Hermes Oran Sandal Women Epsom Calfskin M8 Gris Asphalte

Grey asphalt sounds like a motorway, but in leather it is something else entirely: a soft, slightly blue-grey that behaves like a neutral in every season and never competes with what you are wearing. Epsom calfskin gives it a fine, even grain, so the colour looks flat and clean rather than marbled, a very quiet sandal with the H cut-out as its only line of interest.

Made in Italy, sizes 36 to 41, with a natural sole and a heel of roughly a centimetre. Epsom is pressed and heat-finished, so the sandal keeps its shape: no stretch across the vamp, no sagging after a long day, and it resists the light scuffing that softer leathers show immediately. Some stiffness in the first wears is normal and passes quickly, and the straight-cut edges keep the outline sharp even after a full season of wear.

In practice this is the pair I take when I do not want to decide: grey works with black, with white, with denim, with olive and with the pale pinks I wear in summer. It reads slightly more urban than the beige and cream sandals, which suits city lunches, museum days and dinners that begin early.

One note. A light grey upper is surprisingly good at hiding dust but bad at hiding dark marks and grease, which stand out against the pale tone. Keep them away from oily surfaces and clean with a dry cloth and a little neutral cream when the grain looks dull. Nothing dramatic; just do not treat them as indestructible.