The best designer sandals are the ones you forget you are wearing by hour three. That sounds obvious and it is still the thing most people get wrong, because sandals photograph beautifully and fit badly. Toe post placement, footbed width and how the strap sits across the top of the foot matter far more than the heel height.

So this is a practical page. There is a flat leather grid for the pairs that go everywhere, a heeled grid built almost entirely on wedges and platforms because those are the heels you can stand in, and a suede and woven grid for the ones that make a plain outfit look considered. Prices run from $240 to $1900.

What I look for: leather lining rather than synthetic, a footbed that is stitched rather than only glued, and an ankle strap that closes on a buckle you can adjust. Below, the pairs worth the money, starting with the Greek house that has been making the same shape since 2012 and still gets it right.

Ancient Greek Sandals is the label I recommend when someone wants one pair to wear for five summers. Everything is made in Greece from vegetable tanned leather, the shapes are ancient for a reason, and the prices sit between $270 and $520. The kansiz leather sandals at $270 are the plainest and the ones I would buy first. The kallisti leather sandals at $295 are the classic gladiator without the drama. For a little more presence, the politia leather platform sandals and the dirki studded metallic leather sandals both hold up next to shoes that cost triple. The kardia leather trimmed raffia sandals are the summer pair, and the amfiliki suede slide on is the one for evenings.

Flat leather sandals are the workhorses, and this is the grid I would shop first. The Jamie Haller toe thong leather sandals at $550 are the most quietly elegant pair on this page. JW Anderson's fussbett leather slides have a contoured footbed that makes a real difference on a long day. Loewe's petal anagram leather slides and Saint Laurent's tribute patent leather slides are the recognisable options if you want that. Manolo Blahnik's parua pleated metallic leather slides are the dressiest flat here, and the STAUD freja 60 paillette embellished leather thong sandals at $395 are the best value in the group.

I have almost entirely stopped buying stiletto sandals and moved to wedges and platforms, because they let me walk. The STAUD remy woven wedge sandals at $350 are the ones I wear most. Jennifer Chamandi's nino 105 leather wedge sandals are the elegant version, and Alaïa's tong 75 satin wedge sandals are the pair that make a plain dress look intentional. Saint Laurent's debbie leather platform sandals and lydia satin wedge sandals are both properly balanced. Emme Parsons' stasera 55 leather heel sandals at $650 are the low heel worth owning, and Christian Louboutin's pyraclou 110 studded leather wedge sandals are the loudest thing here in the best way.

Suede and woven sandals are what I wear when the outfit is plain and needs texture rather than colour. Tory Burch's ines suede slides at $300 are the easiest entry. Proenza Schouler's capri fisherman suede sandals are the pair I would take on holiday, and Manolo Blahnik's susastri suede sandals are the refined version of the same idea. The Amanu lusaka embellished leather trimmed suede sandals are hand made and priced at $350, which still surprises me. Khaite's boden two tone raffia sandals and Zimmermann's belara appliqued suede wedge sandals are the two that will get noticed.

A last eight across every price point, from the A.emery odine wrap leather sandals at $240 to the Brunello Cucinelli bead embellished leather sandals at $1900. The K Jacques St Tropez abako nubuck and leather thong sandals are the pair I would buy without thinking about it.

One sizing note that will save you a return. Most Italian and Greek sandal makers cut narrow through the toe strap and run true to size on length, so if you have a wide foot go up half a size rather than sizing down for a snug look. A sandal that grips is a sandal that blisters.

I also want to say something about leather soles. They are lovely and they are slippery, and they wear through fast on city pavement. If you plan to walk in them, get a thin rubber sole put on by a cobbler before the first wear. It costs very little and doubles the life of the shoe.

Finally, keep suede pairs for dry days and let leather ones get scuffed. The scuffs are the point.

Phoebe