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Welt

A welt is a piece of leather, rubber or plastic sewn to both the insole and outsole, meant to increase the shoe's durability. The space created by the welt is then filled with a porous material and the outsole is then cemented and attached to the welt. The welt then becomes the attachment point for the sole. This process is known as the Goodyear Welt, because the machinery used was invented by the son of Charles Goodyear. The process ensures the durability and strength of the shoe and allows for multiple sole replacements. The welt basically creates a separation between the insole and outsole and then fills it to increase the strength of the shoe. Other shoes can be made with a welt although if this same process isn't used, the welt serves little to no structural significance. In this case, the welt would simply be for decoration.