Leather sandals: the four things that matter

A sandal has 70% less contact surface than a closed shoe. Anything badly thought out is felt immediately.

1. The footbed

The piece the foot stands on. Natural leather, mandatory: it absorbs perspiration and moulds within two or three wears. A synthetic footbed slips, absorbs nothing and stays exactly the same after a year.

The scalloped footbed, hand-stitched around the contour, is our collection's signature — see Papillon.

2. Strap width

Cause number one of pain. A narrow strap concentrates all the pressure on a few millimetres of skin. Minimum 2 cm wide, lined with soft leather inside. See Mint & Rose, with a wide strap across the toes.

3. The ankle strap

Not merely decorative. Without it, at every step the foot slides slightly forward and the toes hit the edge. With it, the sandal stays put — which is why all our occasion models have one.

4. The heel

For summer and pavement walking, a block heel. A stiletto on Bucharest cobbles is a gamble. If you want height, a platform solves it: it reduces the real foot angle.

Colour

Nude in your skin tone lengthens the leg most. Metallics (silver, gold, rose gold) suit any evening outfit. And a vivid colour — teal or red — makes the outfit.

Care, briefly

Wipe the footbed with a barely damp cloth after wear, dry in the shade, and at season's end feed the leather with neutral cream. Sandals are not stored in plastic bags.