This is the time of year to bring out the bucks and spectators. Here are a few shoes to put some oomph in your step. I wear the Church’s Sidford in Black and White and I’m always complimented on them.

J.M. Weston; Penny Loafers Brown/White and Black/White

Church’s; Shipley White Deerskin, Sidford Brown/White and Black/White

In this week’s window we are featuring “The Classic” penny loafer by J.M. Weston in brown suede. We will be hosting a Weston trunk show on Saturday November 15 from 12-6 for all you Weston lovers, please join us.

J.M. Weston model 180, also availabe in black calf

This J.M. Weston 3 eyelet derby is making its debut on the blog. I’m not really sure why I haven’t posted it before now. It’s a very popular style at Leffot not just because of it’s sleek lines and plain almost boot looking toe, it’s also a very comfortable fitting shoe. A tapered toe but generous across the ball.

This is another style from the Conti line designed by Michel Perry for J.M. Weston.

J.M. Weston model 437 also available in Brown

The Byrds said it, “To everything (turn, turn, turn) There is a season (turn, turn, turn)” and like it or not summer is beginning to fade, the air has a fall feel to it and you can begin to notice the change of sunlight, it’s softer and shorter. I’m not complaining I like the fall it’s right behind spring as my favorite season. Summer is bright, and blaring where as fall has a mellowness to it. I like the colors of fall too, we all do, the color of changing leaves. Here is the way I visualize the fall palette represented in shoes.

Chelsea boots those timeless boots that bring back memories of the sixties, the Beatles, or the Rolling Stones. Chelsea boots quickly became popular with Mods because it fit in with their sleek, tailored look. Some varieties sported the so-called ‘Cuban heel,’ which was supposedly derived from flamenco footwear. Check out Ray Columbus and the Invaders on “She’s a Mod” not a great song but you get the essence of Mod style. Although the song grows on me and I’m very jealous of the thick heads of hair.

J.M.Weston is a very well known and established French company, so when it came time to select the styles for Leffot my focus was on trying to show newer rather than simply classic models. The Conti Line designed by Michel Perry is their new classic look. I’m particularly fond of this penny loafer in burnished burgundy with a slight wing tip. I love the sleek styling, long lines, and color of this loafer, this is a very flattering shoe on the foot.

J.M. Weston Style 436 in Burgundy Vocalou Boxcalf

Also available in Black Boxcalf

An interesting article was passed my way by The Trad the other day. In February 2007 (when $ was much stronger vs. €), New York Magazine asked the age-old question “What makes one loafer worth several hundred dollars more than another?”

To explain the answer they took apart penny loafers by J.M. Weston and Bass Weejun. The dissection is brutal but makes the point; there is no substitute for quality materials and craftsmanship.

I think Cosmo Castorini expressed it perfectly when he said,”There are three kinds of pipe. There’s aluminum, which is garbage. There’s bronze, which is pretty good, unless something goes wrong. And something always goes wrong. Then, there’s copper, which is the only pipe I use. It costs money. It costs money because it saves money.”

And that’s basically how I feel about great shoes. They cost money. They cost money because they save money.

Does any shoe express summer more than the spectator? Perhaps a sandal, but for a classic clean look our pick is the two tones. Be it a loafer like the J.M. Weston Penny Loafer or Church’s Wingtip the Sidford these shoes have summer written all over them.