1A gentle wedge: the height you miss, without the wobble you worry about

Here is what happens to so many of us after sixty. The heels go to the back of the wardrobe, and with them goes a little of the way we used to stand. Flats seem like the sensible answer, until you can feel every pebble underfoot and you've lost two inches of confidence along with the height.

The Olivia sits on a low wedge. You get the lift back, on a base that is wide and even, so there is nothing to balance on. That is why it's the first thing we check. A sandal you feel steady in is the sandal you actually reach for.

2A padded footbed, because the afternoon is where sandals let you down

Any sandal feels fine in the shop. The real test is three o'clock, after the market and a walk along the water. That's when a thin sole starts to tell on you, and you begin planning the rest of the day around where you can sit down.

The Olivia has a padded footbed with a non-slip insole under every step. It's the difference between heading home because your feet have had enough and heading home because you're ready to.

3A strap that adjusts, because your feet aren't the same at four as they are at nine

On a hot Australian day, feet change. A strap that was just right at breakfast can be digging in by mid-afternoon, and a loose one has your toes gripping to keep the sandal on. Either way, you stop walking naturally.

The Olivia's ankle strap adjusts in seconds. Fasten it snugly when you leave, ease it a touch when the day warms up. It holds the sandal to your foot, so you walk with a proper stride instead of a careful shuffle.

4Covered toes, open sides: protected where it matters, cool where you need it

Open-toed sandals look lovely right up until you catch a toe on a paver, a step or the leg of a café chair. Closed shoes protect you, but in January they're the last thing you want on your feet.

The Olivia's crossover straps cover the front of your foot, while the sides and heel are cut away so the air keeps moving. You get the protection of a shoe with the feel of a sandal, and you stop watching where you put your feet.

5AU 4 to AU 12, one price, because nothing is worse than finding the one and it stops at your size

There's a particular disappointment in finding a sandal you love and discovering it stops at an 8. We have never understood a shoe shop that does that and then wonders where everybody went.

The Olivia comes in nine sizes, AU 4 to AU 12 (EU 35 to 43), every one at the same price. If the fit isn't right, you can send them back within 30 days, so the only real decision is the colour.

6Colour that goes with everything you already own

A comfortable sandal usually apologises for itself in plain beige. A pretty one often only works with one outfit, so it sits in the box most of the summer.

The Olivia comes in Blue, Brown, Burgundy and Green, and each one has tan and cream woven through the straps. That's the trick. The neutrals tie it to your denim, white linen and navy, while the colour keeps it from being forgettable. It reads as a choice you made, not a compromise you settled for.

The Olivia, against what you have been wearing

We refuse to sell a woman a sandal that asks her to choose between her feet and her outfit. That is the whole reason the Olivia is in our final collection.

Why we're clearing it now

The Olivia is marked at A$354.95. But after many years of welcoming women through our door in Melbourne, we are closing our physical boutique, and this is our final collection. We would rather see it go to women who will wear it than hold on to it, so it is going out at A$69.95.

This is the sandal for the months ahead, when the days are long and you want to say yes to all of them. Our years behind the counter have taught us that once a woman finds a sandal she can stay out in, she wears it until the soles give up. That is what we hope for every pair.