[3] After opening their first shop, off London's Piccadilly, Matthew and Rebecca Wildsmith quickly gained a loyal following and began crafting bespoke shoes for many Royals and luminaries.

It was around this time that the company began to gain a wider international reputation as Matthew and Rebecca's great-grandson, John Wildsmith, took the brand around the world.

By the 1990s the brand had lost its way and many styles were simply rebranded stock shoes from other manufacturers with little of the original design for which Wildsmith had been famous.

Famous wearers included actors such as David Niven, politicians and members of the royal family.

All of the shoes are made in Northamptonshire, England where the factories are specialists in the Goodyear welting process that is at the core of the designs.