Buy me: PIED A TERRE LOAFERS

The stores are stacked with classic looks: in shoes, it is the brogue. With summer almost upon us, the heftier styles in black and brown may be looking a bit harsh. For those whose white, bunion-scarred feet are not up to being revealed by a pair of barely-there strappy sandals, Pied A Terre has the solution: a two-tone soft confection, in salmon patent pink and white leather. Colour aside, this is one of the subtler takes on patents to be seen, and somehow makes the look a lot more palatable.

These tappers are delicate enough to be teamed with the most lightweight of trousers or most fragile of skirts. More important, this is a sensible shoe that can just as easily be worn with bare legs or the most subtle of pastel tights. One word of warning, though - watch out for the clown jokes.

The loafers, available in pink and white or black and white, cost pounds 69 from Pied A Terre Basics, 5 Garrick Street, London WC2, and 3 Duke Lane, Brighton.