Hier de uitleg van de British Footwear Association:
"Goodyear welted footwear is manufactured by a process invented over three hundred years ago. Later, in the nineteenth century, machinery was developed to help the shoemaker and modern versions of those machines are used to this day. There are up to 200 highly skilled stages in the making of a pair of Goodyear welted shoes and the craftsmen take many years to learn their skills.
Goodyear welted footwear acquires its name from the long strip of material called a "welt" which is sewn to the upper and insole of the shoe. The outsole - generally referred to as simply the sole - is attached separately to the welt. This extra part of the contruction gives Goodyear welted shoes their strength, flexibility and comfort.
The county of Northamptonshire has become synonymous with the manufacture of high quality Goodyear welted footwear and all the British factories which use this process are based in Northamptonshire. "
http://www.britfoot.com/footwear/goodyear.cfm Best leuke website trouwens, je kan in de BFA Members Directory met enkele muisklikken het kaf van het koren scheiden...
