Norwegian-Welt Construction

Yuketen is proud to offer Italian-made Norwegian-welted shoes in addition to our Goodyear welt and moccasin styles. The Norwegian welt (also known as a "storm welt" or "water proof welt") is notable as it prevents water from entering the shoe at the seam between the shoes' upper and the welt. This area can be a problem for traditional Goodyear-welted shoes in wet conditions; as an alternative, Norwegian welts have historically been used on ski boots and performance footwear. 

Rather than curving beneath the shoes' upper leather as a traditional welt would, the Norwegian welt is completely exterior. As this is the case, the stitching that pierces the upper leather and connects the welt to the insole is visible on the outside of the shoe (not so with Goodyear-welt construction). The construction of the interior of the shoe shares many features with Goodyear-welt construction, though, including a channeled vegetable-tanned leather insole and steel shank.

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A steel shank, foam heel pad and vegetable-tanned leather heel pad surround the insole within the shoe. The heel pad and steel shank provide a measure of structure in the rear portion of the shoe, while still allowing the shoe to flex where necessary at the ball of the foot. The pad and shank also work to provide a stable bridge along the arch of the foot, allowing pressure to be spread and diffused more evenly across the bottom of the foot, resulting in a more comfortable shoe. The foam heel pad provides a final layer of shock absorption and the leather heel pad, in conjunction with the leather insole, provides a full vegetable-tanned leather footbed from heel to toe. The shoe's upper and interior components sit atop a full leather midsole, stacked leather heel and an Italian-made Cortina lug sole.

The Norwegian welt brings a ready-for-anything element to Yuketen's fine leather footwear and is finished with Yuketen's iconic pinking, solidifying the Norwegian-welted shoes within the Yuketen line up.

Yuketen Moccasin Construction, Part II

Some of Yuketen's lighter spring and summer silhouettes, such as the Blucher with Kiltie, are built upon a trimmed foundation but feature the same core interior components as Yuketen's bolder shoes and boots (it's what's on the inside that counts, after all). Yuketen's boat sole is notable for two elements: it's composition of 100% natural rubber and it's inclusion of siping along the bottom of the outsole. Siping, named after its inventor John Sipe, is the implementation of razor-thin slits on a rubber surface to improve traction and grip. The technique was first implemented on automobile tires before becoming a popular feature of rubber outsoles. Yuketen's boat soles are also sewn directly to the vamp leather, allowing the shoes to be resoled and thus increasing the lifespan of the shoes for years of wear. 

The inner workings of the shoe include a vegetable-tanned leather tuck and steel shank in the rear half of the shoe. These two components give the shoe structure where it's needed, but allow the shoe to flex where necessary at the ball of the foot. The curved shape of the tuck and shank also acts as a stable bridge along the arch of the foot, dispersing pressure more evenly across the bottom of the foot and combating fatigue. The foam heel pad provides an additional layer of shock absorption while the full-length vegetable-tanned leather insole gives the wearer a breathable, all-leather footbed. 

The result of such robust components is that even Yuketen's lighter footwear offers the wearer superior comfort and support than the shoes' mass produced counterparts. Yuketen is able to construct thoroughly considered and high quality footwear of all forms by investing heavily in the functional and structural elements of the shoe that matter the most. 

Yuketen Moccasin Construction, Part I

Yuketen's flagship moccasin footwear is built in such a way that places a remarkable four layers of vegetable and chrome-tanned leathers and three layers of rubber under foot. Moccasin shoe construction is unique in that the vamp leather passes underneath the footbed and insole components of the shoe, unlike in Goodyear-welt and stitchdown-construction footwear. This construction method means the foot is totally surrounded by leather and can take full advantage of leather's natural breathability and sweat-wicking quality.

The foundation of the Yuketen moccasin is built around a two-layer midsole and a sturdy Vibram outsole. The vegetable-tanned leather midsole is stitched to both the vamp leather and the composition rubber midsole beneath it, for added reinforcement. The composition rubber midsole is then cemented to the rubber outsole.

The inner workings of Yuketen's moccasin footwear share several elements with the brands' Goodyear-welt footwear, including the vegetable-tanned leather tuck and steel shank combination in the rear half of the shoe. These two components give the shoe structure where it's needed, but allow the shoe to flex where necessary at the ball of the foot. The curved shape of the tuck and shank also acts as a stable bridge along the arch of the foot, dispersing pressure more evenly across the bottom of the foot and combating fatigue. The foam heel pad provides an additional layer of shock absorption while the full-length vegetable-tanned leather insole gives the wearer an all-leather footbed.

Each of the components work in concert to make Yuketen moccasins some of the most comfortable leather shoes on the market and give the moccasins the ability to take to the shape of the wearers' foot with wear, making each pair unique to the owner.

Yuketen Goodyear-Welt Construction

Yuketen's meticulously crafted Goodyear-welt construction footwear is hand-lasted and bench-made in Mexico. The shoe is built upon a sturdy foundation of leather, rubber, steel and thread and places a remarkable four layers of leather underfoot.

The outsole applied to the Derby with Ripple sole was originally developed for use by paratroopers during the Second World War, with the intent of softening their feet-first landing. The design lives on and gives the shoes a striking sawtooth base. Our ripple soles, produced by Vibram, are speckled with cork chips for further visual differentiation. The outsoles are cemented to a composition rubber wedge and vegetable-tanned leather midsole. The two wedges at the base of the shoe help provide structure as well as cushion, while the leather midsole allows the shoe to take to the distinct shape of the wearer's foot over time. Finally, the leather welt is firmly attached to the midsole with a vintage German-made welt stitcher and then notched by hand for added security.

The construction of the interior of the shoe begins with the channeled vegetable-tanned leather insole. Many shoemakers no longer use a channeled insole for Goodyear-welt construction, instead opting for faster and cheaper production methods. We here at Yuketen believe, however, that a true channeled insole is still the best way to construct Goodyear-welted shoes due to the inherent structural qualities of the leather used for our insoles. The channeled insole cavity is filled with cork for additional absorption and moldability once the insoles have been sewn to the shoes' upper. 

A steel shank, foam heel pad and vegetable-tanned leather heel pad surround the insole on the interior of the shoe. The heel pad and steel shank provide a measure of structure in the rear portion of the shoe, while still allowing the shoe to flex where necessary at the ball of the foot. The pad and shank also work to provide a stable bridge along the arch of the foot, allowing pressure to be spread and diffused more evenly across the bottom of the foot, resulting in a more comfortable shoe. The foam heel pad provides a final layer of shock absorption and the leather heel pad, in conjunction with the leather insole, provides a full vegetable-tanned leather footbed from heel to toe.

This uncompromising approach to Goodyear-welt footwear construction yields shoes of the utmost quality. Visually striking and thoroughly considered, Yuketen's bench-made Goodyear-welt shoes are sure to bring comfort and satisfaction to the wearer.