The shoe everyone will be wearing this summer

Trainers have often proved a tricky subject. The reality is, they’re very much in the menswear reckoning right now and to be honest, always have been. Whilst there’s been a certain stigma attached – unfairly, some of the coolest men to walk the planet have often reached for a pared-back pair of athletic shoes to finish off a casual ensemble. On sticky summer days, the comfort of a pair of trainers is very welcome, but aesthetically speaking, they’re also a strong final flourish to laid-back attire, whatever form that may take: shorts and a t-shirt, chinos or a shirt, God forbid, even a soft shouldered cotton suit.

There are plenty of now iconic images of Steve McQueen rocking a pair of white tennis shoes, Marlon Brando donned a pair in A Streetcar Named Desire and James Dean was a regular proponent of PF Flyers. In case you still needed convincing that trainers are in fact, timeless.

(Image: John Dominis / Getty)

Adidas have forever remained in the mix for a pair of knock around trainers, although often playing second fiddle to Nike. That is until 2014 and the Stan Smith essentially carried the German brand to peak popularity; a feat the Superstar replicated last year. For 2016, the Three Stripes are betting big on an old school terrace shoe, the Gazelle. The silhouette has been given the retro treatment, it’s been stripped back to its original 1991 form and dubbed the Perfect, setting it up to be the default summer trainer, if not the shoe of the year. adidas are reportedly set to launch as many as 53 colours of the style by the time autumn rolls around: in other words, the Gazelle reissue is the stylish man’s trainer of choice from here on in.

Released today, the Gazelle perfect is cut in a sumptuous suede and features a leather embossed tongue, in either navy or collegiate green, priced at £79.95.