Hermes Oasis Sandal Women High Heel Sandal in Epsom Heritage Calfskin Black Etoupe

Two-tone sandals are usually an accident of styling; this one looks intentional. Black sits beside etoupe — that grey-brown halfway between stone and taupe — and the pairing quietly does the work of a contrast shoe without ever announcing itself. The light tone keeps the sandal from looking heavy, which black on its own can do in summer.

It is still the Oasis silhouette: the H cut-out across the vamp, five centimetres of heel, four and a half down at the front, so the fit is the one I already trust on stairs and long afternoons. The run covers 36 to 41, made in Italy. In the hand the two halves read clearly; on the foot they merge into one quiet colour.

I reach for these when I want one pair to look right with dark trousers in the morning and a pale dress by evening. They occupy the middle of a wardrobe, which is genuinely a useful place for a sandal to sit — most of my shoes shout one direction or the other. With cream trousers and a cotton shirt I have worn them to work and then straight to dinner.

The honest bit: the lighter tone shows dust before the darker one does, and the heel is the part of a shoe that collects the most of it. A quick wipe after each wear keeps the two halves looking as though they belong together. I keep a neutral cream for the pale areas and a darker one for the black, which sounds fussy and takes two minutes.