184 SPEEDCAT...

After baulking at the cost of Martini-branded training shoes for the trip, I returned to my original thought of buying 'driving' shoes. Not the fantastically priced, Italian-made leather mockasins designed to let the wearer feel every ridge of the pedals while still looking stylish enough to pose around the harbour in, but proper trainers.

Puma seems to have cornered the market when it comes to knocking out race-inspired trabs. They have collaborated with Ferrari, Porsche and Sparco, amongst others, to produce training shoes that have a more than passing resemblance to the high-tech, flame-retardant boots that real racing drivers wear.

As usual, if you decide to buy a pair of colab trainers from Porsche, Ferrari or Sparco, then the price you have to pay is much more than the regular shoes, not that they are cheap by the way. We are talking around £90 a pair, which is too steep for trainers we will only wear for 10 days.

Thankfully, we have the internet, and there are sales on. It took a whole night of searching, but I eventually managed to find a pair of Puma Speedcat webs in navy blue and white - the only colour they can be as they need to match the rest of our ensemble - with a modest discount on the RRP. They are ordered and are en route as we speak.

I showed Lisa that she had them in her size too and that they were available to order. She had two minor objections:

1. She wasn't wearing "those horrible trainers".

2. She certainly wasn't wearing them in "that colour".

Other than that, we were sound. Sake.

After much back and forth, she agreed to wear them as I persuaded her that it was part of our team outfit, but she wouldn't budge on the colour. I explained that the colour couldn't change either, she said we would discuss that at a later date, but for now, "find her something more girly".

Behold the magnificence of Lisa's new kicks (above) in what the website describes as 'Berry Alpine and Alpine Snow' - apt for a trip through the Swiss mountains, I thought.

The blurb on the site says, "Rev up your style with the Puma Speedcat OG, a timeless classic inspired by the thrill of the racetrack. With its sleek, race-shoe-inspired silhouette and bold lines, this low-profile sneaker seamlessly blends motorsport heritage with streetwear fashion, making it the perfect choice for trendsetters."

Hopefully it is also perfect for Lisa, although I await to see what they look like in the flesh, so to speak. I'm dreading finding a t-shirt/polo shirt/hoodie to match this delightful hue, but that is for a later date. Sake.