Hermes Oran Sandal Women Swift Calfskin Rouge Sellier

Rouge sellier is the red of old riding tack: deep, slightly brown, closer to oxblood than to postbox. It is the least seasonal red I know, which is why it works on a sandal you will wear from May to September. Swift calfskin takes the dye evenly and stays smooth, so the colour reads as one continuous surface across the H cut-out.

The leather is the soft, pliable kind that needs no breaking in, and the sandal flexes with the foot from the start. Lambskin across the insole and lining keeps the underside comfortable in heat, and the flat profile means there is no heel to balance on. This is the Orans made in Italy, sizes 36 to 41, with the H cut-out as the only detail.

Styling is easier than the word red suggests. I wear these with denim of every wash, with white and cream, and with olive or navy, where the brown in the dye pulls the outfit together. They are also the pair I take when I do not know what I am doing after dark, because a deep red sandal looks deliberate with almost anything.

A word of caution: red dye can transfer onto pale socks, pale soles and pale car mats, particularly in heat. Keep them away from white linen interiors and clean the edges with a dry cloth. The upside of a dark red is that scuffs and dust barely register, so this is a forgiving shoe that gives a lot back.