Hermes Izmir Sandal Men Epsom Calfskin Blanc Blue

Blue on white is a seaside combination that usually stays on striped shirts, and moving it to footwear was the reason I bought this pair. The blue reads as a trim against the pale base rather than a block of colour, so the sandal looks light from a distance and detailed up close.

The upper is Epsom calfskin, embossed with a fine, even grain that keeps white looking clean and stops the leather taking on the deep sheen that smooth calf develops. Edges are cut in a straight line, the vamp carries the H opening, and the sole is fourteen millimetres, low and flat to the ground.

Sizing runs 40 to 46. Epsom holds its shape, so the sandal fits the same on the hundredth wear as it did on the first, which I value more than softness. The strap adjusts across the instep, and mine needed no break-in period beyond an afternoon.

The trade-off is the one white always carries: the pale base is the part that shows a splash or a dusty kerb, while the blue trim stays pristine. A damp cloth takes care of the worst of it, and the embossed grain means you are wiping a surface rather than working soap into a smooth hide.

Worn with white linen or with navy, it does the job of a neutral with a little more interest, and it is the pair I take when I want to look clean rather than barefoot. The blue trim has also stayed true through two summers of sun, which I did not expect from a dyed edge.