Tucked down a tiny street in the Bohemian British city of Brighton, Last is the workshop cum boutique of shoemaker Alex Herdman. Named both for the solid forms around which bespoke footwear is molded, and for the fact that its mostly handmade products are designed to be durable, the store stocks around 50 names — from the U.S.'s quirky Cydwoq to one-of-a-kind artisans like Emma the Shoemaker, discovered in Melbourne, Australia, by a traveling friend of Herdman's. Among the designers flying the flag for Britain are Tracey Neuls and Thomas Murphy — both award-winning graduates of Jimmy Choo's alma mater, Cordwainers College — and, of course, Herdman herself, who has her own line of limited-edition footwear and accessories. If there is a theme to the range, it's adaptability — from courts that feature removable straps (and come in materials like hand-marbled leather) to bags that morph from totes to rucksacks thanks to ingeniously placed buckles.
Other knickknacks to browse include hosiery from Funn Stockings and Miss Amy Phipps' ornate collars, created with vintage fabrics. But it's footwear that's the star of the show. Incidentally, Last's website, lastfootwear.com, also includes a list of Herdman's favorite Brighton haunts, so you have every incentive to break in your new purchases with a stroll around this funky seaside spot.