Christian Louboutin Valnina Cutout Leather & Glitter Sandals

Christian Louboutin ‘Valnina’ Cutout Leather & Glitter Sandals, £536

Once again, I find myself bemoaning the lack of a pair of gold, barely-there sandals in my shoe closet: specifically these ones, which are are delicate and lovely as any shoeperhero could wish for.

While most of the “barely-there” styles I feature are super-simple, with just a couple of straps to keep them on your feet, these ‘Valnina’ heels manage to pack a lot of interesting features into such a small amount of surface area. The glitter heel is the most obvious one, of course, and I really like this fine-grained glitter, which creates a gorgeous, sparkly effect without any of the tackiness that can sometimes be associated with glitter-covered shoes.

The strap at the front is also worth mentioning: the cut-out leather is so pretty, and I always think this kind of style gives a shoe a summery feel, making these appropriate for the upcoming season (although they’re the kind of evening shoes that could be worn at any time of year). It’s the little gold tie on the ankle strap which really sets these apart, though: it’s so much cuter than a buckle would be, and is one of those little details that make a whole lot of difference. If only it made a whole lot of difference to the price!