Kielman :: Stitching types

The time-consuming process of handmade shoemaking requires mastery of about a hundred different tasks. In order to justify calling a pair of shoes “hand-sewn”, it is absolutely necessary that one of these tasks in particular be performed: The soles must be joined to the uppers by hand using linen thread spun by the shoemaker. Depending on the method, there may be one, two, three or even more lines of stitching. How properly the soles are stitched determines how durable the shoes will be. This job, which takes many hours to accomplish and is one of the fundamental and most difficult parts of the entire process, sets apart a product as top-of-the-line. Several methods for sewing soles that have long been used in our workshop are presented below.

Dressings. The most delicate way of connecting uppers and soles. Used when the sole leather is too thin to hold the thread. An excellent solution for evening shoes, dancing shoes and women’s slippers.
Hidden-stitch soles. A sewing method used to prevent the soles from extending beyond the contours of the shoes. The thread is hidden deep in the insole.
Welted soles. The most popular method for line-stitching soles in handmade shoemaking. In practice it requires sewing two lines for different purposes: the first, now invisible, connects the rib to the insole, while the second – known as doubling – connects the rib to the outsole. In order to sew welted soles, the leather soles must be at least 5 mm in thickness. In industrial shoe production, this sewing method was replaced by the Goodyear method, which usually guarantees high quality craftsmanship.
Welted soles with strips. The method of construction is basically the same as in welting, but a decorative strip made of calfskin of any desired color is added.
Plain welted soles. A variation on the welting method that involves running the thread through an obliquely notched strip when sewing the second stitching line. The flat surface along the edge of the sole is not imprinted but is polished until it becomes smooth.
Pearl-style is another method for line stitching. It differs from welting in that the stitches are somewhat longer. Thicker, more tightly spun thread is used in sewing. It takes on a round shape in profile that with a touch of imagination resembles... a string of pearls.
Pearl-style sewed with a decorative strip made of calfskin.
Decorative multi-level sewing. Although the photograph depicts two pearl-style stitching lines, either of them could easily be replaced with welting. The total thickness of multi-level soles is greater than that of welted soles, which makes them a bit more stiff.
Triple-sewn soles. An old method for sewing shoes with tough soles. A perfect match for casual fall clothing. This kind of highly visible hand-stitching enjoys the company of tweed and corduroy.
Triple-sewn soles stitched to extended strips. The first and most important stitching line is hidden under colored calfskin. A good choice for those who like personalized products with discrete details.
Norwegian stitching. A very old, complicated and durable way of sewing uppers to soles. Developed in Scandinavia for fishermen, longshoremen and foresters who require watertight shoes. At present, this method can be encountered in a few slightly different variants that never fail to emphasize the shoemaker’s high level of skill.
“Antique” stitching. A method for connecting the uppers to the soles that some consider bizarre and others find fascinating. It resembles the pearl method in construction, but the stitching is complimented by a decorative strip of stiff leather that is hand-notched and polished. The provenance of this method is not precisely known, but our prewar employees encountered it in France.