A note on colour

Black is the safe answer and it is often the wrong one. It flattens a shoe, hides its construction, and sits oddly against almost every fabric that is not a suit.

Forest

Deep green behaves like a neutral at low saturation. Under most light it reads almost black, and in daylight it does something more interesting. It is the house colour for exactly that reason.

Bone and sand

Pale leathers show wear, and that is the point — they are the shoes that visibly become yours. They also lift an outfit built entirely from dark colours, which is what most of us are wearing between November and March.

If you own one dark pair already, make the next one pale. It will get worn more than you expect.

• colour
• style
• design