In the movie “The Shawshank Redemption” there is a line spoken by Morgan Freeman’s character that most people pay little attention to unless you are into shoes: “How often do you look at a man’s shoes?” If we are being honest, I look quite often. Not because people around me are wearing dirty or outlandish shoes, but because I am simply curious about what others choose to wear when touching (connecting to) the ground.
I once read on Twitter (some people call it “X” for reasons unknown) a feed where a guy asked his followers, what are the things they do not buy cheap. A woman replied that she does not save money on things that make her touch the ground, namely, a mattress, car tires, and shoes. I would say those are solid and understandable choices. I already understood the necessity to buy good quality tires, especially if you live in a place where winters can be tough (not relevant to me anymore). Having a good night’s sleep can be a real game changer. It can make you more productive, change your appearance, and have immense health benefits. Thus the reason to invest in a good mattress. I can admit that as of now I am yet to put down money on such a purchase. Luckily, my current landlady did it for me. Bless her good heart.
We have arrived to shoes. January in Brussels generally is the month of discounts. A good friend of mine suggested that I should invest in an exceptional pair of shoes. His go-to brand is J.M. Weston – a French luxury shoe company. Here think of “luxury” more as “quality”, do not associate the word solely with the price tag. Even though the price is significant. Until recently my most expensive pair of shoes cost around 120 EUR. Now it is five times that. You know what? It is worth it. It is. Is there a link between exceptional shoes and your connectivity to Earth? Some say it is. I am one of those who agree. I will probably not go too much into detail about the company itself, apart from saying it is a high-end brand with high-end service. Upon walking into their store you are greeted by a manager who asks for your visit. After confirming your willingness to try on a shoe they will measure your feet and ask you to fill a form to input your data into their database for future reference. When your measures and data are stored, the manager (wearing a Rolex watch, by the way) brings you the shoes. You are seated on a comfortable sofa, the lady pushes towards you a shoe-fitting stole where she places your new shoe and asks you to slide your foot in. Now this is exceptional. A first-time experience that is worth every cent paid for the shoes. Even though it may not seem that much, but these little details make a difference in your buying experience. Unfortunately, that day I was wearing my Gant sneakers that had water damage. Hopefully, the lady did not judge me too much for those shoes (J.M. Weston has beautiful sneakers too).
I have issues with shoes if we are being honest. I tend to miss with my purchase. The pair that until recently was my most expensive gave me a massive headache. I bought it in Latvia. Those were winter boots. A good brand, with decent online recommendations. After just one outing they endured a problem. Parts that were supposed to be stitched were glued, and after just one day of use, the glue came off. Yes, I admit, I should have paid proper attention as to whether these boots are glued or stitched. Back then I did not know better. I went back to the store, the manager gave me a form to fill and I sent them back for repair. After a week I got them back, I put them on, I walked around and they broke again. I did not even manage to go outside. As you would expect, I went back to the shop, filled out another damn form, and had no boots for two weeks. Once I got them back yet again, I already knew that I would wear them only one season. No matter the price tag, no shoe needs to be such a disappointment. Thus after this rather unpleasant and expensive experience, I was hesitant to put down a significant amount of money on a pair of shoes. Also, my heels tend to bruise after almost every new shoe. The only time it did not happen was with my current favorite pair – blue Oxfords. Now with these as well.
Brussels is my home now. Here we have J.M. Weston. Before buying these new shoes I knew of the company through my friend. He has a couple of their shoes about which he can not stop providing gloving reports. Therefore, I knew that it could be worth it. I just needed a slight push to make the investment or to pull the trigger as we say here. January came, to my surprise discounts in J.M. Weston. I went online to see what could I get, and there they were. Black shoes – Walker Oxford with perforations. As per their website: “Crafted in the Limoges factory from a beautiful soft calfskin, inspired by the great classics of the House, the “Walker” oxford is the perfect balance between tradition and modernity. Made of a beautiful soft calfskin, it mixes an upper inspired by an archive from the brand with a soft black construction and an ultra-light rubber sole. When a classic look meets a sneaker comfort.”
They look and feel exceptional, as you may have guessed from the photos. Once I tried them on in the store I immediately understood why my friend is so fond of this brand. Your feet feel like walking on clouds. Your stride is light and effortless, and your feet feel firm and supported. I knew I liked shoes, I knew I liked to wear them, buy them, and admire them. But I never thought that I might fall in love with them. Maybe I haven’t, but that is not the point. J.M.Weston shoes are worth every cent. They do. I hope that I will be able to buy many more in years to come.
Thus if you are in the market for a new pair of shoes, look no further than to J.M.Weston.
Kind regards,
Olaaf
P.S. This is not my first sartorial article. Apart from those written about watches, I have one about my affection for white shirts. Spread the love.
