Once upon a time, comfort was a dirty word in fashion. Stylish footwear meant sky-high stilettos, woefully impractical wedge-soled trainers and a collection of blister pads stuffed in our handbags at all times. But like all good stories that begin with ‘once upon a time’, that was a long, long time ago.

Since then our aching feet have been saved from the clutches of foot-contorting shoes by a fairytale prince in the form of a new generation of ultra-comfortable, effortlessly stylish designs.

From the black combat boots that were made for stomping to the classic white trainers that bring the perfect touch of laidback cool to everything from slouchy pastel suiting to chic midi dresses – when it comes to curating the perfect shoe wardrobe, there are certain ultra-wearable styles that no woman should be without.

Now, as your thoughts turn to warm weather dressing, there’s one indispensable shoe occupying our sartorial day dreams: the chunky black sandal.

Black chunky sandals are the new season shoe hero – 10 of the best to buy now