Beyond the Goodyear welt

The Goodyear welt, developed in 1869, has long been considered the gold standard for the making of quality men’s shoes, extending the life of shoes through the ability to be resoled with minimal risk while remaining water resistant.

Today, it is a mainstay of many of the most iconic English, American, Japanese, and Spanish brands for its balance between durability and ease of production. There is however a trade-off for the ease of production. Much as cheap cemented shoes rely on glue to hold a shoe together, Goodyear welted shoes rely on glue to keep a shoe attached to the insole via a canvas rib (also known as gemming). While the detachment of gemming from the insole can be repaired, it is more costly and difficult than a regular resole.

House of Agin is dedicated to bringing you handwelted (or equivalent) footwear, long considered superior to the Goodyear welt. Rather than relying on glue, the leather insole is carved to allow attachment of the rest of the shoe by hand sewing, eliminating a potential failure point. By nature, handwelted shoes require a sturdier insole, and are typically lighter due to the reduction in ‘filler’ materials required beneath the insole.