Watching someone walk in cycling shoes is a little like watching someone walk with shit in their shorts. It is a challenge to look effortless with clips mounted under the balls of your feet. Locked into pedals, however, it is a totally different story, and these new touring shoes from Rapha are about as sleek as can be. Like, seriously, more regular shoes should look this good.

A collaboration between Rapha and Giro, the Grand Tour Shoe features an industry-first Yak-leather upper, a carbon sole, a cork footbed that molds to your foot, leather straps, titanium rings and an aluminum buckle. These are performance shoes, no doubt, but do show an invigorating amount of elegance and restraint. “The buckle has the craftsmanship and reassuring feel of a luxury car door handle.” There you have it.

Looking an awful lot like Converse’s beloved Jack Purcell, this collaboration between PF Flyers and J. Crew isn’t the freshest blast of air, but it’s still exciting because a big rubber toe cap and a double-walled outsole are pretty much always the right temperature. Formulated using an archival style sold exclusively in Japan, these Flyers, called The All Court, hope to fly off warehouse shelves starting February 15.

You may not really think that the velvet fashion style is a great look when it comes to obtaining an on trend appearance this season, but it is one that seems to be working its way through the fashion scene at a rather fine pace. More of the garment material is being incorporated into the collections of designer labels and high end brands, which in turn has resulted in high street stores following suit. The fabric is a certain type of tufted material that consists of evenly cut threads with a short yet thick mass which results in the soft feel of the fabric.

The textile originates from Kashmir, which is a region situated in India. The reason why we associate the material with upper class citizens and the members of the royal family is not just because they wear the substance but for the reason being that it was once used to dress the noble and the gracious leaders in history. Back then Cairo was the world’s largest when it came to producing the material. It began its transportation to other parts of the world when the ruler of the West African empire visited Cairo then returned to his home region wearing a garment crafted from the material.

Achieving the trend requires you to purchase a few key pieces of velvet clothing. Dresses made from the sumptuous fabric are a simple yet effect way to get the look, just pair with some patent heels for a night out. You could also try a blazer or jacket in the named material and adding a pair of skinny jeans and a vest top will prevent it from looking too Austin Powers-esque. Or perhaps you could try accessorising with a bag or pair of shoes. There are plenty of looks for you to try out, experiment and attempt the trend and see what outfits you can come up with.