If I asked you to picture the shoe collection of the quintessential French woman, trainers may not instantly spring to mind. Ballet flats? Most definitely. Loafers? Of course. But the sporty style, which often delivers practicality first and foremost? Well, they don’t scream Parisian elegance like, say, some of the more classic shoe trends that fill our wardrobes year after year. Or do they? You see, a big part of my job is keeping track of the most stylish women, and so, unsurprisingly, my attention is often turned to Paris and its surrounding cities. And it turns out, stylish French women are big fans of trainers, often putting their own unique spin on many of the styles we know and love.

Take Parisian content creator Franny Fyne, for example, who took to the streets of Paris just last year in a trench coat, jeans and monochrome Adidas Samba’s. Topped with a beret, her trainer’s outfit felt equal parts chic and sophisticated and perfectly in keeping with her luxe French aesthetic. And, she’s not alone. For her food shop in the capital, Anne Laure Mais went monochromatic as well in a pair of slim Onitsuka Tiger trainers, while Ellie Delphine showed that designer trainers are always a chic choice in Miu Miu’s suede Plume trainers alongside a tonal beige look.