Sneakers & Slip-Ons

Everything in this group is designed around getting out of the door. Slip-on sneakers, lace-up sneakers, loafer-sneaker hybrids, driver-style moccasins and a flat espadrille sandal share one quality: none of them need to be negotiated with in the morning. The construction is what makes that possible — chunky rubber outsoles, stretch and padding where the foot needs it, and shapes borrowed from athletic styles without the athletic colour scheme.

Leather does most of the outer work here, in nappa, smooth and metallic finishes, with suede on the pairs that lean casual. Faux shearling and shearling linings turn up on the slip-ons meant for cold floors and cold mornings. Penny slots, quilting and woven details are the only decoration, which is deliberate: a sneaker with a busy upper stops matching anything after a season.

The one bag in this group belongs here for the same reason as the shoes. A crossbody in leather and haircalf, worn across the body with the hands free, is the accessory version of a slip-on. Shop this group when the day involves distance, an unpredictable schedule, or a dress code that is only enforced at one end of it, and treat black as the colour that solves the most problems.