A pump and a slingback do different jobs, and choosing between them is mostly about how much of your foot you want on show and how far you plan to walk. A closed pump holds the foot from every side, so it takes a higher heel comfortably and reads more formal. A slingback leaves the heel open, which makes it cooler, easier to slip on and slightly more casual, and it fits a wider range of foot shapes because the strap adjusts.

If you have a narrow heel, the slingback is your shoe, because a closed pump will gap and slide. If your heel is broad, a pump will hold you better than any strap.

Heel height is the other decision. Anything at 70 millimetres or below is genuinely walkable. Ninety and above is a car to dinner shoe unless the heel is set directly under the heel bone. Below, both shapes across suede and leather, from $295 to $1550, starting with the house that makes the best of each.

Gianvito Rossi is the most reliable name in this category and the pricing is consistent, roughly $895 to $1395 for a shoe that is made in Italy and holds its shape for years. The 85 suede pumps at $945 are the reference shoe, and I think everyone should try them before buying anything else in this grid. The piper 45 suede pumps are the low heel version for people who want the line without the height. The dasha sling 85 suede slingback pumps and robbie sling 55 suede slingback pumps cover the open heel side. The nuit 95 patent leather pumps are the evening pair, and the 85 suede mary jane pumps are the ones that look best with trousers.

Slingbacks are the shoe I wear most from May to October. Loeffler Randall's devon moire slingback flats at $295 are the value pick and the flattest option here. Toteme's the wedge patent leather slingback pumps have the most modern line. Paris Texas does two versions, the 105 lidia patent leather slingback pumps and the lidia 105 patent leather slingback pumps, and both are sharper than the price suggests. Alaïa's stefanil 90 leather slingback pumps are the sculptural one. TOM FORD's 85 crystal embellished satin slingback pumps are for evening, and Valentino Garavani's vlogo 80 checked leather trimmed boucle slingback pumps are the pair with real personality.

Suede is the finish I would choose for a pump you plan to wear often, because it takes creasing far better than patent and it does not scuff into a shine. Manolo Blahnik's bb 70 suede pumps are the shape everything else is measured against. Jimmy Choo's romy 85 suede pumps are the narrower, more pointed cousin. Tod's 50 suede pumps are the sensible heel done properly. Aquazzura's voltaire 85 suede pumps are elegant without being fussy, and Saint Laurent's le loafer suede pumps are the one that works with a trouser suit. Valentino Garavani's valet du roi 60 tasseled two tone suede slingback pumps are the most interesting pair in the grid.

Leather is the harder wearing choice and the one I would buy for work. JUDE's fame 105 leather pumps at $630 are the best value on this page. Victoria Beckham's victoria angle 55 croc effect leather pumps are the low heel I would wear all week. TOM FORD's shiny leather 105 pumps are the full drama version. MM6 Maison Margiela's bow embellished leather pumps are the playful one at $720. Herbert Levine's sitting pretty 95 textured leather pumps and Versace's gianni 90 leather pump are both properly made, and Saint Laurent's guermantes patent leather slingback pumps bridge the two shapes.

Eight more across both shapes, including The Row's liisa three leather pumps, Maison Margiela's tabi 30 leather pumps for anyone who wants the split toe, and Loewe's origami 85 striped suede pumps if you want the loudest shoe in the room.

The single most useful thing I have learned about this category: try both shapes on in the afternoon, not the morning. Feet swell across the day, and a pump that fits at nine will pinch at six. It is why so many beautiful shoes sit unworn.

I would also spend less on the very high heels and more on the low ones. A 45 or 55 millimetre heel gets worn ten times as often, so the cost per wear works out better even when the sticker price is the same. My most expensive shoes are the least used, which is a lesson I keep having to relearn.

If a slingback strap slips, a cobbler can shorten it in ten minutes. Do that rather than living with it.

Phoebe