As the first factory to use Goodyear Welted manufacturing within the production of their shoes, it is clear that the production methods of Grenson have always been of the highest quality and craftsmanship. The Goodyear Welting process has been established since the 1800's and offers one of the most durable of production methods, allowing them to last longer than other manufacturing methods. Equally, the sole of the shoes can be re-soled quickly and easily, providing a lifelong investment within the shoe.

Within the production method of Grenson shoes, there are four different departments, and all components of the shoes are passed through these departments, with careful inspections and testing along the way to ensure the quality is retained. To produce a Goodyear Welted shoe of the highest quality, the finishing process will take about three weeks in total.

Clicking (Cutting) Department

The upper of the shoe is constructed during this process, where the upper shapes of the shoe will be cut out into the various pieces that are required. The upper material is normally made from leather, and because of the expense of this leather, the cutting job requires much skill and experience as the pieces will need to be cut to waste as little leather as possible. Sometimes leather will have some flaws on the surface, insect bites and other natural flaws, these are always avoided by the leather cutter as they are not to be used in the upper pieces of the shoe.

Closing (Machining) Department

The pieces that have been cut in the previous department are sewn together here to produce the completed upper of the shoe. To create the initial pieces, a flat machine will be used (when the pieces are still two-dimensional) before a post machine is used when the upper starts to become three-dimensional. The edge treatments of the shoe will also take place during this stage in order to add to the style and appearance of the finished upper. Eyelets are also inserted here.

Lasting & Making Department

Once the uppers of the shoes are sewn together, the shape of the shoe needs to be moulded, which is where the last comes into play. A last is a plastic shape that is of the same shape as the foot, specific to each size and width. At first, the insole will be attached to the bottom of the last, a temporary attachment as the last will be removed at the end of the process.

Goodyear Welted shoes have a rib attached to their under edge, which is where the upper is attached once stretched over the last. This creates a 'lasted shoe' which is then left on the last for a week to allow for the shoe upper to completely mould to the last, allowing the shoe to retain its shape for many years to come. The welt (a strip of leather) is sewn onto the shoe through the upper and the rib before any excess material is trimmed. The sole is then attached before the two are stitched together, creating the shoe in its entirety.

Finishing

Once the above stage has been completed, the edge of the heel and sole are trimmed before being buffed to create a smooth finish. The shoes are then polished, stained and waxed to create a water resistance edge and exceptional finish. The sole is also stained, buffed and polished before patterns are marked onto the sole.