J.M.Weston Golf Derby.
By Jonathan Campbell
The two famous English golfers Percy and Aubrey Boomer always ordered their shoes from J.M. Weston, which meant J.M. Weston’s shoes were seen at all the most fashionable Golf Clubs in Europe and the USA, and the “Golf” Derby quickly became an icon […]
J.M. Weston doesn’t sound very French but it’s exquisitely so. In 1891, Edouard Blanchard founded a workshop in Limoges. His son Eugene joined him a little later, then promptly headed off to Weston in the USA to learn the skill of Goodyear Welting. On his return to France, he met the Parisian socialite Monsieur Viard, who enjoyed the cultural pleasures Paris had to offer in the 1920s. Together they created the brand JM Weston, and opened their first shop on Boulevard de Courcelles.
It was these two personalities: one a dedicated craftsman, and the other a Dandy of his time, that provide J.M. Weston with the Parisian spirit that’s in all their shoes.
The two famous English golfers Percy and Aubrey Boomer always ordered their shoes from JM Weston, which meant JM Weston’s shoes were seen at all the most fashionable Golf Clubs in Europe and the USA. The “Golf” Derby became an icon. The shoes are supremely comfortable, as J.M. Weston insist on fitting you when you buy a pair of their shoes.
The shop on Jermyn St in London feels like you’ve just stepped off a Eurostar and arrived in Paris. The staff are knowledgeable and attentive. The young man who served me was from Le Mans, so we discussed the great race at length.
These are shoes that encourage you to have a relationship both with them and the J.M. Weston brand.
The “Golf” Derby is both smart and casual; it can be worn with almost anything. Only the discerning notice them too, which gives the wearer of these fine shoes immense pleasure. J.M. Weston make an iconic loafer too, but that’s for another Obsessive posting.
The Obsessive would like to thank Jeremy Hackett (a true obsessive), for mentioning the “Golf” shoe on his blog a few years ago.
Share this:
Images. Ray Massey, J.M Weston
All images are copyright to their respective owners.