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Bottom material - Sole designs This is the term for all visible parts of the heel and the sole, the invisible inner sole and the stiffeners inserted in the heel and toe area of the shoe. With our shoes, all these parts are of oak (bark) tanned leather. Sole, heel and welt all come from the famous German Rendenbach Tannery in Trier. The Following Sole Constructions are available: GE8 Our most common sole type is welted sewn to the heel. In order to ensure firmness in the area of the ankle the sole is reinforced there with wooden nails and it is strongly cambered. Our heel is not, therefore, reinforced with steel springs and that makes the shoe lighter. The sole edge, also known as the cut, is rounded in the ankle area in order to achieve the most elegant, small ankle. In the area of the forefoot the cut closely follows the contour of the shoe. One characteristic of a heel built up by hand of more layers of leather is the visible difference in height of the inside and outside of the heel. This last-dependent difference in height is compensated by using a leather wedge on the inside of the heel and effects the correct, level positioning of the foot. The visible double stitch is, seen from the sole, sunk into it and thus invisible. This seam channel is known as the steep channel and is cut into the sole by hand to a depth of about 2,5 mm. After the moist sole has been sewn with the welt the steep channel is closed again and sealed with shoemaker's glue. The total thickness of the sole is about 8 mm. GE10 This is made like our GE8 sole but in the area of the forefoot an insole of about 2,5 mm is inserted. This method of building a sole is specially suitable for more robust kinds of leather and models with a country air about them. Total thickness around 10 mm. GE6 The slightly thinner version of GE8 in which the outsole is at least 5 mm thick. The welt used is, however, somewhat thinner than the GE8 with a total thickness about 6 mm. GC6 This is also a welted sole. In contrast to GE8 the outsole is not sewn to the frame but affixed with wooden nails. By avoiding the double seam, the edge of the sole can be fitted more closely to the shoe itself. This method of attaching the sole is suitable for elegant evening shoes or light summer slippers. The edge of the sole is not rounded in the area of the ankle. GG3 This all-weather sole has a lightly ribbed rubber sole. The rubber sole is glued to the leather mid/outsole over its whole area. At the front of the shoe the glue is reinforced with an additional row of brass nails. In order to prevent moisture penetrating the shoe on the face of the heel, the rubber sole is inserted into it in the form of a wedge. The edges around the ankle cannot be rounded in this case. Optically this variation still looks like a leather sole but it offers protection from wet shoes and thus cold feet. Because of the full-area gluing the sole is always a little stiffer than a leather sole of the same thickness. SO5 A lavish version of the inferior “glued sole”. With this sole variation, used for particularly light and soft shoes, the insole itself is only 2,5 mm thick. When it has been fixed in place, the upper is hand-sewed to the insole with a running stitch. This process is called “binding” and secures the connection of upper and insole invisibly. This “binding” is not done with industrially-glued shoes. The next step is to glue a 15 mm wide and 2,5 mm thick sole-leather strip along the edge of the shoe. This piping can be additionally secured with fine wooden nails. The 3 mm thick outsole is glued to this piping and the insole so that the sole is around 5 mm thick altogether. As outsole material we use “Rendenbach” soles as well, though they are prepared in a way that makes them specially soft. This sole architecture is particularly appropriate for kangaroo slippers without lining or, for example, for house shoes. GUM A very light winter sole with good insulating properties in snow and slush. Essentially the GUM sole is a welted shoe where the welt is sewn with a 3 mm leather and a 2 mm rubber midsole. The rubber midsole is then glued to a 6 mm vulcanised rubber sole from VIBRAM (GUMLITE series). The rubber to rubber joint ensures durability even under extreme conditions. The double stitching is protected from water and abrasion. The fine waffle tread is non-slip, easily cleaned and grit does not get stuck in it. GYK The classic crepe sole of light-coloured, natural rubber. The work process is the same as with the GUM variation except that there is a 3 mm crepe midsole is sewn in onto which a 4 mm crepe sole is glued. The crepe sole fits perfectly to velour or deerskin shoes. However we draw your attention to the fact that crepe wears relatively quickly and that it is soluble in petrol (Care is required at petrol stations!). NV8 “Norvegese” is the name given to this style in Italy and it is related to the “zwiegenähten” style of the alpine region. Originally both these styles were used for mountain shoes, hunting boots and work shoes. Typical for the “Norvegese” is the double seam, usually in light-coloured, thick cotton thread that is visible and runs along the edge of the sole. The first of these parallel seams joins the shaft with the insole inside the shoe. The second joins the uppers to the midsole. The third seam, visible from above, joins the midsole with the sole. Thus the sole here consists of three seams in constrast to welted shoes where only two are required. All “Norvegese” have the wide “cut” in common. That means that the edge of the sole visibly protrudes from the shoe lending it a robust appearance. NV10 With this style a further midsole is sewn in. The thickness of the sole in this case is at least 10 mm. NVG Here the leather outsole is replaced by a 3 mm rubber sole as with GG3. NVK The crepe equivalent of the “Norvegese” style of GYK NUM Instead of crepe of a 3 mm rubber sole, a VIRAM/GUMLITE sole is used. VSL Whoever would like a visible double seam but also prefers a tight cut chooses the “Velt Schoen”, a style that is better known in Anglo-Saxon regions. Here the second, visible, hand-sewn seam joins the leather outsole so that the third seam can be done without. Although this description makes it sound simple, actual production requires great craftsmanship. In any case “Velt Schoen” is a robust but nevertheless elegant style that is quite rare. VSG As with GUM or NVG this is the “Velt Schoen” variant with VIBRAM / GUMLITE rubber sole |
