Solovair at Rebirth of Cool

Solovair is a family run business manufacturing hand-made Goodyear welted footwear in Northamptonshire, England since 1881.

We are delighted to be the only Solovair stockists in Ireland! Great on the bike, great on the dancefloor, these bad boys will stand the test of time, and we can vouch for that. They have been tried and tested here at Rebirth of Cool by the main man Eamon for many years now.

So what does Goodyear welted mean?

Goodyear welted footwear acquires its name from the long strip of material called a ‘welt’ which is sewn to the upper and insole of the shoe or boot by means of chain stitch. The (out)sole is then attached separately to the welt by means of a lock stitch. There are up to 200 highly skilled stages in the making of a pair of ‘Goodyear welted’ shoes and this traditional method of manufacturing serves to provide the following key advantages in terms of:

Exceptional comfort: The cavity created by the inseam between the inner and outer sole is filled with a flexible compound that moulds to the shape of the wearer’s feet.
Strength: Comfort combined with durability to provide strength, outstanding performance and excellent shape retention.
Insulation: The flexible compound that is sandwiched between the inner and outer soles provides excellent thermal insulation and protection from uneven surfaces.
Easy to Repair: As long as the uppers are taken care of, it is easy to re-sole worn welted footwear by sewing or heat-sealing new soles to the existing welts, to give a life expectancy up to 20 years.
Flexibility: The ‘Goodyear’ welted construction is adaptable to almost every style of footwear which enables Solovair to respond and meet new trends in fashion.