TRAINERS are the one pair of shoes that are kicked under the bed and forgotten about - only making their début appearance around summer time when it's time to start hitting the gym, where sporting a ten pound, sequinned (ick) pair you bought from Tesco isn't seen as a fashion 'mare.
Lately though, it would seem trainers are the new heel (gasp).
Forget sequins and supermarket chic, trainers are now hotter than ever. Who knew Lily Allen was onto something?
As with all fashion, there's a fine line between being bang-on trend – eg. sporting a pair of edgy high-tops comme fashion icon Cara Delevingne, and being bang on wrong – eg. sporting the wide leg jeans and white lace-up ensemble comme your Dad.
But with this trend in particular, there seems to be something for everyone...
Wallis - Black Wedge Trainers £31.50
First up, we have Wallis with their take on the trainer keeping things ever-so demure with an all black suede number. The wedge takes the edge off the sheer thought of wearing trainers that aren't the flimsy plimsolls you shove on to rush to work only to be swiftly swapped to your court shoes in the lift up to the office. Good for all us short-rounds who need a bit of a boost, even if it is only an inch. Click here to view.
Wallis
M&S - Limited Collection Panelled Lace Up Wedge Trainers £29.50
Marks and Sparks offer something very similar too, with an equally similar 'more mature' target audience. Reasonably priced and ticks the box for wearing with office-wear and casual too. Winner, winner.
M&S
ASOS - Ash Cool Suede Strapped Wedge Trainers £139
Edging over the £100 bracket (and under the age 40+ one, sadly) we have ASOS's take on the wedged high-top mixing rapper chic a la Jay-Z with a killer wedge a la Posh Spice – you really can have your high-top and wedge it too.
Asos
Office - Debbie multi coloured fabric £30
While these Office trainers should possibly come with a health warning due to their extreme gaudiness, for those wanting to make a statement – look no further. The added 'bling' with the addition of gold chains (as if the fabric wasn't loud enough) offers that Rita Ora look at a fraction of the cost.
Office
Flannels - Giuseppe Zanotti Suede Fringe Trainers £620
And if you've ever a spare £620 lying around, why wouldn't you buy these cowboy-esque fringed plimsolls? Replicas of which will surely crop up in Primark in the near future that perhaps won't set you back a month's wage.
Flannels
JD Sports - New Balance £50
It's not just women's trainers which have been pimped up either. These ones from New Balance come at the reasonable price of £50 for a pair of decent running shoes without the standing joke of looking 'just like your Dad'. Just a shame the design looks like the ones you used to see in Wyndsor's World of Shoes....
JD Sports
Harrods - Porsche Design Bounce SL Trainer £389
Something a bit more upmarket, with their 'Porsche Design' (as if the price wasn't enough to lure you in) Adidas were apparently overly inspired by Ryan Reynold's performance in Green Lantern and decided to honour him in shoe form.
Harrods
Schuh - Nike blazer mid boys toddler £30
Nike really have thought of everything with this trainer hype. Because we wouldn't want our little ones missing out on the high-top hype (or Mum paying £30 to do so).
Schuh
And so, in a nutshell, we really do owe everything to Lily Allen. Converse are being donned instead of platforms on a Friday night (pretty wise if you ask me) and stiletto's are being swapped for trainers (wedged, obvs) in the office. We seem to have gone a bit backwards.
Maybe I ought to rethink my gym shoes.
Follow Laura on Twitter @laursco
