What is a Goodyear welt, and does it matter?

A Goodyear welt is a strip of leather stitched to the upper and insole, with the outsole then stitched to that welt. The point is repairability: a cobbler can replace the outsole several times without touching the upper, so a welted boot can last many years with resoles. It matters only if you use it — the durability, and the low cost per wear, are real only when you actually resole rather than replace. It also makes a boot heavier and stiffer at first. Before paying the premium, confirm a resole path exists (a brand recraft program or a local cobbler who does welted work).