Real stories · The sandals my feet actually agree with

The elegant sandals I can wear from breakfast to bedtime — no buckles, no blisters, no taking them off under the table

Summer sandals that didn't make me choose between looking nice and walking home barefoot — that's all I was after. I'm 67, and every summer it's the same story: the pretty sandals have a thin flat sole and a buckle that carves a groove into my ankle by noon, and the comfortable ones look like something prescribed by a hospital. Last July I actually took my shoes off under the table at a garden party and couldn't get them back on. My feet had made their position clear.

What I wanted was one pair that did both: elegant enough for lunch out, comfortable enough for the walk there and back.

Then I found the Liora from a British label called York Boutique — elegant comfort sandals, and for once both words turned out to be true.

The clever part is what's missing: there's no buckle at all. The straps cross over the foot and simply stretch as you step in, so they hold you securely without a single hard edge to dig in — and putting them on takes exactly as long as stepping into them. Underneath there's an ergonomic cushioned sole with a low braided wedge, which gives you a little lift and proper support without wobbling. The little silver ring on the front is just enough jewellery to make them look dressed-up, and the fabric is a soft breathable blend, so your feet don't cook by mid-afternoon.

The straps cross over and simply stretch as you step in — nothing to buckle, nothing to dig in. Underneath there's a proper cushioned sole, so they feel like trainers but look like something you'd wear to lunch.

The real test was the church summer fete — four hours on grass and gravel, on my feet nearly all of it, followed by the walk home. Not a rub, not a blister, and crucially: the sandals stayed on at the table. My friend Barbara tried one on in my kitchen and ordered her own pair before she'd finished her tea.

They were £29.95 in the summer sale, half the usual £60. I'd checked before ordering that I could send them back if the fit was off — you can, within a fortnight, and the delivery's free — so there was nothing lost by trying. They come in four colours and in sizes 3 to 11; I have the beige, which goes with every summer thing I own.

If your pretty sandals also come home in your handbag, do treat yourself to a look. The Liora is rated 4.6 out of 5 by more than 250 women, it's £29.95 in the summer sale instead of £60 — half price — and the middle sizes always seem to go first.