John Lobb Ltd. in London is the world’s most famous bespoke shoe firm, and a visit here is like stepping 100 years back in time. Down in the basement they have their mythical last room, where about 10,000 lasts are stored on the shelves.
It is not excessively large, perhaps around 50-60 square meters, but the fully utilized ceiling height of maybe five meters and very tightly seated shelves means that space is used to the max. Here, however, there are only those who have had an order made during the last 20 years. Older lasts end up on a separate warehouse, which is even larger. If you have made bespoke shoes since 1849, you have been rasping down a few lasts.
