New, Unworn and Pre-Owned Hermès Shoes · London

Hermès footwear is bought by people who already know what they want, and nine times out of ten what they want is an Oran. Pierre Hardy designed it in the late 1990s: a flat slide with a single wide band cut into an H. It has been in continuous production ever since and it is, by volume, the most recognisable object the house makes after the scarf.

The Oran works because it is quiet. There is no logo, no hardware and no colour beyond the leather itself; the H is a cut-out rather than a badge, which is why it reads as a shoe first. It comes in calfskin, suede, patent and occasionally exotic, and the leather changes it entirely — a box calf Oran in Noir is a formal object, the same shoe in Gold suede is a holiday.

The rest of the line divides sensibly. Oasis is the Oran with a small heel; Chypre is the sandal with a back strap, which for most people is the more wearable of the two. The Kelly and Constance families put the bag hardware onto loafers, pumps and sandals — the same turn-lock and H buckle, scaled down. Izmir is the men's slide. The trainers, Bouncing and its relatives, are the newest end and behave like ordinary sneakers with better leather.

Getting the size right is straightforward once you know the rules. Hermès shoes are cut narrow and run in French sizes, and the Oran fits slightly differently in calf than in suede because the band gives at a different rate. Anyone between sizes usually wants the larger. If you have not bought Hermès footwear before, send us the size you take in a brand you know and we will tell you what to order — we would rather spend five minutes on that than have a pair travel twice.

Condition on pre-owned footwear is read at the sole and the band. On an Oran, look at where the band meets the footbed — that is where stress goes — and at whether the leather sole has been protected or worn through. Hermès soles can be replaced by a good cobbler and often have been; that is not a defect but it should be disclosed, and we disclose it.

Footwear is also the category where a boutique purchase is genuinely straightforward, which changes the secondary market. Orans in common sizes and classic colours are readily available; the pieces that move are the discontinued colours, the exotics and the sizes at either end of the range that boutiques never stock deeply.

For anyone entering the house through shoes rather than bags: it is the least ceremonial way in, it costs a fraction of any leather bag, and the objects get worn constantly rather than kept. That is a better argument for them than any styling.

Every pair at JULL is inspected in our London workroom — insole stamp and size marking, the band and its attachment, sole wear and any repairs, lining and heel — and described honestly, including where a sole has been replaced. Pieces are new and pre-owned, and we say which. Shown by appointment in London, sent insured across the UK.