Most men leave sandal decisions until they’re already at the airport, which is exactly how you end up in something foam-soled and regrettable that photographs badly for two weeks straight. The problem is not sandals. The problem is treating them as an afterthought when they’re actually doing a lot of work. On holiday, your footwear is visible constantly. There is nowhere to hide.

What we’ve been looking for specifically are sandals that have real leather construction, a footbed that improves with wear rather than collapsing under it, and a silhouette that sits well with linen trousers, shorts, or anything in between. That means no plastic hardware, no cartoon proportions, and nothing that looks like it came free with a gym membership.

We’ve pulled together options at different price points because a well made sandal bought once beats a cheap one bought every summer. These are the ones worth packing properly rather than throwing in at the last minute.