Luxury-insider-”The modern, Western-style shoe has remained broadly the same for centuries now, with traditional methods of craftsmanship sadly being superseded by the impersonal cheapness of machining.

It is heartening to discover, then, that the fine art of shoemaking remains alive – if not exactly well – today, with the persistence of a few classic British ateliers such as GJ Cleverley of Old Bond Street, and John Lobb of St James’ in London, two of a dying breed of bespoke shoemakers with a superlative eye for detail.

To understand the amount of loving care these sartorial masters put into making a tailored pair of shoes, it is somewhat necessary to introduce in detail the startling – and hitherto arcane – array of parts that make up a humble pair of shoes.”

Learn the art of the bespoke shoe at luxury-insider.com