Isabel Marant reveals inspiration behind her must-have wedge trainers

For the last few seasons Isabel Marant's hidden-wedge sneakers (invariably called Bekett, Bird, Bazil and Willow - yes, we know, very similar to the names of Stella McCartney's kids) have been the most-wanted and most-copied shoes in the world.

Pictured on every cool model, actress and singer around - Beyoncé, Miranda Kerr and Kate Bosworth are just a few of their biggest fans - their popularity has spiralled thanks to their ability to lengthen the look of legs but also provide the comfort of a regular hi-top trainer.

IN PICTURES: Celebrities who love Isabel Marant in pictures

The style has continued to sell out almost as soon as it becomes available on the likes of net-a-porter.com despite it's just-short-of-£400 price tag, and now a plethora of copycat styles can be found in just about every on-trend high-street clothing retailer.

Now Marant has explained just how the secret inner wedge came to be. "It's something I did since I was a teenager. I would cut up cork and put pieces of cork into my sneakers because I wanted to look taller," Marant told Fashionista . "And I always thought about this, what I was doing when I was young, and I thought I should really achieve something around this idea. Sneakers are so comfortable but at the same time it's not very elegant. To have a little heel in it makes a difference, it gives you legs-I mean, I know women, I am a woman, so I know what we are searching for!"

Isabel Marant. Photo: Rex

A native Parisian, Isabel Marant launched her eponymous label in 1994, quietly building her brand and loyal customer base slowly but steadily without fuss and fanfare. By the time she showed at Paris Fashion Week for the first time, she already had many fans, particularly Paris' most-prominent fashion editors, and quickly won over the rest of the world too with her nonchalant, easy-chic style. But it's the sneakers that have propelled her to worldwide recognition.

"It's always about bringing self-confidence," she continues. "I'm like every woman, so I try to work on how to look slimmer or how to look taller but not being overdressed. I think most of the time when you dress in the morning, you go towards something that's very pretty but at the end you say, 'Ah, no, I'm having a hard day, I need to have something easy that I'm not afraid to break.' It's a balance of fashion and a way of life."

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