Grey is the colour most men overlook precisely because it seems too obvious. But that’s the thing about a well made grey trainer. It sits between white and black without committing to either, which means it works with navy, olive, charcoal, tan, and pretty much every neutral a wardrobe is built around. We’ve worn grey trainers with tailored trousers, with selvedge denim, with chore coats, with shorts in summer. They absorb into an outfit rather than shout from the bottom of it.

The ones worth buying come down to silhouette and tone. A bloated sole or a trainer that reads too sports-specific and you’ve narrowed its uses considerably. The grey that leans slightly warm works better with most clothing than a cool blue grey, though both have a place. We’ve been particularly drawn to low profiles with clean construction that don’t need a logo to justify the price. These are the grey trainers we’d actually reach for first.