It’s hard to overstate the impact that Common Projects has had on menswear since its founding a decade ago. The brand’s not just responsible for guys understanding that they can lavish as much attention on their sneakers as they would their work shoes – so long as those sneakers are crafted from high-quality leathers by artisans, not assembly lines – but its iconic Original Achilles has also ushered in an era of minimalist trainers that you can wear with everything from a tracksuit to tailoring, inspiring a less-then-minimal number of copycats in the process. (Related: The best minimal trainer brands) So we greeted the news of a collaboration with menswear e-tailer Mr Porter with some trepidation. When the brands hooked up on a special pair of Achilles to celebrate the site’s fifth birthday, we were expecting those acres of pristine, white leather to be sullied by illustrated party balloons, or perhaps a clown brandishing cake. More fool us. Because the only external tweak is CP’s serial number, normally embossed on the heel in gold, here turned black. An almost imperceptibly subtle shift that those in the know will notice immediately. Consider it a whisper that speaks volumes. Available now from Mr Porter, priced £275