Training day

Summer is coming, and leather runners seem a bit sturdy. ROSEMARY MacCABEpicks cool canvas plimsolls to suit every pocket, and meets a collector

DIRECTORY

Hidden Gem 26 Wicklow Street, Dublin 2.

This shop stocks a huge range of colourful, funky and on-trend hi-tops from the likes of Nike, Adidas and Gazelle. You may have passed it on your travels but take a moment to appreciate the window display before having a browse. A must-see for fans of hi-tops.

Collaboration Kings

The past decade has seen a ream of sporty collaborations – Stella McCartney for Adidas is probably best known, but Yohji Yamamoto also has a line with the sports giant, called Y-3. Sergio Rossi brought out a line of glam Pumas early last year. Kanye West designed sneakers for Louis Vuitton, and now Missoni and Converse are collaborating. When high fashion gets involved you know it’s serious.

HOW TO

There’s a fine line between sportswear and fashionable duds, so how do you know if you’re doing it right?

Lose the sports socks. If possible, go without altogether. If not, go girly with bows and florals, or glam with metallic wool.

Accessorise. An otherwise plain combo of jeans, T-shirt and trainers can be made chic with the addition of a printed scarf and some gold jewellery.

Don’t play by the runner rules. Lose the laces, dirty up the toes and experiment with fabric pens for an individual take.

Think Mischa Barton in the Keds ads, not Vicky Pollard in Little Britain. Go for colour, print and an unassuming shape to really hit the mark.

ANGELA SCANLONstylist and self-confessed runner addict

How many pairs of runners do you own? At last count it was around 12, ranging from a €4.99 pair of HM runners to a pair by Lanvin I found in TK Maxx.

Why runners?I just love the comfort of them. I'm definitely not into running runners; my pet hate is people in suits, wearing trainers. As a stylist, I just love how runners can make an otherwise dressed-up outfit look really accessible and casual, but still quite cool. With styling, too, I can be walking around quite a bit – so something that's easy to walk in while lugging stuff around is essential.

What kind of look can you be found sporting with them?I usually wear skinny jeans, but lately I've been wearing hotpants and tights with Converse runners. I'm not really a skirts girl but I'd sometimes wear a long T-shirt with tights and runners. While I'm not that into pretty dresses, I love that look – a really cute dress with a pair of Adidas or Nike hi-tops. It's such a cute style.

Do you have a favourite pair?The HM ones, definitely. They have a bit of elastic in them and are covered in sequins, and every time I wear them someone compliments me on them. I also love Converse, and have tonnes of pairs, and the Lanvin ones are gorgeous, but quite fancy, so I don't wear them that often.

What are your favourite stores for runners?I love vintage stores. There are some amazing ones in New York for runners. Office is great, it has a great range of different styles, and TK Maxx is great if you're willing to have a good rummage. Ebay is good too, but you need to have an open mind. You can't log on with a specific idea of what you want.

What's on your wish list?I'm not obsessed with Converse or anything, but Missoni has done a collaboration with them and they are unbelievable. They're in the signature knit stripe and available in their stores and in Jeffrey's in New York.They're about $200.