Hermes Izmir Sandal Men Matte Mississippiensis Alligator Black Orange

A black sandal with orange running through it is the kind of purchase that either becomes a signature or gets handed to a friend. Mine became the signature. The orange is not a block of colour so much as a pulse against the darker leather, and because the scales are flat it reads warm rather than loud.

The upper is matte Mississippiensis alligator, worked dry and level, so the contrast stays graphic instead of shiny. The edges hold a straight line, the vamp carries the H opening this silhouette is built around, and the sole is the slim one at fourteen millimetres, which keeps you close to the pavement in serious heat.

Fit: sizes 40 to 46, and yes, take the half size the maker recommends on this model. I once ignored it and spent a month regretting a tight strap across the toes. Sized properly, the sandal is at home on sand, tile and gravel alike.

Trade-off: an orange note limits what you can wear with it. Prints, bright shorts and patterned swimwear stay in the cupboard, because the accent works best doing its own talking. The front edge is also where a scuff shows first on black hides.

What I did not expect is how good it looks with an entirely plain outfit, olive or white or stone. It is the one pair I own that can carry an outfit of otherwise unremarkable clothes and make the whole thing look chosen. I have since bought a second pair in the same colourway, which is the highest recommendation I can offer.