National Geographic is currently running a feature, entitled “The Joy of Shoes” in its latest edition. Of particular interest is an article on the woman behind Berluti shoes, who found her calling through what can only be described as an epiphany.

Olga Berluti loves men’s feet – a passion, not a fetish, she says. The passion began with her convent schooling in Italy. A long corridor led to the chapel and a 14th-century statue of Christ. “I would approach the altar,” she remembers. “The nailed feet of Christ were exactly on the same level as my eyes. I stared and stared. I said to myself: When I am older, I will remove the nails. I will relieve the suffering of men’s feet.”

Olga Berluti arguably makes the most exquisite shoes on the market for men, and whilst I haven’t shelled out my hard earned for a pair as yet, maybe one day. However, a pair of ready-to-wears will set you back AU$1,160 and a bespoke pair upwards of AU$5,400.

Which makes me think that a pair of RTWs aren’t so unreasonably priced all things considered. After all, think of how much one suit costs – now ask yourself what your shoe to suit ratio is. For many, the wardrobe will only contain one pair of shoes, perhaps two.

It is Berluti’s view that a shoe isn’t a proper shoe until it has been worn for at least 20 years — the point when it takes on its owner’s personality. So even for your bespokes, you’re paying only $270 a year. Now, think about how much you might spend on shoes every year – even if you’re buying one pair to wear everyday, they’ll realistically set you back a minimum of $200, and who knows how long they’ll last. That is, unless you go for the Doc Marten tyre tread look, which I’m sure cost less than $200 and have great durability. The old Doc Martens were great back in high school when you needed a shoe that could go from kicking a footy to be a part of a uniform. However, they’re not quite up to the footwear required by the businessman of today.