As I’m working through my 2023 wishlist, I’m back with another review. This time, it’s the Hermes Oran sandals, which have been on my wishlist for a while. Since we are talking wishlists, I also did a recap of my Q1 purchases and thoughts on shopping in this post, and a Q2 recap here, so this should not be major news. However, I wanted to take a moment for a quick review and first impressions post of the classic Hermes Oran sandals. So keep on reading for details on sizing, comfort and overall shoe care, as I definitely have a few things to say.
First Impressions
First things first. Since they’re my first pair of Oran’s, I had to go for the gold option – the classic brown, smooth leather. It’s a classic and as far as I’m concerned also a neutral, as it matches pretty much everything. Comfort wise, I have a few things to say. First, given that I have a wider foot, it took me a while to find my size and also to decide whether they’d be a good fit for me. I tried them on at least 5 times before buying. The decision making moment was when I finally tried them without the try on silk socks on. That made a huge difference in terms of sizing fit and comfort for me.
Sizing wise I went for half a size up, and settled on a 39. Based on another visit to the shop and trying a 39 and a half in another color, I think adding another half a size would also do. Especially given that I have a wider foot. However, since it’s a fully open shoe, sizing is a little more flexible I’d say. Though, if I will purchase another pair I think sizing a bit further up won’t hurt. I will also say that nowadays I am much more into buying my shoes half a size or even a full size bigger in general because they are more comfortable. This of course also depends on the type of shoe. But in general, I try to make better decisions for my feet.
Overall when it comes to comfort, I have to say I still need to get there. I’ve worn them about a handful of times already and slowly but steadily, I’m breaking them in. It’s taking its time though, and for me the discomfort comes from the rubbing on my small toes; most probably because of my wider feet. I do think I am almost there though. I’ve most recently worn them for my short trip to Milan (see outfit here), and while I didn’t last a full day in them, they did pretty well for half a day of walking and touristing.
Shoe Care
Similarly to the Chanel slingbacks, I’ve also done some life-extending work to them and added protection on the leather soles. I took them to my cobbler (which and I can highly recommend if you are in Berlin, especially given that they are specialized in working with luxury shoes and also work with Vibram soles) and they added Vibram soles, which are the most long-lasting rubber soles out there, that are anti-slip and overall very resistant to wear and tear. You can see a few pictures below from after adding the rubber soles and the result is flawless.
Closing thoughts
So far I love the look of the Oran sandals. I am really happy to have added them to my shoe collection. I am eager to fully break them in, which I am also 80% there I’d say, so I can wear them all day long without thinking twice. You won’t be surprised to hear it, but I am also pretty sure I would love to get them in black at some point. I love how well they match almost any summer outfit. I think I can’t go wrong with adding another pair of these timeless sandals to my wardrobe.
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed reading my Hermes Oran Sandals First Impressions post.
