It's not enough for a shoe to fit the wearer and be bouncy, it must have style, offer protection against injury and give the wearer enhanced performance potential, especially if they are endorsed by a cool sporting-world figure.
In the late 1990s, people who would never go running selected trainers as their casual shoe. True enthusiasts purchased two pairs at once - one to wear, the other to keep shrink-wrapped and box-fresh as a future collector's item. The Nike Air Rift, with its split toe, for example, is a design classic. Trainers pays tribute to the cult popularity of this most versatile shoe, and charts its rise.
With over 300 styles included, from old-school adidas to the newest lines from Reebok, from the legendary Converse All Star to Nike's latest high-tech Air Max, all photographed in full colour, this is the complete compendium of casual shoe style that tells you everything you ever wanted to know about trainers.