What is a blake stitch construction?

With nearly 90 years of shoemaking experience, we came to recognise one unavoidable truth, most shoes were never built for true longevity. No matter how well they were crafted, once the soles wore out, their life came to an end. That realisation became the foundation of GORAL. From the very beginning, our mission has been to create sustainable, fully repairable sneakers and trainers designed to be worn for life. And at the heart of that mission is our re-engineered approach to the blake stitch construction, a traditional shoemaking method we adapted for modern footwear.

Sidewall-stitched sneakers quickly reveal their limitations. During a resole, removing the sole would cause the shoe to lose its structure, which meant true longevity was impossible. Searching for a better solution, we looked to classic dress shoe construction and the blake stitch. Because it attaches the upper directly to the lasting board, it preserves the shoe’s shape, but while the traditional Blake stitch works perfectly with leather soles, sneakers require something more. The answer was a hybrid construction that blends the best of both worlds.

Blake stitch: The upper is stitched directly to the lasting board to maintain the shoe’s structure
Sidewall stitch: The outsole is attached with a sidewall stitch, sealing the shoe and ensuring resilience against water and wear

This hybrid construction marks a new chapter in sneaker craftsmanship, one where longevity isn’t an aspiration but a guarantee. By combining time-honoured shoemaking with modern functionality, we’ve created footwear that can be restored again and again without losing its shape, comfort, or that hard earned patina! It’s why every GORAL shoe is backed by our lifetime repair guarantee.