Hermes Oran Sandal Women Swift Calfskin Rouge H H202230Z L1365

Red is a commitment, and this is the version of red I would commit to: deep, slightly dusty, with a brown undertone that keeps it grown-up. The sandal is red the whole way through, upper, leather edge, calfskin insole and lining, so there is no pale break anywhere to interrupt it. Even the H cut-out is drawn from the same dye.

Reference H202230Z L1365, made in Italy, sizes 36 to 41. The leather is swift, which means it is soft from the first wear and takes the colour evenly across the smooth surface. The heel sits at about a centimetre with half that at the front, and the natural leather sole keeps the underside light, so the red reads clean rather than heavy.

Practically: I wear these with white, with denim, with cream linen, and with black in the evening, where a dark red sandal against a black dress looks far more considered than it has any right to. They are also, unexpectedly, good travel sandals: flat, light and dressy enough for dinner after a day of walking.

The caution is colour transfer. A saturated red can mark pale skin, pale socks and pale interiors on hot days until it settles, so keep them off white car seats and give them a dry wipe before storing. Once broken in, the dye stays put. Expect the toe flex area to soften first; that is swift behaving normally, not a fault.