Hermes Oz Mule Women Calfskin Gold Kelly Buckle Noir H221081Z 02350

A backless mule asks one question before all others: does it stay on your foot while you walk. The Oz answers with a strap cut high across the instep and a sole that follows the foot closely, so the heel never has to grip or clench.

In black goatskin with a gold permabrass Kelly buckle, this is the most classic version of the shape. The black leather sole and edge keep the base thin, and black goatskin lines the insole and upper so nothing light flashes when you walk. It sits flat, with just under a centimetre of heel.

Mine are the pair I put on to leave the house quickly: with wide jeans, with a coat, with the kind of long skirt that wants a flat shoe. Sizes run 36 to 41. Because there is no back, the fit across the instep is everything; if you are between sizes, the smaller one often grips better.

Honest notes after a year. The exposed heel edge of a mule takes the odd knock and the leather will show it first, and on very narrow feet the step-in can feel loose until the strap softens. Neither issue appears once the goatskin has shaped to you.

Worn steadily, the leather burnishes over the toe where the foot bends and the permabrass buckle keeps its warm matte shine. Made in Italy. The flat I reach for when the day has no ceremony in it at all.