Hermes Izmir Sandal Men Natura Lizard Himalaya

Lizard is the quietest way to wear something exotic. The scales are small, tightly packed and almost geometric, and in the Himalaya tone the whole upper looks like a pale mineral surface rather than an animal skin. No one notices it from across a street, and everyone notices it at dinner.

The upper is Natura lizard, left natural in finish, cut straight at the edges with the H opening worked into the vamp. Sole height stays at fourteen millimetres, the thinnest of the flat sandals I own, and the silhouette is all line and no bulk.

Sizes 40 to 46, and the half-size-up advice applies here as it does across this model. Lizard is a thinner leather than alligator, so a tight fit shows immediately at the strap; mine relaxed after a week and now sits flat across the instep. It also cools quickly against the foot, which counts for more than you expect on a hot afternoon.

The trade-off is real: lizard dislikes damp. Wet grass, rain and long exposure to humidity will dull the natural finish, so I keep these for dry days, dry pavements and dinner rather than for the beach. Rotation is what keeps them looking new.

Worn with pale linen or a light grey suit on holiday, the Himalaya tone reads like marble against the skin. It is the pair I take when the outfit matters more than the walk, and the scales have stayed tight and flat through two seasons.