What is Goodyear welt construction?

Goodyear welting is the gold standard method for footwear construction, and used in only the top 1% of men’s shoes. It creates a virtually waterproof seal at the insole and makes your shoes completely resoleable. In a Goodyear welt, the thread is sewn through the welt, the upper, and the insole rib. Through a separate stitch, the welt is attached to the outsole. For both of these stitching points, a lockstitch is used. While it is time intensive and requires specific machinery, it prevents the stitch from unraveling if it breaks down at any particular point in the shoe. This means that with proper care, the Tenkey you buy today will last you for years to come.

While most of our men’s line features Goodyear welt construction, we also use Stitchout, Storm Welt, Veldtschoen, and Blake Stitch constructions. These construction methods are also resoleable and highly water-resistant.