and acquire with the American master bookmakers the methods of this revolutionary construction.
To sum up, the sewing machine called “Goodyear” uses the same technology than the one used by the craftsmen of the hand made shoes industry. It is just adapted to the industrial fabrication of shoes by mechanizing several steps of sewing.
About the technology?
A Goodyear welted shoe is made with two stitchings:
- The first one called “Goodyear” is realised with the Goodyear machine. It joins the welt, the upper and the insole.
- The second one is made with a “Little Points” machine. This stitching links the sole with the welt.
With this construction, as soon as the outsole is timeworn, it is really easy to remove it and make a new “little points” stitching without any damage for the shoe and the rest of the Goodyear construction.
This construction is very long-lasting. Other benefit: the foot is lying on a leather insole which is on a thickness of natural cork. The natural cork has the particularity to take bit by bit the shape of the foot. As a result, you have the feeling that your shoe is made-to-measure and you can not give up it.
The Goodyear construction has also another advantage: its keeping and its special design. Due to its construction, a Goodyear welted shoe is higher than a classical one and its lower part near the welt goes lightly inside. Those elements give to Goodyear shoes for men a distinguished and esthetical line. An uninitiated person will not notice these details, he only sees a fine and formal shoes that perfectly goes through the time.
Today, all the great names of the luxury industry: Paraboot, Weston, Church, Edward Green, Crocket and Jones… still respect this tradition of Goodyear Construction. The Goodyear welted is the must of the smart shoes for men. In current language, Goodyear welted is synonymous of luxury English shoes for men.