The Shoe Encyclopedia

Goodyear welt shoe construction utilizes a piece of material, the welt, which is stitched to both the insole and the upper of the shoe, and creates a point where the sole can be attached. The empty space that is enclosed by the welt is filled with cork or other porous materials for breatheability. The sole is then both stitched and glued to the welt. The beauty of the goodyear welt construction is that it is almost waterproof as a result of the way various parts of the shoe are attached to the welt, the insole is virtually sealed off. The sole can also be removed easily which makes shoes of this construction very popular because they can be made to last many many years if the uppers are kept in good shape. The overall process of the goodyear welt is much longer than other shoe construction methods and results in a more costly shoe, but goodyear welted shoes are extremely popular due to their substantial benefits. In 1869 Charles Goodyear Jr., the son of Charles Goodyear the namesake of Goodyear Tire Co., invented the machine which allowed the goodyear welt process to occur. The construction method is obviously named after him. VIEW GOODYEAR WELTED SHOES (sources: chestofbooks.com, en.wikipedia.org)

Moc toe shoes are those that have a piece of material which covers the top of the vamp and extends to the end of the toe, creating a "moc" toe area. The material that creates this look can be either leather, or simply a seam. The moc toe shoe is sometimes confused with the apron toe shoe, which has a piece of material that does not extend to the toe area. The moc toe design may be the most common design style, possibly only rivaled by the plain toe style. Driving shoes almost always have a moc toe design. What is the difference between apron toe shoes and moc toe shoes? Apron toe shoes have a piece of material on top of the vamp that does not extend to the toe area while on the moc toe area this material on the vamp does extend to the toe area. See more about apron toe shoes at : What are Apron Toe Shoes ? View a huge selection of moc toe shoes in our online store.

Brogues are low heeled shoes and boots characterized by uppers made of multiple pieces of leather that feature perforations (called "broguing") and serrations along the edges of those pieces of leather. History The brogue traces its history back to Scotland and Ireland where it was used as an outdoor working shoe. Ireland and Scotland are known for their wet countrysides that feature bogs that make working outdoors difficult for the feet. The brogue was created to fulfill a need of the time, a suitable shoe for this specific working terrain. The original brogue design was very basic, and featured untanned leather with their most unique feature being perforations and serrations along the edge of each piece of leather used in the construction of the shoe. These perforations allowed water to drain from the shoes, giving relief to the feet, where before water was trapped in the working man's shoe with no where to go. The early designs, which are called the 'ghillie brogue' were brogues that had no tongue, which also allowed for water drainage, and featured high laces that wrapped around the ankle. This design element kept the shoes on tight and prevented them from being pulled off when walking through thick mud. Types of Brogues Full (Wingtip) Brogues - The full brogue, also commonly known as the 'wingtip' brogue, featuring a toe cap area which has leather in a "W" shape with sides that extend out almost like 'wings' to the area of the ball of the foot. It features perforations and serrations along the edges of the toe cap, along with perforations in the center of the toe cap. Semi (Half) Brogues - A brogue which features a cap toe that has perforations and serrations along the edge of the cap toe. Also features perforations in the center of the cap toe for additional detailing. Was created by John Lobb in 1937 as an alternative to the plain oxford, but intended to be less bold than the full brogue. Quarter Brogues - A brogue that has a cap toe with perforations and serrations on the edge of the toe cap area like the semi-brogue, but lacks the perforations in the center of the toe cap area. Longwing Brogues - Brogue that features the pointed cap toe, in the "W' shape, with the wings that extend the full length of the shoe and meet at a seam at the heel. Interestingly, this brogue is known in the USA as the 'English brogue', while in the United Kingdom it is known as the 'American brogue'. Austerity Brogues - A wingtip shoe which features no perforations which is typically what makes a brogue a brogue. Blind Brogues - A plain toe shoe which features perforations in the shape of a wingtip. (sources: gentlemansgazette.com, en.wikipedia.org)

Bit loafers are standard slip on loafers that feature a metal ornament on the vamp. The ornament resembles a horse bit, hence the name. The bit loafer was made famous by Gucci in the 1950's, and now is extremely common style among most major luxury brands. The bit on bit loafers is not always metal, sometimes bamboo, wood, or other materials are used in created this ornamental detail.   View a wide selection of bit loafers.   (sources: oldleathershoe.com)  

Bicycle toe shoes are shoes that feature a vamp that extends all the way to the front of the shoe to the sole. The shoe has straight seams on both the right and left sides with quarter panel leather than extends forward to the sole. The name bicycle toe comes from the similarity of this shoe style construction to that of professional bicycling shoes. What is the difference between bicycle toe shoes and apron toe shoes? Bicycle toe shoes are defined by a vamp that extends all the way to the front of the shoe with two side seams that extend to the front of the shoe as well, while the apron toe shoe features a vamp that extends over the front of the shoe but stops short of the toe area. See more information on apron toe shoes at What are Apron Toe Shoes ? View a wide selection of bicycle toe shoes in our online store. (sources: oldleathershoes.com)

Apron toe shoes are shoes which have a piece of material that covers the top of the vamp around the perimeter, almost like an 'apron'. Typically this material does not extend to the end of the toe, which would make it a moc toe shoe. The material which creates this apron look can be either leather or may just be stitching which creates a seam. One type of shoe that is always an apron toe shoe, is the split toe shoe. This does not mean all apron toe shoes have a split toe feature. What is the difference between an Apron Toe shoe and a Moc Toe shoe? Sometimes it is hard to distinguish the apron toe shoe from the moc toe shoe. The moc toe shoe features a piece of materials that covers the top of the vamp and extends all the way to the end of the toe, the 'apron' of the apron toe shoe does not extend as far. See more information on moc toe shoes at What are Moc Toe Shoes ? VIEW APRON TOE SHOES (sources: oldleathershoe.com)