but is a model of the shoe interior, supporting your foot in all the right places. Each last maker has an individual style and is envisioning the shoe when making the last, so that gives each pair of shoes a unique identity. Ready-to-wear shoes are made on a plastic last, but specially seasoned wood (usually beech or hornbeam) is more suitable for the nailing and hand-stitching process of a hand-made shoe.

The last is absolutely vital, since if the last is not right even the most talented maker will not be able to create a decent shoe. The skill of last-making is similar to that of a sculptor, envisioning a three-dimensional picture of your foot and the finished shoe whilst shaping the last by hand from a roughly formed block of wood. There are very few skilled last makers in London today and we are indeed fortunate to have those exceptional skills in house.