The Pope doesn't wear Prada...

... says The Manolo, who found it at Times on Line:

According to Vatican sources the Pope's shoes are made by a cobbler from Novara called Adriano Stefanelli, who makes them from calf or kid for the winter and nappa leather for the summer. Papal shoe repairs are carried out by Antonio Arellano, a Peruvian shoemaker in the Borgo, the medieval quarter next to St Peter's. The article, on "Ratzinger's Liturgical Vestments", was written by Juan Manuel de Prada, the noted Spanish writer and author of The Tempest, who is not related to the fashion company. De Prada said that the image of the German-born Pope as concerned with "frivolity" was at odds with the truth, which was that he was a "simple and sober" man. Suggestions to the contrary were "stupid and banal".

And here I thought Shakespeare wrote The Tempest.

In one of life's coincidences, Novara is the town I was referring to when I wrote this post four years ago.
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I'm still on vacation so instead of the WSj's 5 best books links, please buy Steve's cookbook:

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Not Prada, and definitely not Papal, today's shoes, perfect for the beach: