The gold standard for making men's shoes?

Technology is revolutionizing everything from how we shop for shoes, to the weight of our sneakers and even if we have to lace them ourselves. But most experts agree the best way to make men's shoes is a method invented 150 years ago.

It's known as the Goodyear Welt and while it is more expensive, the shoes can last forever.

The method is used by high-end brands, including Mezlan and Allen Edmonds.

Here are the ways a men's dress shoe can be made.

Cementing:

This is the cheapest and fastest way of attaching the sole to the rest of the shoe, according to Primer Magazine. Its attached with an adhesive and no stitching. While cheap, it does not last as long as other methods. A downside is that often the sole cannot be repaired and the shoe will need to be replaced.

The Blake Welt:
The Blake Welt uses stitching instead of adhesive to attach the sole. The stitching is located on the inside of the shoe and must be done by machine, according to Primer Magazine.

The advantages of the Blake Welt are that it is more secure than cementing and since the stitching is small, the sole can be cut close to the top. The sole is also usually repairable. While more expensive than cementing, it is less expensive than the Goodyear Welt.

The Goodyear Welt:

The Goodyear Welt is the oldest method, invented in 1869, according to Mezlan.

It uses an extra piece of leather that its attached between the upper and the sole. It has special stitching that runs along the outside of the sole, giving these shoes a distinctive look.

While the Goodyear Welt is the most expensive method, it lasts the longest and is easiest to repair, according to Mezlan. It is also more water resistant, according to Primer Magazine.

To perform the Goodyear Welt requires skills. Mezlan makes their shoes using artisan shoemakers at a factory in Almansa, Spain. They are still hand sewn.




Be careful, the stitching doesn't tell the whole story. According to Mezlan, some shoe makers add the stitching to make you think the shoe is made with a Goodyear Welt.

Did Nike's sneakers lead to the fastest marathon ever?

26 seconds...that's how close Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya came to sub 2 hour marathon. Instead he finished in 2:00:25, just over a second too slow per mile.

But first...thank you for your support. Through the Sole had a record breaking April, over 8,200 pageviews!

Now back to the sub 2 hour marathon. In March, I wrote about Nike's attempt to break the 2 hour mark in the marathon, including with specially designed sneakers.

Nike decided the conditions were right and had the 3 selected runners try this weekend at the Formula One track in Monza in Italy, selected for having low wind, good oxygen, and being relatively flat with modest turns, according to Runner's World.

At 5:45am on Saturday, the 3 selected runners, Kipchoge, Eritrean Zersenay Tadese, and Ethiopian Lelisa Desisa set off in hat was deemed to be perfect weather. They had pacers in front of them in an arrow formation to block wind, according to Runner's World.

In the end, Kipchoge ran must faster than his previous record, 2:03:05 in the London Marathon. Tadese is the record holder in the half marathon and Desisa won the Boston Marathon twice, according to FiveThrityEight.

Tadese finished in 2:06:51 and Desisa in 2:14:10. The event was three years in the making and used science to try to engineer the sub 2 feat.

The current world record for a marathon is Kenyan Dennis Kimetto 2:02:57 at the 2014 Berlin Marathon. This attempt did not change that, according to Runner's World, because of practices involving pacers that are not allowed by the running governing body.

In addition to the specially designed sneakers that were customized for each runner, they also wore clothing that was designed to be aerodynamic.

It's hard to say how much came down to the sneakers and how much to other factors, but those are some fast times.

The shoes of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Long live Rock and Roll and long live shoes!

I recently got to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio,

Along with other great memorabilia the museum had the shoes many of the stars wore.

Take a look:

Deep Purple's Glenn Hughes wore these heels around 1973.

Steve Miller wore these around 1980.

Elvis wore plain black shoes with his gold suit in 1968.

Johnny Cash wore these boot on his ABC TV show from 1969-1971.

Carl Perkins wore these snakeskin shoes.

Jorma Kaukonen of Jefferson Airplane wore these heels.

The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, wore these penny loafers during the 1989 Bad tour.

Snoop Dog wore these sneakers around 2000.

Are these the worst shoes? Cowboy boot sandals

Have you ever thought that your cowboy boots need to be summer-ized?

Scotty Franklin of Springfield, Mo. and his company Redneck Boot Sandals will do just that, according to the Austin Statesman.

For $50 you can mail them your cowboy boots and they will make them into sandals. According to their facebook page, they will soon have their own designs. 

Since 2012, Franklin told the Austin Statesman that he has done boots for doctors, nurses, attorneys, pilots, teachers, preachers, and farmers

The idea of cowboy boot sandals has recently been trending online and the facebook page has over 4,000 likes.

My take? I've always thought that open-toed boots were silly. If its warm enough to have open toes, doesn't the extra fabric make you hot? And in the winter aren't you cold? I know the say to wear tights under the boots for winter but most tights are far from warm.

Pharrell was Happy in Custom Glitzy Sneakers at the Grammy Awards

Singer Pharrell Williams gave a memorable rendition of his hit, Happy, at the Grammy Awards last night. Even with the message and so much going on, I couldn't help but notice his bright yellow shoes.

FootBasket had a close up of the shoes and the details.

According to FootBasket, Pharrell's shoes were Adidas Stan Smiths. It makes sense, Pharrell does a collaboration with the sneaker brand.

