At a guess, your heels are collecting dust somewhere at the back of the wardrobe right now. With no stiletto-worthy events to attend or office workwear regulations to abide by, these past few months many of us have banished our heels back to their boxes in favour of a more versatile and practical shoe – the trainer. Good riddance blisters.

In her article for The Telegraph, ‘Has lockdown killed the heel?’, Fashion Director Lisa Armstrong spotlights ME+EM’s Leather Trainer. Launched last summer, Armstrong delves into how our shoe came about during lockdown and quotes our founder Clare Hornby –  "it was impossible to find one style that was cool but timeless, comfortable, well-made and - most importantly - flattered the shape of my foot."

As a result, Clare created our white leather trainers, featuring contrast suede detailing in a choice of khaki, honey, black and stone. There is also a navy leather detail option and a canvas alternative in black. Stylish and effortlessly versatile, Grazia describes them as “flattering, go-with-everything trainers” in their ‘What's keeping us going now’ edit.

Ease was also high on the agenda, “Hornby has gone for maximum comfort, with a padded insole for support and shock absorption, a thick-ish sole that adds height but isn't too chunky so that it doesn't look cartoonish, or bend, which can make them uncomfortable, and a low-cut tongue to show off more of the ankle”, Armstrong says. To quote Clare, it's all about "creating that gap between shoe and hemline that serves to elongate legs."

This signature low-cut cut on the ME+EM trainer is also ideal “for smart-clothes compatibility”, as Emily Cronin explains in her article for The Telegraph, ‘The secret to styling smart outfits with flat shoes and boots’. They can be worn just as easily at the home office with a smart-casual suit as to the park for a leisurely weekend stroll.