And where culture goes, money follows. In 2018, the global trainers market was valued at approximately $58bn (£45bn), with a forecast of $88bn (£68bn) by 2024. Resale alone is estimated to be about $1bn (£777m). At Sneaker Con, in the heaving Trading Pit, over $1m worth of sneakers can be traded at any given event. In fact, their status as a commodity may play a large part of sneakers’ appeal. “Yeah, you have core sneakerheads who love the history of design,” says Kitty Cowell, a stylist who self-admittedly owns a “silly amount of trainers”. “[But you also have] the modern audience who are driven by hype and money...”

The result is that the modern trainer is a complex entity. From variable height tread to the multi-density mid-sole, from the flex point to the lace lock: each component offers a site for technical and creative wizardry. And possibilities are endless. In February this year, Scott, arguably the preeminent collaborator in the industry, released his take on the SB Dunk, transforming Nike’s skate shoe with a mix of plaid and paisley, braided laces and pink swoosh. On the same day (probably no accident), West launched the Yeezy Boost 350 v2 Earth, a minimalist symphony of browns and olives.

But, as ethical spotlights turn with intent on the fashion industry, footwear is coming under greater scrutiny. And the news isn’t good: trainers leave a heavy – excuse the pun – footprint. More than 23 billion pairs of shoes are made every year, of which a large proportion are trainers; more than 300 million pairs are thrown out in the same time period. Most trainers are made from problematic materials including nylon, synthetic rubber and plastic. They are shaped by energy-intensive processes such as injection moulding, foaming, and heating – and then bound together with environmentally damaging chemical solvents.