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They’re cheap, chic and Jane Birkin approved – meet the laid-back status trainer of summer
Beloved by icons and you can pop them in the washing machine, too
As summer stretches ahead of us and thoughts turn to morning walks, bakery runs and weeks away, the last thing you want on your feet is the puffed-up sole and restrictive laces of your usual trainers. Instead, you want your everyday shoes to convey lightness, ease and ‘not trying too hard’ meets ‘in-the-know comfort and elegance’. And that is why we propose you make the humble plimsoll your failsafe shoe this summer.
Audrey Hepburn wore them. So did Marilyn Monroe. Baby danced in hers in Dirty Dancing. Jennifer Aniston loves them. Even John Lennon wore his with a suit. The queen of plimsoll styling, though, is the late Jane Birkin. The same woman who inspired the Hermès Birkin bag because she wanted something practical and roomy also wore simple tennis plimsolls on repeat. She knew. Hers were by the French brand Bensimon, who launched them in the late 1980s and to this day offers 25 sun-drenched colours of their lace-free Tennis Elly plimsoll, and 28 colours in their lace-up version, for £41. A Jane Birkin-approved fashion buy for £41? Not bad, considering a secondhand Hermès Birkin now starts at £14,000.
The plimsoll is long overdue a fashion comeback. Prada showed them at its recent men’s catwalk show and it’s easy to see why they’re a fashion item. Technically, a plimsoll is a canvas shoe with a vulcanised rubber sole, named after the plimsoll line on a ship. In reality, they’re a no-socks-required style solution for any summer occasion. The lace-free versions slip on in seconds, work with tailoring, dresses, shorts and swimsuits, and look as good on men and children as they do on women. They’re timeless, democratic, stylish and, best of all, cheap.
Bensimon is not the only plimsoll player. Great British options in our edit include Brora’s eyelet slip-ons offered in four neutral tones (£59) and Boden’s laceless canvas plimsoll (£45). Trotters makes its sustainable Hampton canvas plimsolls for adults and children in shades from putty and navy to white (£42). Victoria, the Spanish heritage brand, uses natural rubber and organic cotton for its slip-on styles, while Schuh has plenty from brands Vans, Converse and Superga in its summer sale, with prices up to 60% off. Finally, Next and M&Co both offer them in wide fits from £19.99.
My favourite thing about plimsolls, apart from their nostalgia, easy chic and, let’s face it, low prices, is they’re also fully machine washable. Just pop them in a pillowcase, wash on 20 degrees and air dry. Honestly, they’re a Good Housekeeping dream! With a little wear, they’ll soon carry the story of your summer, and when someone inevitably asks where you got them, you’ll know what to say – and exactly why you chose them.


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