For their 100 year anniversary, Wesco are offering three limited edition boots using naildown construction. Wesco produced boots using naildown construction from around 1918 until sometime in the 1980s, when they switched the bulk of their production over to stitchdown.

The main reason for using stitchdown construction was for extra water resistance with the vamp leather folded on top of the midsole. 

Stitchdown Construction

Wesco's stitchdown construction folds the vamp leather in an L shape on top of the midsole. Then, the vamp leather is stitched down through the midsole and outsole on a Rapid E machine. Wesco commonly uses 2 rows of outsole stitching but can do 1 row upon request.

See the extra layer of leather on top of the midsole? That's the vamp leather folded in an L shape.

Naildown Construction

Wesco's naildown construction folds the vamp leather under the last in a backwards C shape.

The insole is then nailed to the vamp - with nails being hammered 360 degrees around the insole.

Next, the midsole is nailed to the midsole in a similar fashion.

Lastly, the outsole is attached to the midsole with a Rapid E machine.

Aesthetically, the naildown construction is a much sleeker look, although when produced on the motor patrol last the toebox does end up being a little bit taller.