John Lobb

What are Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld favorite shoes? “My dad’s crocodile John Lobbs,” he replies and assuredly Vlad's dad, Christian Restoin, has superb taste in footwear. The Parisian workshop of John Lobb is internationally renowned for its bespoke service, one of the finest remaining examples of the traditional art of shoemaking.

Founded in London in 1849, the firm is one of Britain's oldest shoemakers in existence and every one of the 190 steps in their meticulous production process is still finished by hand; only about 100 pairs of shoes are created each day. Hermès acquired the John Lobb ready-to-wear line in 1976.

Among the clientele that have preferred the timeless footwear crafted by John Lobb are members of the aristocracy as well as the elite in entertainment, business, and politics — even the classic icon of the debonair man, fictional character James Bond wore shoes by John Lobb. Of course this exceptional quality would appeal to a Roitfeld. To see the painstaking craftsmanship behind the scenes at John Lobb, take the guided tour with his great-grandson, John Hunter Lobb, current chairman of the company.

Image of John Lobb crocodile shoes courtesy of johnlobb.com.

Didier Drogba

When asked about his favorite pastimes while visiting London, Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld responded with a grin, "I've been working too hard... But I have been to Chelsea matches three times in four weeks. That's my favorite thing to do of all. I like Didier Drogba." Hailing from the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire in West Africa, Drogba currently plays as forward for Chelsea in the Premier League while also serving as captain of the national team for his home country. Despite being sidelined by numerous injuries over the course of his career, Drogba has proven instrumental in several decisive goals for Chelsea and holds many club records.

Drogba is also credited with helping to bring peace to the Ivory Coast including a stint as a Goodwill ambassador for the United Nations, which led Time Magazine to nominate him as one of the world's 100 most influential people. The handsome footballer is married to Diakité Lalla and they have three children. Note that the Chelsea team is owned by Roman Abramovich, beau to Dasha Zhukova (a close family friend of the Roitfelds), so hopefully Vladimir enjoys prime seats at Stamford Bridge.

Didier Drogba photographs courtesy of franmerida.soccerstar.info and © 2010 Famozz.