If there’s a more satisfying feeling when the sun starts to blaze than setting your out of office to ‘on’ and feeling sand between your toes, we’re yet to find it. Unfortunately, unless you’ve won the lottery, chances are you only get to do that for a week or two of the year, and the rest of the summer months will be spent pounding pavements – shoes firmly on.

So what are you supposed to wear when the mercury rises without resorting to the dreaded socks and sandals combination? Well, here is a list of the five proper pieces of footwear that every man should have in his rotation.

Suede Penny Loafers

Flitting between work and the beer garden is a common hobby in summer, as is going from barbecue to bar and sightseeing to dinner, so the key to nailing warm-weather footwear is versatility.

Choosing a classic penny loafer over a slightly more relaxed tassel design is an easy way to achieve a smart-casual vibe that’ll work with all outfits, be it shorts and a T-shirt or a lightweight summer suit.

“When shopping for loafers, go for something in a light suede. This will work with all shades and textures of clothing,” explains the design team at Ted Baker. “Team them with chinos and a blazer for a dressed-up daytime event, or tailored shorts and a shirt for a dose of city break chic.”

As a general rule, your trousers should not touch the shoes (also known as having ‘no break’) so the loafers are fully visible. When flashing your mankles, it should go without saying that you’re required to wear a pair of invisible socks, particularly as suede shoes absorb sweat more readily than their leather counterparts, which isn’t a good look (or smell) – whatever you wear them with.

White Sneakers

Call them what you want, but thanks to the astronomical rise of the athleisure trend, trainers/sneakers/kicks/creps have made the transition from gym gear to appropriate all-round footwear, especially in the warmer months.