Shop the Black Heeled Sandals We'd Actually Wear Handpicked by Claire

I used to think a black heeled sandal was a black heeled sandal, one purchase, job done, tick the box. Wrong. I own four pairs now and have worn one of them exactly twice, because the heel sits forward in a way that makes me walk like I’m bracing for a gust of wind. So this is me, four pairs deep, telling you what actually separates a good one from a fete disaster.

The strap placement matters more than anything else in the shoe. A single strap across the toes with nothing at the ankle looks lovely standing still and does nothing for you the second you’re walking, your foot slides forward and you spend the evening curling your toes to keep the thing on.

What holds up is some kind of ankle strap or a crossover front, something that actually anchors the foot so the shoe moves with you rather than staying politely behind.

The heel height is the second decision and it’s not really about how high you can manage, it’s about the width of it. A block or a slightly thicker stiletto will get you through cobbles, a marquee lawn, a car park at the end of a long night, in a way a pencil thin heel simply won’t, mine got wedged in a decking gap at a barbecue last August and I had to be extracted like something out of a rescue mission.

Styling wise, black heeled sandals are the ones that go quiet and let everything else do the talking. Bare legs and a slip dress for the obvious evening version, but they’re just as good under wide leg trousers where a sliver of heel and toe peeps out at the hem, or with a midi skirt when you want the leg line lengthened without committing to a full going out look. They dress down a jumpsuit and dress up a plain white shirt with jeans rolled at the ankle, which is honestly the combination I reach for more than anything strictly evening.

Occasion wise, this is your wedding shoe, your dinner reservation shoe, your one big event of the summer shoe. Not for standing at a bar for six hours, that’s what your trainers in a tote bag are for. But for the bit before that, walking in properly, they’re worth having right.