The veldtschoen method of shoe construction was developed to provide enhanced waterproofing for country weight shoes and boots. The technique remains a goodyear method of shoe construction whereby the upper is stitched onto a strip of leather called the welt. This welt goes around the most part if not all the shoe/boot. The difference with a veldtschoen shoe is that the upper is not folded in under the upper so that the stitching holding it to the welt remains invisible from the outside. Instead with veldtschoen the upper leather splays outwards and lays on top of the visible section of welt. And the stitching holding the upper to the welt and subsequently the sole is clearly visible. Water running down the upper is therefore deflected away from the shoe and will not therefore be drawn into the join where the upper meets the sole.
Veldtschoen is therefore a superb way of enhancing the waterproofing aspect of a goodyear welted shoe. However there is a downside. One of the main purposes of traditional goodyear welted construction is that the shoe may be re-soled on numerous occasions without degrading the upper leather since the sole stitching does not touch the upper. When re-soling does degrade the welt then sections of the welt may be replaced fairly inexpensively. With a veldtschoen shoe the sole stitching goes through the upper leather itself and after a few re-soles will no longer be possible.
The choice comes down to whether for your purposes enhanced waterproofing trumps the longevity of a traditional goodyear welted shoe.
