Hermes Bouncing Sneaker Men Calfskin Suede Goatskin Blanc H242810ZH90390

If white mesh is a t-shirt, this pair is a pressed cotton shirt: the same brightness, one register up in formality. Calfskin and suede goatskin make the whole upper, white on white, with black rubber inserts along the four centimetre sole and a black fabric ribbon at the heel as the pair’s only dark signatures.

White lamb’s skin lines the insole and walls, so the interior matches the exterior, and the suede overlays give the shoe a soft edge that smooth leather alone would not. Made in Italy in men’s sizes 40 to 46. With linen trousers the effect is quietly excellent; with a summer suit, it is the sneaker I reach for first, and I have worn it to a garden lunch where it quietly outclassed every other shoe.

The calf toe boxes crease as leather does, and on white those lines read as soft shadows rather than damage, especially if you keep the surface clean and dry. A dab of white leather cream every few weeks keeps the colour uniform and the panels supple.

Two honest points. Suede panels on a white shoe are the fastest place for grime to settle, so brush them weekly or watch the nap dull. And white leather, unlike white mesh, eventually yellows imperceptibly even when cleaned; mine has shifted half a tone over two summers, visible only beside a new pair. That is the honest cost of white leather, and the upkeep in between is minimal.