Recently, I’ve been hunting for a new pair of plain white trainers. Despite being a long-time Converse enthusiast, I hesitated to part with the £60 plus they now seem to command all year round.

So when sales of Catherine, Princess of Wales’s favourite Superga Cotu pumps skyrocketed, I thought they might be a suitable substitute for my beloved Chuck Taylors. Don’t get me wrong — I’m not a Royal fashion devotee — but I do have a soft spot for trainers, and there was a glaring gap in my…