Trainers: the humble shoes that fashioned the footsteps of history

Worn by everyone from royalty to the man in the street, the trainer is the world's great egalitarian footwear.

Never has there been a more egalitarian item in our wardrobes than the trainer. Worn by everyone from infant school pupils in PE classes to elite athletes on the Olympic rostrum, from rock'n'roll legends to royalty, from supermodels to supermarket workers, the sneaker – as it is known in America – is the shoe that keeps everyone's feet on the ground.

Today, even though we all have a pair, trainers have become a 21st-century status symbol, ranked according to their brand, style and rarity value. 

Though many are content with a cheap, anonymous pair from the supermarket, trainer connoisseurs seek out rare "deadstock" – unworn styles from the 1970s and 1980s – which are sartorially superior for those in on the secret.

Read more here.