Hermes Oran Sandal Women Epsom Calfskin Blanc Etoupe

How do you keep white sandals from looking flat? Add a second neutral. Here the upper is white Epsom calfskin and etoupe appears alongside it, so the sandal has a soft grey-brown note breaking up the white. The result reads crisp but not stark, and it takes the edge off the formality that a pure white flat can have.

Epsom is the structural choice for a white sandal: firm, finely grained, resistant to the surface scratches that would ruin a softer leather, and it keeps the H cut-out flat across the foot instead of curling. Heel height is around one centimetre, the sole natural and flat, and the sizes run 36 to 41. Made in Italy.

I wear these most in the middle of summer, when every photograph is taken in bright light and white looks right. They work with linen, with denim, with a simple dress and with anything navy, and they make a warm tan look warmer. Long lunches and travel days have both been kind to them, and because the leather does not soften, they look the same in September as they did in June.

The honest part: white Epsom is easier to keep clean than white smooth calfskin, but it is not immune. Dark denim, wet grass and sunscreen are the three enemies, in that order. Clean with a dry cloth, use a protective spray at the start of the season, and if a mark does appear, deal with it the same day rather than next month.