Trainers have lost their edge – slip on loafers if you want to cut it this summer | Jess CartnerMorley

Life was so simple. Loafers were smart and sneakers weren't. Moccasins were for work or for fancy; coaches were for days off and anything that involved chasing a ball. But modern life has a habit of getting more and more complicated, and shoes are no exception. The old rules no longer apply.

This seems like better news than it actually is, as it was useful when sneakers were a shortcut for a casual outfit. There was no debate over what to wear on the weekends, as sneakers were the only shoes in town. And if you wanted to wear a suit without wearing A Suit, all you had to do was add some sneakers for an instant subversive touch. Likewise, if you wore a cute dress on vacation but wanted to look a little cool, not like you were visiting ancient monuments - not that there's anything wrong with monuments antiques, but you know what I mean - you wore sneakers. Converse, Stan Smiths, then Nike Air Force Ones.

Eventually the trick of wearing with sneakers wore out from overuse. Bella Hadid wears Hugo Boss sneakers, but so does Keir Starmer. Alexa Chung wears Superga, but also see the Duchess of Cambridge. Sneakers have been mainstreamed a lot and while wearing sneakers with anything, anywhere has been practical - and comfortable - it means sneakers don't have any sort of thrill anymore.

Meanwhile, loafers, once the ultimate establishment shoe, have found their edge. It started on the catwalk, where loafers morphed into backless mules (hard to wear, so very fashionable) and then sprouted fur linings (inconvenient, which is also very fashionable). The traditional yet subtle gold horsebit chain has been oversized into a piece of bling, the slender, old-school outline reinforced with chunky, punk-style notched soles.

My all-time favorite loafers will always be my Gucci black classics - the understated, non-jazzy kind that are never in the shop window again, but still do great business - a real investment I've had for years and are still like new. But over the past few summers, I've discovered the life-changing magic of a pair of white loafers.

You're not the white loafer type, I know - but neither I. A touch also P Diddy. A little too pristine for real life. But then, reader, I bought a pair and, frankly, if I could marry my white loafers at this point, I would. That's how much I love them. They have a vaguely panama-adjacent air of summer formality that brings a touch of the unexpected without being remotely difficult to wear.

A white shoe in summer makes so many outfits work . Nothing kills the dreamy, sun-kissed vibe of lightweight chinos or a floaty dress faster than a black shoe. For most of the year my black loafers are perfect with a trench coat and ideal with a blazer and jeans, but when the sun is shining I want white shoes.

If you are not yet convinced, start with a two-tone style (brown and ecru is a classic), because at this stage, sneakers and loafers have almost changed places. Sneakers have become the obvious choice - that's why politicians and royals wear them when trying to look normal.

J I still love the super simple white trainers (currently a partial pair of Keds) but loafers are an extremely useful alternative. They're just the right amount of quirky, go with everything, and comfortable enough to wear every day. Life is still pretty simple, when you have the right shoes.