Hermes Izmir Sandal Men Matte Mississippiensis Alligator Gris Tourterelle Gris Étain

Grey is the colour I reach for when I want a sandal that says nothing and says it well. This pair runs two greys at once: turtledove, soft and warm, sitting alongside the cooler pewter of Gris Etain, so the shoe seems to change character with the hour and the light.

Both are matte Mississippiensis alligator, dry and level to the touch, cut square along the edges with the pierced H at the centre of the vamp. The sole stays close to the pavement at one and a half centimetres, which is how a summer sandal should feel when the day is genuinely hot.

In sizes 40 to 46, with the half-size-up advice printed on the maker’s page. I followed it after a snug first attempt and would not order another Izmir without it, because the cut-out sits better with a little room at the toes. The strap then falls exactly where it should.

The trade-off with any mid-grey is camouflage: worn with grey trousers, the sandal disappears, which can look accidental rather than chosen. Mid-tones also hold dust visibly, so ten seconds with a brush at the end of the day pays for itself.

I wear them with navy, olive or oatmeal and let the greys act as a neutral. Three summers in, this is the pair I take when I want to look as though I made no effort at all, and the two tones are the reason it works. Friends have asked twice where the greys came from, which never happens with a black sandal.