In the fall of 2015, Alessandro Michele, newly appointed creative director at Gucci, took the Horsebit loafer that Aldo Gucci gave the world in 1953, cut away the back and let it loose as the Princetown mule. It first showed up in his Autumn/Winter 2015 men's show, and for a few years after that it was on everyone's feet. I mention it because the whole story of Gucci slides runs through that one move: a house with a loafer from the fifties learning to be casual.

The slide itself came late. The Horsebit was Gucci's first viral shoe, and its signature slides did not reach shelves until the mid-2010s. The Pursuit '72 was a clear nod to the 1972 Adidas Adilette, finished with the red and green Web stripe that Gucci has used since the fifties and that is inspired by saddle straps. So the pool slide here carries a saddle on it. I like that.

Start with the rubber group, because it is the easy way in. The Interlocking G Slide Sandal in black and in white is flat and plain, with the G cut out across the vamp, and it is part of Gucci Lido, which borrows from the beach clubs of the Italian coast. The Web Slide Sandals in black have a pebbled sole and the stripe. If you want color, the Kitten Heel Jelly Slide in Roseate Pink and the blue Marmont Jelly Sandal with goldtone Double G hardware are the loud ones.

The pre-owned pairs sit here too: purple marbled platform slides, a criss-cross Web style and silver glitter GG slides, all listed in Good condition. I would check the embossed logo band and the footbed first, and wear them with October's thick socks indoors and bare feet by the door.

The horsebit hardware is a house code that goes back to the fifties, and on a slide it does something useful: it makes a flat strap look dressed. That is the whole idea of this group. Two of the strongest are the Siaga Horsebit Slide Sandals in beige and in camel ebony, with polished hardware and Italian craft behind them.

Then there is the GG fabric group. The Slide Sandal With Horsebit in blue GG denim is the one I would pair with straight, pale jeans, cuffed once. The mid-heel version in camel and brown GG canvas lifts a trouser hem a little, and the flat beige and brown canvas pair is the easiest with a long linen skirt. The multicolored Horsebit GG Canvas Slides are for people who like a print on their feet.

For cooler days, the Primavera Larindo leather mule in black is backless and quiet, and the New Sol mule in medium blue GG denim sits on a rubber sole, so it handles a wet sidewalk better. Both are what I would reach for with tights under a midi skirt.

Test it in the fitting room: slide your foot in and walk fast across the room. The strap should hold the top of your foot without the Horsebit pressing on the bone, and a mule should not slip at the heel on the stairs. What I would skip: the canvas pairs if rain is in the forecast, since fabric straps and puddles never end well.

Aldo Gucci designed the interlocking double G from his father's initials, and he meant it to read like the links of a bracelet. That is why the gold-toned Double G on a leather strap looks like jewelry for your foot. I find it the most grown-up way to wear the logo.

The flat ones are the easiest to build outfits around. The Slide Sandal With Double G in black leather and in white leather both come from Generation Gucci, and the Double G Leather Slides in white are the cleanest of the three. I would wear the black pair with a gray wool coat and wide trousers, and the white with a cream knit set. The GG Cut-Out Leather Slides in black have a square open toe, and the cut-out interlocking GG gives it a lighter feel than a solid hardware strap.

For comfort, the Padded Slide Sandal With Double G in brown leather and in black leather has a plush strap. It is the one I would want at an airport, over socks. The Double G Leather Mules in black and white add a chunky heel, so they work for dinner in a long skirt or cropped trousers.

Check the hardware by hand: the Double G should sit flat and feel firm, not wobble under your thumb. White leather shows scuffs fast, so wipe it down after each wear. What I would skip: the white pairs on a rainy commute.

This is where the 1990s come back. Gucci says its rubber designs are meant to invoke 90s nostalgia, and the platform shape is the clearest example. A high base, a wide band and the GG all over it.

The Flatform Slide Sandals in sand and brown GG canvas and in black GG canvas, both from Generation Gucci, sit on a chunky black sole. The pink GG Canvas Platform Slides are the loudest of the group, and the GG Maxi Canvas pair in beige is the quieter way to do it. I would wear any of these with wide denim and a fitted knit, so the shoe is the only big thing in the outfit.

The Padded Slide Sandal With Double G in red leather is plush and bright, and the Rhien Quilted GG Slide in palladio has a quilted textile upper on a chunky rubber sole, made in Italy. For something dressier, the Viv Patent Leather Platform Mule in black is an open-toe stiletto with a platform front, good with a slip dress and a leather jacket.

A pre-owned Angelina Platform Slide in blue GG denim is listed in Great condition. Look at the edges of the sole, the stitching along the band and any scuffing on the platform before you decide.

A tip: stand still in a platform for a full minute. If your heel lifts or the sole feels stiff, move on. What I would skip: the patent stiletto if your day involves a lot of walking.

The Princetown mule is the pair I would look for first in this group, since it is the shoe that started this edit. The Pre-Owned Leather Princetown Mules in black are listed in Very Good condition, and the blue GG denim pair in Excellent. Both are the 2015 shape that Alessandro Michele turned from a loafer into a mule.

Others are in the group for good reason. The Pre-Owned Suede Interlocking G Cutout Slide Sandals in blue are Very Good, a flat summer shoe that works with wool trousers in October. The Marmont Slide Heeled Sandals have crystals on the logo, so they work with a black dress, and the Marmont Espadrille Slide in brown quilted GG canvas sits on a jute sole. The Horsebit Flatform Mules in leather are a good everyday option, and the white GG Supreme Malaga Platform Mules are listed Excellent.

All of these are pre-owned, so check what the new ones never ask you to: the condition grade, the corners of the footbed, the wear on the sole, the stitching and the hardware. Ask for the date code and any papers, and compare the Horsebit with a known good one: it should sit flat and be cleanly cast.

What I would skip: any suede pair without close photos of the footbed, since marks there are the hardest to fix. For care, soft suede wants a brush and a dry cloth, not water.

If I were choosing one, I would work backward from what is already in the closet. A black leather Double G slide if I live in trousers, a Horsebit mule if I want something that feels a little formal, and the rubber Interlocking G if my feet need to be dry in a hurry.

Then I would add one loud pair and keep it that way. The Pursuit '72 and the Princetown came ten years apart in spirit, one a nod to a pool shoe and one a rework of a loafer, and I think that is why this group holds together.

It started with a loafer in 1953 and a creative director in 2015. It is still a flat shoe with a little gold on it, and I would wear it all fall.