Hermes Oran Sandal Women Epsom Calfskin Etoupe H202272Z X3350

This is my second pair of etoupe Orans, and the difference is in the leather: Epsom rather than swift, with a grezzo leather heel and an etoupe goatskin insole and lining. Where swift feels soft and personal, Epsom feels precise, firmer under the hand, sharper along the H cut-out, and much less inclined to stretch or crease over a summer.

Reference H202272Z X3350, made in Italy, sizes 36 to 41. The heel sits at around a centimetre with half a centimetre of difference front to back, and the sole is natural leather. Goatskin lining is a slightly cooler, firmer touch against the foot than lambskin, which I prefer in really hot weather because it does not hold warmth the same way.

Etoupe in this firmer finish reads a little more urban than the soft-leather version. I wear these with tailored things, cropped trousers, a blazer over a dress, a plain shirt, and they are the sandals I take to a city in June when I will be walking on stone all day. Against grey and stone paving, the taupe tone always looks intentional.

One thing to know: Epsom takes a long time to feel personal. It does not mould the way soft calfskin does, so if you like a sandal that adapts to the shape of your foot, this is not that. If you like one that looks the same in three years as it does today, it is exactly that.