The Goodyear Welt

• The 'Goodyear Welted' technique is the ultimate method of manufacturing shoes. This shoe construction process was invented in the United States in the late nineteenth century by Charles Goodyear Junior. At the time, most of the major brands of luxury shoes for men—English and French for the most part—were fascinated by the reputation of this revolutionary new process. Many made the journey to the Americas to be trained by American shoemaking experts. Since then, the 'Goodyear Welted' method remains unmatched and that isn't about to change.
• Absolute resistance over time is obtained thanks to the 'Goodyear Welted' method, which makes it possible for the body of the shoe to last longer and become more resistant. This technique, typical of high-end shoes meets the most demanding requirements such as high quality materials, perfectly stitched with meticulous precision, offering outstanding durability, comfort, and ease of resoling, which extends the lifespan of the shoes.

The technique

A "Goodyear" welted shoe consists of two seams: The first seam called Goodyear assembles into a single seam, the upper, the first insole and the welt. The second seam called a "lock stitch" assembles the welt to the tread (outsole).

In common parlance ‘Goodyear’ is synonymous with English luxury shoes for men.

This construction is extremely durable.

Nearly 200 steps are needed to achieve a Mario Bertulli Goodyear welted shoe. They are designed to fit perfectly and adapt morphologically to the shape of your feet. The advantage of this technique is that it is very comfortable almost immediately.

The cuts of the different parts of the shoe (upper, lining, sole, insole, etc.) are entirely done by hand. As for the assembly and sewing steps, they require the alternation of manual intervention and industrial support.

Another feature is the leather insole, which is placed on a natural cork filling. Natural cork allows for breathability and gradually takes the shape of your foot making your shoe a custom-fit to your foot. Once your feet have imprinted on the sole, you will not be able to live without your shoes.

In addition, once the sole is worn out, it is easy to replace it and do a new lock stitch, without damaging the rest of the construction—resoling is done without altering the upper.

The Goodyear welt will not deform, provides excellent foot support and maximum protection against the elements. This is footwear that is designed to last a great number of years.