This shoe discussion has been very educational (probably not in the right thread though...). At risk of taking the thread further off track, or perpetuating the side excursion, DWFII's discussion about hand welting vs. goodyear welting prompted me to go googling. I found this blog that more clearly showed me the difference. I was a bit confused how the two techniques varied. Now I can see the difference. So if anyone else is interested, here's the blog: Bespoke Shoes