Hermes Chypre Sandal Men Techno-sandal Matte Mississippiensis Alligator Menthe

Mint is a shy colour that photographs like a loud one, which is why I hesitated before trying this Menthe pair. On the foot, in daylight, it reads as a pale mineral green, brighter at noon and softer by evening, closer to a faded sports shirt than to ice cream. In shade it turns almost grey, which keeps it wearable in a city.

The build is the techno construction that won me over on my first Chypre: matte Mississippiensis alligator laid over a moulded anatomical rubber sole, black calfskin lining the bed of it, and a strap that crosses the instep. Matte scales keep mint from turning sugary, since nothing catches the light and goes plasticky.

Sizing covers 40 to 46. I take my usual number and cinch the strap one notch tighter; a friend with broader feet loosened his and reports no slip. The contoured bed is what makes them wearable from breakfast until dinner without a change of shoes. Because the sole is rubber it copes with damp paving better than a leather-soled sandal, though I still steer mine around puddles.

Trade-off worth knowing: pale greens show water spots, so I keep these away from pools and wet sand, and give the scales a wipe at the end of a day out.

I wear the Menthe shade with stone-washed denim and nothing else colourful in sight, letting the sandal be the only cool note. It has become the pair I reach for when the weather is hot enough to argue about, and it holds its own with grey linen trousers at dinner.