3 days ago
Get ready for the summer of the £40 Jane Birkin trainer
When purse strings are stretched, 'new clothes' can't always be the priority we might always wish they could be, even if our wardrobes are keening for an update.
After a parsimonious May, along comes something to put a spring in your step: a useful summer buy that was beloved of no less a style icon than the late Jane Birkin. Nor is it as expensive a purchase as you might anticipate, given that the Birkin name is so synonymous with luxury. Unlike the Hermès bag christened in her honour, you don't need to join a lengthy waiting list, schmooze a sales assistant or sell a kidney to buy them. All you need is a fairly reasonable £40.
Actually, make that €39, if you happen to be holidaying in France. This is where you'll likely find the best price for a pair of Bensimon plimsolls, the canvas and rubber shoe that is shaping up to be a summer staple. The brainchild of the Bensimon family, whose military surplus store on the outskirts of Paris grew to become the world's largest after it was established in 1962, the plimsoll was conceived in the late 1970s, after Serge Bensimon received a consignment of 100,000 pairs of white tennis shoes from the French army. Following some experimentation with various dyes, the family eventually launched their own take in 1989. A slew of collaborations followed, with Chanel and Jean Paul Gaultier, to name but two.
As for why the Bensimon is surging in popularity this summer, that depends on who you ask. Without doubt, its purse-friendly price is a factor. But it's also likely a reaction against the bulbous and bombastic ' status trainer ' that has dominated the market for so long. Whether you've been bouncing along the street in Balenciaga's £825 Triple S, or running your mandatory 5k in £185 Hoka Mafates that look like hovercrafts, it might be time to retire these chunky, clunky silhouettes – at least for the summer.
With some vehemence, fashion's pendulum has swung the other way, to the point that those who care about these things are now wearing sports shoes whose main distinction is that they barely have any soles at all. Adidas Tokyo's, Onitsuka Tiger's Mexico 66s and Loewe's Flow Runners all fit the bill, as do any number of the 'ballet sneaker' hybrids hailing from Puma, Vagabond and Cecilie Bahnsen.
But the main reason for the Bensimon's return is its status as a basic. 'Basics' are what this summer is all about. Whether they're at a music festival or sitting front row at a cruise show, fashion's tastemakers have decided that the best form of taste is none – or at least, a taste so neutral, utilitarian and everyday that it's impossible to read much into the wearer. It's why everyone is wearing black vests, white T-shirts, grey sweatshirts and jeans so prosaic as to defy description – with footwear to match.
All canvas tennis shoes are basic, but none are quite so basic as the Bensimon, whose pull-on style is popular with children for good reason. It's the ultimate easy-wear, easy-care, low-maintenance shoe. 'I've actually had mine since I was a teen, and they only look better with age,' says Rosa Bute, a styling assistant. 'When they start to look grey, I just put them in the dishwasher – it's gentler than the washing machine. They're my ultimate comfort sneaker.'
While the Bensimon comes in 26 colours (they're hand dyed in France, giving them a homespun, off-kilter look that fans love), it's white that's proving most popular this spring. 'A white Bensimon adds an extra pop of freshness to your look, while the vintage styling feels just right for now,' says the stylist Deborah Jackson Brown. 'I'd suggest wearing them with a straight-leg pale blue vintage jean, and a shirt in a pastel hue such as pale pink or lemon.'
Given their price, their comfort and their wear-with-anything appeal, Bensimons are surely summer's answer to the ballet pump.
