Alessandro Gasparini is a little-known Italian maker — a former shoe designer for brands including Dunhill — building slim, low-vamp loafers with a Blake stitch rather than a Goodyear welt. Permanent Style’s Simon Crompton, after three months of wear, rates the leather and construction on a par with Edward Green or John Lobb (his comparison, not an independent verdict), at a lower price — leather models run £545, sold only direct from Gasparini’s own site.