YEARS ago, Paul Wilson used to make moccasins and sell them on one of the ramshackle stalls on the Armstrong Bridge in Newcastle's Jesmond Dene. "Part of the hippy generation," he says cheerfully.

In those days he was studying fine art and photography and wanted to be an artist. But the shoemaking fascinated him, side tracked him and eventually, turned him into one of the country's finest shoemakers.

After living and working in London and Paris, he's back in a very smart garret in Newcastle, making men's classic shoes and boots that sell for £1,000 a pair.

And maybe he's realised his first ambition too, because these shoes are works of art - and utterly unlike every other pair of shoes you're likely to have come across. They are also, compared with London prices, a bit of a snip - handmade shoes would cost double down there.

In his Blackfriars workshop, Paul sits quietly working away, surrounded by the smell of leather and rows of wooden lasts, each one the perfect fit for an individual customer.

It is a timeless scene - one that any shoemaker from the last few hundred years would instantly recognise. These are shoes as they used to be made and as they should be made - for those who can afford them.

The wild boar skin hanging on the wall is not frivolous decoration. Nor is it to make the actual shoes, but for the needles. When Paul needs a new needle, he just plucks a bristle from the skin.

"I make my own threads too, using hemp and a special wax mixture."

This is not what you call mass production.

When Paul first decided to turn his hand to shoes he didn't know where to start, so wrote round to all the great shoemakers. John Lobb in London offered him a three-year apprenticeship on £45 a week.

It was hardly a princely sum, but it was terrific training that included making shoes for some of the most famous feet in Britain, including royalty.

"One of my jobs was to repair Prince Charles's polo boots. He'd had them for years but wouldn't get new ones because he loved them."

A holiday in Paris led to Paul working for top French firm Hermes for three years, then he did another 12 years in London before - much to his mam's delight - coming back up to Newcastle three years ago.

Now he works away above Blackfriars, perfectly content.

Getting a pair of shoes made is not something you can do on impulse. It takes a series of fittings. The first is for measurements to make the last - one of the many that hang from Paul's wall. Then Paul will make a pair of shoes from scrap pieces of leather. Once he's satisfied the fit is right, he will start to make the proper shoe. (It's getting the last made that adds so much to the cost of the shoes. Once that's done, it means the second pair is much cheaper.)

Everything is stitched with that special needle and thread. The leather comes from whole skins that Paul chooses especially for each client. The layers of leather and stitching, stiffeners and lining build up to achieve something that will last for years.

"I know these shoes cost a lot of money, but they will last 40 years," says Paul. "It will be ten years before they start showing signs of wearing. And they actually look better as they age, they gain character. Whereas if you took a pair of mass-produced shoes apart, you'd be horrified at what you'd find - cardboard, glue, resin - and if there is leather anywhere in them, it's of the lowest possible quality.

"I cannot repair mass-produced shoes because there's nothing in them to repair. But with a handmade shoe I can take it apart and put it together again."

Many of Paul's customers are the people you would expect - rich professionals such as doctors or barristers. As well as Prince Charles, he's also made boots for Tina Turner and Bryan Ferry.

"But I get a number of people who just want their feet to be really comfortable and they're prepared to pay for it. After all, nobody would think it that odd to spend £1,000 on a holiday or a watch or towards a flash car or something like that. But putting money on your feet has to be worth it, and lasts a lot longer than a holiday.

"For real luxury, you can't beat handmade shoes."

* Paul Wilson Bespoke Shoemaker, Blackfriars, Stowell Street, Newcastle NE1 4XN.