Educate me on lasts, etc..

I've become drawn to fine shoes like Trickers, and I'm trying to get a grip on things. i'm learning a lot reading here but I'm stumped when I read about lasts. Where do you guys learn what these (and other shoe construction topics a guy would need to know before ordering) are, what they mean, and how that translates for the casual fan? For example, I wear a US size 12 but have high arches and a lot of shoes give me trouble. I'd never think of buying a high end shoe, either new or pre owned, without understanding what the diferent fit types available mean. Any place you can point me to where I can educate myself so I can understand what this talk of lasts and construction means?

Thanks, yes I've read much of that thread and others regarding other shoe brands, but when I read where guys say things like "It's built on a **** last, but I much prefer the ¥¥¥¥ last" I'm stumped. I have no idea what the differences are, how they translate to fit, how you're suppoed to know what that means.

Thank you guys, I appreciate your efforts. I do understand what a last is, I understand that it is the frame on which the shoe upper is formed around and that the difference in last shape completely determines the shape and fit of the shoe. The problem seems to be (to the uninformed casual shoe buyer) that there is no simple universal descriptor of simple last forms. The Allen Edmonds last description page seems pretty straightforward, though the numbering quickly goes from a simple one digit code to a three digit code with no further descriptions of what those numbers mean. Further, these numbers don't seem to translate at all to other makers, like Trickers. The beauty of thd internet, so much is now available to the average person that was unobtainable just a few years ago, the irony that it can still be such a horribly blind hunt.

I suppose the best I can do is to continue to try on AE shoes, as they are available in several department stores near here (Sacramento area) and try to get a feel for the different lasts. I can then try to garner from the Trickers discussions how their lasts relate to the various AE lasts that fit me well. Unfortunately, having no AE company store near here, and department store shoe salespeople being about as uninformed as I am, I'll just have to slowly piece this thing together.

Thanks for the help, I appreciate it and will continuento try to work in some questions in the appropriate threads.

Jim