How a Bespoke Shoe Is Made (6): Welting

The Shoe Bottom

This article focuses on the connection between the shoe bottom and the upper. The term “shoe bottom” refers to the part of the shoe located beneath the upper. It consists of several components: insole, (midsole), outsole, and heel. In a classic business shoe, these elements are made from vegetable-tanned sole leather – a dense, tough cowhide traditionally tanned with oak bark in a pit tanning process.

The shoe bottom is completed by what is known as the shank. It reinforces the area of the sole between the end of the heel and the ball of the foot – in other words, the part of the sole that does not make contact with the ground when the shoe is worn. In lower-end shoes with heels, this stabilizing element is often omitted. A telltale sign is when the sole visibly sags just in front of the heel, in the non-load-bearing area. In a high-quality shoe, even under pressure, there is a smooth and stable transition from heel to outsole.

Sole Attachment Methods

Let’s return to the attachment of the shoe bottom. The bottom – or, more simply put, the sole – must be permanently joined to the upper. There are various traditional construction methods used for this purpose. Historically (for hundreds of years), the bottom was sewn to the upper. Only in the second half of the last century – with the rise of industrial shoe manufacturing – did adhesives become increasingly common. Nevertheless, stitched constructions remain the most durable method of attaching a shoe bottom.

In bespoke shoemaking, the future purpose of the shoe usually determines which method is chosen. For a classic business shoe, the shoe bottom should be stitched – ideally by hand. That this process can also be done by machine is demonstrated by Goodyear-welted shoes – generally the more affordable segment within bespoke or ready-to-wear categories. Learn more here.

The Welting Process

As already mentioned, the hand-welted shoe represents the pinnacle of bespoke shoemaking. In this process, the welt – a long, specially prepared strip of leather – is stitched to the shoe using a specially crafted thread known as bristle. More precisely, the welt, upper, and insole are sewn together in this step. This can be done using different techniques, each with its own distinctive details – with double-stitched and welted constructions serving as the most prominent examples. Depending on the method of sole attachment – for example, in welted shoes – the seam typically does not run around the entire shoe, but only from heel over the toe to heel. In contrast, double-stitched models feature a seam that runs around the entire perimeter of the shoe.

To ensure the welt lies evenly against the upper and to make piercing the leather easier, the welt is thoroughly moistened until it becomes soft, flexible, and pliable. The same applies to the insole. A curved awl is then used to pierce through the feather edge of the insole, the upper, and the welt. The bristle is passed through each hole from opposite sides and pulled tight – stitch by stitch. The spacing between stitches typically ranges from six to ten millimeters. It becomes evident just how time- and labor-intensive this process is – a step that demands not only technical precision but also considerable physical effort on the part of the experienced shoemaker.

Shank and Cork Filling

Once the welt is sewn in place, any excess leather from the welt and upper is carefully trimmed – without damaging the seam. Then the shank is inserted. A variety of materials can be used for this reinforcing element – ranging from wood or metal to fiber-reinforced plastic, depending on the manufacturer’s philosophy and price range.

Before the outsole is attached, the surface of the shoe bottom must be leveled and any irregularities filled to avoid cavities in the sole. This step is called cork filling – also known as bottom filling. A layer of cork or special filler material is applied and then shaped using a rasp or sanding machine until the surface is completely smooth.

In the next step, a second seam is added – the outsole stitch. Learn more about that here.