Update : Best foot forward
Best foot forward "Robert De Niro has quite big feet for a man his height," says Henrietta Park, bespoke shoe maker. She should know because she made the shoes for the actor to wear in Kenneth Branagh's Frankenstein. De Niro takes a size 10. Other celebrities whose feet Park has shod include Seal, Annie Len-nox, Helena Bonham Carter and Tracy Ullman.
For mere mortals, however, Park has just opened her own shop in Clapham, where you can choose from a range of of samples or have your shoe fantasy made up specially for you. If your feet do not comply with standard shoe sizes, she will make a shoe to fit.
The shop has a friendly atmosphere, so if you have never had a pair of shoes made to measure, you will not feel intimidated. Some customers pay £20 a week for dream shoes they cannot afford. Prices start at about £150. Once you have been seduced by hand-made shoes, you will be hooked for life.
Henrietta Park, 40 North Street, London SW4 (inquiries 0171-627 4188).
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