Fleet of Foot
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

French designer Michel Perry found the inspiration for his latest collection of men’s shoes in the sleek lines of one of Britain’s most beloved sports cars.
The Aston collection is Mr. Perry’s new line for J.M. Weston, the men’s shoemaker with a store on the Upper East Side. The four shoes in the collection include a moccasin, two oxfords, and a lace-up boot. Each features a square toe that looks similar to the polished grill of an Aston Martin DB9.
“I thought it was very masculine, very strong,” Mr. Perry said, “and this shape later became my inspiration.”
The Aston collection is part of the Paris-based J.W. Weston’s 2001 mission to make a contemporary men’s shoe for a younger, more stylish demographic, while keeping the classic feel for which the company is known.
Mr. Perry was hired by J.M. Weston in 2001 to achieve that goal. Known for his eponymous women’s shoe line, colorful and rarely conservative, he has been able to harness J.M. Weston’s wish to update the brand without revolutionizing it.
“His designs complement the entire collection,” the vice president of J.M. Weston in North America, Chrystelle Rondin, said. “They are contemporary, but still very wearable for the businessman.”
For the Aston collection’s moccasin, Mr. Perry took the classic penny loafer design that J.M. Weston has used since the 1950s, called the 180, and gave it an update. His design is sleek and less rounded than the traditional loafer, with a leather strap that he calls “the jewel.” Crafted from the same leather as the shoe’s sole, the strap is put through about a yearlong tanning process at J.M. Weston’s company-owned tannery in Limoges, France. Draped over the top of the shoe, the strap gives the modern loafer a classic feel.
The moccasins are sold at the J.M. Weston retail store at 812 Madison Ave, providing an alternative for Aston Martin aficionados who don’t want to splurge on the DB9. The car sells for about $170,000 at Miller Motor Cars in Roslyn, Long Island. The oxfords, which come in perforated and wing-tip styles, sell for $795 and $790. The boots are available at varying prices and only by special order.