I have listed comparisons of Edward Green Dover on 202, 606 and 82 lasts.
This time, with Maftei shoes, you can also see how the same model/style performs on different lasts.
Let’s start with Klimt. A pair of Lazyman Hybrid Oxfords. It’s an lazyman with real laces, not fake laces. You can wear them as a real Oxford or as a Lazyman.
This design is a bit strange. But nowadays, people, they like to play something weird.
The last for the right foot is Henry, last number 192, and the last for the left foot is Pei, number 775.
Henry is an English round toe and Pei is an Austro-Hungarian square toe.
It may not be so obvious on the front, the difference between the British and Austrian flavours is fully evident when viewed from the side.
However, one shouldn’t be completely fooled by the photos, Maftei, or Austrian shoemakers, are still very much influenced by Italy, and the last has been elongated, only made less visually obvious by the wider toe and forefoot.
Another example is Schubert, also known as the Cap Toe Oxford. This time, it sits on three different lasts.
On the left is the Alexandru last, No. 193, in the centre the Lobb last, No. 1415, and on the right the Pei last, No. 775.
Let me explain the name and code of Maftei’s lasts.
Maftei is a pure bespoke shoemaker, and the lasts are made for each customer, so in order to protect the customer’s privacy, they don’t use the customer’s name, but a numerical code.
As for the English name, it’s all my creation.
775 is the first last I worked with Maftei on. My request at that time was to make it suitable for Asian people. So he recommended this last for a Japanese customer.
Today, after looking at so many lasts, I think this 775 last is the most Austrian and durable.
The Alexandru last was Mr. Maftei’s favourite last, elongated and narrow, and Alexandru was his given name, as well as the name of his youngest son.
The Lobb Last came from when Maftei was doing the outwork for John Lobb St. James. Quite a stiff little square toe with a bit of elongation.
For me, it’s simple, fall in love with Pei Last forever at first sight, after all, in my name.
Different lasts for the same model/style brings out the importance of lasts for shoes.