They may be designed expressly for running, but you’re more likely to spot Nike’s latest Alphafly sneaker outside a fashion week venue than at the Tokyo Olympics. Today’s cutting-edge running shoes – the Vaporfly NEXT% generation – boast technology so advanced that there was talk of banning them at highest tier of competitive athletics for effectively giving the wearer a headstart. The sneaker industry has become an arms race and every sport presents a battlefront. Constructed for marginal gains on the running track, basketball court or football pitch, sneakers are more likely worn as leisurewear. The most action such over-engineered shoes might see is a dash for the bus – if they make it out of the box in the first place. Sneakers have become a commodity, traded like stocks and shares, and rare models (cops or even grails) prised and valued like artworks. Air Jordans might put a spring in your step, but the right vintage could also give your bank balance a boost. Then there are the fashion sneakers. Mr Kanye West looms large here and set the template for the footwear collaboration. Consider, too, the legacy of Lanvin’s Mr Lucas Ossendrijver. Since 2006, when, under his steerage, the Parisian house first dipped its toe in the market, every high-end designer has produced its own spin on the luxury sneaker. Some are pared back, chiming with the rise of stealth wealth and boardroom hoodies. Others are as bold and bulky as the high-tech sports shoes that inspired them. Take Balenciaga’s Triple S, which became the defining hardware of 2017 and spawned the ugly shoe trend in the process. The sneaker has become our go-to, so it’s perhaps unsurprising that wearers are as diverse as the shoes themselves. Here, then, are five commonly spotted sub-cultures of sneakerheads whom you might wish to sidestep.

This week on The Journal, we’re answering a pressing question on one of winter’s warmest staples: the shearling jacket. But how exactly do you wear one and stay on the right side of Mr John Motson? Mr Stephen Doig reports.

Here at MR PORTER, we usually provide the means to stay ahead of the curve in terms of trends. But in the current climate, it also pays to be one step ahead of any pandemic contagions. With that in mind, if you’re currently working from home, in self-imposed isolation, you’ll want to be dressed for it. (And why risk exposure by skulking around any public retail spaces? Don’t forget, we offer same-day delivery in London and New York.) First up, because you will likely be called on for impromptu FaceTime meetings, it pays to stay presentable, at least from the waist up (and to keep a corner of your home free from clutter for the same reason). The featured polo shirt by Howlin’ offers the comfort of a cotton-jersey construct with the inclusion of a collar, for the suggestion of smartness. Below the belt is fair game, though. In fact, forget the belt. Here, we’d point you in the direction of an elevated pair of sweatpants to up your downtime look. Also worth considering: cargo pants. Since you’re not going anywhere, a bag is unnecessary. But since you’ll still have personal effects to carry about – remote controls, tissues, packets of nuts, more tissues – it pays to have storage with easy access.

With spring in the air, and the latest fashion season on the proverbial digital sales floor, I’m looking to add new life into my closet – through colour, prints, and a few practical (and sumptuous) pieces that will no doubt become wardrobe staples.

They may be designed expressly for running, but you’re more likely to spot Nike’s latest Alphafly sneaker outside a fashion week venue than at the Tokyo Olympics. Today’s cutting-edge running shoes – the Vaporfly NEXT% generation – boast technology so advanced that there was talk of banning them at highest tier of competitive athletics for effectively giving the wearer a headstart. The sneaker industry has become an arms race and every sport presents a battlefront. Constructed for marginal gains on the running track, basketball court or football pitch, sneakers are more likely worn as leisurewear. The most action such over-engineered shoes might see is a dash for the bus – if they make it out of the box in the first place. Sneakers have become a commodity, traded like stocks and shares, and rare models (cops or even grails) prised and valued like artworks. Air Jordans might put a spring in your step, but the right vintage could also give your bank balance a boost. Then there are the fashion sneakers. Mr Kanye West looms large here and set the template for the footwear collaboration. Consider, too, the legacy of Lanvin’s Mr Lucas Ossendrijver. Since 2006, when, under his steerage, the Parisian house first dipped its toe in the market, every high-end designer has produced its own spin on the luxury sneaker. Some are pared back, chiming with the rise of stealth wealth and boardroom hoodies. Others are as bold and bulky as the high-tech sports shoes that inspired them. Take Balenciaga’s Triple S, which became the defining hardware of 2017 and spawned the ugly shoe trend in the process. The sneaker has become our go-to, so it’s perhaps unsurprising that wearers are as diverse as the shoes themselves. Here, then, are five commonly spotted sub-cultures of sneakerheads whom you might wish to sidestep.

This week on The Journal, we’re answering a pressing question on one of winter’s warmest staples: the shearling jacket. But how exactly do you wear one and stay on the right side of Mr John Motson? Mr Stephen Doig reports.