Hermes Jet Sneaker Noir H242154Z 02350

Black gives the Jet a different job. Where the white one is a weekend shoe, the noir version slides into evenings – all-black leather on a thick sole reads as deliberate, almost architectural, and disappears quietly under a wide trouser leg.

The upper mixes smooth nappa with suede goatskin panels, so the surface shifts between matte and shadow depending on how the light hits it, and the contrasting H detail sits low along the side. Sizes run 36 through 41, made in Italy, spare laces included.

I took one pair on a trip where the days involved airports and the nights involved restaurants, and it handled both without looking out of place at either. On a strange floor the thicker sole earns its keep; in a dim room the suede breaks up what could have been a heavy, flat black shape.

It pairs naturally with dark denim, leather jackets and long coats, and I have worn it with a slip dress when I wanted the outfit to feel less sweet. The silhouette is generous but not cartoonish – the contrast between panel and sole does the styling work for you. The all-black palette also means it works with every coat I own, from camel to charcoal.

Caveats are skin-related: suede panels need brushing after wet weather and nappa creases where the shoe bends, both normal for soft leathers and both more forgiving on black than on pale colours. Keep a brush by the door and this pair ages gracefully rather than descending into scuff.