The slide is the least substantial product a luxury house sells and therefore the one where the design vocabulary has to work hardest. The answer here is the band, which carries embroidery, lace or lettering depending on the model, and a moulded footbed shaped closely enough to be identifiable on its own. That combination is why these read as house products rather than as generic pool shoes. The category itself only became respectable in the mid 2010s, and before that a flat slide in a luxury collection would have been filed under resort and forgotten.

The Dway slide is the core model, with a Dioriviera version for the seasonal palette. Dior Dentelle and the Qixi Dentelle use lace as the band treatment, which is the most delicate option offered. Dio(r)evolution and its Dioriviera counterpart put the house name across the band at full width, making them the loudest of these dior slides. The Dior Bow slide is the softest shape and the J'Adior slide brings the ribbon motif from the heels into a flat.

Embroidered and lace bands are the weak point on any slide, because they sit exactly where the foot flexes and where water hits first. Treat them as dry weather shoes and the lace versions as indoor and evening. Moulded footbeds are comfortable and unforgiving about width, so a wide foot will overhang. These run large, which is normal for the category but catches people out at house sizing. Leather-lined footbeds darken with wear and cannot be restored. If you take one thing away, the Dway is the practical choice and the Dentelle is the one to keep away from water.