Hermes Izmir Sandal Men Epsom Calfskin Blanc

White is the colour I would normally talk anyone out of, unless the leather is Epsom. Epsom is heat-embossed, which gives it a fine, even grain and a surface that shrugs off most of what summer throws at it. A damp cloth brings this sandal back to white in seconds.

Because the grain is pressed in rather than natural, the leather is firm and holds its shape, so the cut-out keeps its crisp line even after a season of wear. The edges are cut straight, the vamp carries the H opening, and the sole is fourteen millimetres, low and level underfoot.

Sizing runs 40 to 46, with the strap adjustable across the instep. Epsom does not stretch the way softer calfskins do, so if you sit between two sizes I would take the larger one and let the adjustment handle the rest. My own pair stayed exactly as it arrived, which is the trade for its firmness.

That firmness is the one honest drawback: the first few wears feel crisp under the toes while the leather finds its fold, and it takes a couple of outings before the sandal relaxes into the shape of your foot.

Paired with a navy shirt or a fresh white linen set, the sandal is the cleanest thing in the outfit, and the Epsom grain means it stays that way without much effort from me. A quick wipe down is the whole care routine, even after a dusty afternoon, and two summers of hard wear have not dulled the white at all.