Whilst blogs are known for changing their tastes at double speed, certain cornerstones remain. Common Projects are one such brand. Their footwear is a staple for a new generation who like their trainers clean, sleek and simple. Founded in 2004, the company is headed by Flavio Girolami and Peter Poopat.

When asked about how the name came about, Peter replies, ‘We intended to do several diverse “projects” and since he’s in Italy and I’m in New York we called it Common Projects’.

The formation of Common Projects was a pleasant accident. ‘There was a hole in the market at the time for simple well made sneakers’, Peter says. They initially ‘planned on making a couple of samples to wear for the summer’ but they ended up taking them to a New York tradeshow instead. They were immediately snapped up and the rest has entered the annals of blog folklore, if such a place exists.

Made in Italy, Common Projects only use sheep nappa leather for their trainers and soon to be launched bags collection. They’ve also been experimenting with different materials, with the latest collection featuring a nylon body with a leather heel patch, vamp and toe cap. Previous versions have mixed suede and leather in a similar manner, adding a nice twist to a well established formula.

However, the main difference between these and, say, Adidas Stan Smiths is that they’re hand stitched instead of vulcanized. This gives off a much dressier feel and also means that they’ll last longer than trainers that aren’t made in such a manner.

We’ll catch up again with Mr Poopat next week for a quick chat about the materials and methods used in Common Projects products.