Shoes for the other gender, Picking men's shoes

On Through the Sole, I rarely mention men's shoes, not having much experience. Also, men, like Michael Bloomberg who only owned 2 pairs of dress shoes, tend to stick to basics.

Men's online store Bonobos, did a fall challenge to style their Fall 2014 suits. Sticking to Through the Sole's theme, I decided to pair them with their shoes. 

Image courtesy of  Bonobos

The first suit the grabbed my attention because of the plaid pattern. With a suit like that I feel you can go two directions, simple to let the suit shine, or a bit more style to seem fashion forward.

These shoes would give you the simplicity, with a little bit of style from the trim on the shoes.

These would give you style, especially if your shirt and tie are in the same color family.

Driving in high heels: fashion over safety?

The other day I decided to get back to wearing heels, jumped into my car and drove to work. In my quest for fashion, was I bypassing safety?

According to AOL Autos, I wasn't alone. Up to 40 percent of women wear heels behind the wheel, according to a study of UK women. Experts say heels prevent a good feel of the pedals, making it harder to react quickly. While woman have been wearing heels for years, the recent sky-height heights and platforms are exasperating the problem.

And law makers are starting to take notice. According to the local, France's Supreme Court ruled that driving in heels violates the country's highway code. The case they ruled on was whether a woman who was driving in heels when she was injured in a car crash deserved insurance money. The court found that insurance was not liable due to her wearing heels.

The future is almost here! Self-lacing sneakers to be released.

This USA Today video shows the self-lacing sneakers from Back to the Future  II.

Nike is set to unveil self-lacing sneakers like those from the movie, Back to the Future II, according to sneaker blog, Sole Collector. 

Through the Sole shared back in 2010, that inventor Blake Bevin created shoes that laced with the push of a button. These were also inspired by the Michael J. Fox movie, but designed to help those who have trouble lacing shoes.

Athletic company, Nike, is set to release the sneakers in 2015, when they appeared in the future of the movie. Last year, Nike released the the fictional high-top sneakers last year and auctioned them off on eBay to benefit the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. The sneakers brought in $6 million, according to Sole Collector. No word yet on if the new self-lacing sneakers will look like those from the movie.

Shoes for the Royal Baby: Part 1

Congratulations to Will and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on their new baby boy!

Now that the wait for the future monarch is over, I can't help but wonder what shoes the future king will wear. With his mother's fashionable shoe choices, he will have a great guide.

It will be a few months before the royal baby is ready to wear shoes. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that babies do not wear shoes until they are walking outside, especially any kind of stiff shoes. Once a baby is walking, comfortable and flexible shoes with non-skid soles will keep a baby's feet protected. And be prepared to go baby shoe shopping, a pair of shoes will only last a baby 2-3 months.

How cute are these monkey booties from BabySuperMall.com?

Linsanity: The Sneakers Knicks Basketball Star Jeremy Lin Wears

Knicks’s point guard Jeremy Lin has skyrocketed to international attention. Now people want to know more about the previously unknown Ivy League graduate. Of course, I wanted to know more about his shoes of choice.

According to a recently released Nike video, Lin’s favorite sneakers for hanging out are the Nike Airforce 1. You can purchase your own pair for $59.98 at Finish Line.  His favorite basketball sneakers are the now discontinued Nike Shox BB4. Lin is currently sponsored by Nike.

Shoes for a Cause: NFL Players to Wear Cleats to Commemorate September 11

Last year in honor of September 11, a day I will never forget, I wrote about wearing patriotic shoes in remembrance. Well, it seems some NFL players had a similar idea. They are going to wear patriotic cleats and gloves in remembrance.  

Drag Queens Running Your Way in High Heels

Drag Queens, often in sky-high heels, took to the streets of Washington DC’s DuPont Circle to compete in the 25^th Annual High Heel Race.

The crowd packed the sides of the streets for this annual Halloween tradition.

The race took place at 9:00pm, but the festivities kicked up much earlier with the race participants parading around for spectators to view and admire their costumes.

Politicians and Shoes: Rent is 2 Damn High Party Will Let You Marry a Shoe

2010 is shaping up to be a quite interesting election year. All sorts of topics have been brought up, like witches. Yet, only recently have shoes entered this election.

At the New York governor candidates’ debate on October 20, all 7 candidates on the ballot were invited, including Jimmy McMillan, of the Rent is 2 Damn High Party (Sicoli, 2010). When asked about gay marriage, he said, “The Rent is 2 Damn High Party feels if you want to marry a shoe, I’ll marry you” (Ngo, 2010). See the end of the above video or click here. 

I understand the point McMillan was trying to make, but I am unsure why he chose a shoe. It’s still interesting to bring up shoes in a political debate. What do you think?

Celebrities and Shoes: Thrifty Mayor Bloomberg only owns two pairs of shoes!

"it’s fair to say he’s not the shoe industry’s best customer" (WCBS 880, 2010)

The 2010 midterm elections are almost here, and things are heating up. Although he’s not running for re-election this November, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is discussing his footwear.

According to CBS New York, Bloomberg only owns two pairs of work shoes. He has owned these two pairs for the past 10 years. The pairs are both black and one is a penny loafer, while the other has tassels. To keep shoes so long, he has had them re-heeled and the soles replaced (WCBS 880).

As the world’s 23 richest person (Daily Mail, 2010), his shoe possessions, or seeming lack thereof, is quite surprising.