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Daniel James insists Wales have not given up hope of automatic Euro 2024 qualification despite the blow of Turkey beating Croatia on Thursday. Turkey’s shock 1-0 win in Osijek has left Wales with a mammoth task to claim a top-two place in Group D. Wales realistically need to win their final three group games – starting against Croatia in Cardiff on Sunday – to secure automatic qualification for next summer’s Euro finals and avoid going into the play-offs in March. “The players have spoken a little bit about it (the Turkey result) but not too much,” James told the PA news agency. “You always hope results go your way, but you can’t concentrate on hoping other teams lose. “We’ve gone into every game believing that we can win and it (qualification) is still in our hands. “Croatia lost the other night but they’re a great team that’s been to the semis and finals of World Cups. You can’t underestimate them at all. “We had a start in this group that wasn’t up to our standards, but we trust ourselves to go into this game with heads held high.” Although James points out that he is “no big verbal leader” almost as quickly as he bursts down the pitch, the 25-year-old winger now has senior status within Rob Page’s squad. James won his 46th cap in the 4-0 friendly victory against Gibraltar on Wednesday after coming on as an early substitute for the injured Wes Burns. He made two goals and hit the post with a ferocious shot from outside the box to build on his fine early-season form at Leeds. James, speaking at the Wales training camp to celebrate the wave of free McDonald’s Fun Football sessions in the country this autumn, said: “I still feel that age of 19 or 20 when I first came into the set-up. “But I do feel like one of the senior boys now. The way we sit in the dining room I’m at a more senior table. “You see boys in there now about 20 and it feels a bit crazy. It’s the same at club level where we’ve got a lot of youngsters. “I wouldn’t say I was a massive talker in the dressing room. I let the other boys do that and concentrate on my own game. “But you’ve got to try and set that example on the pitch by working hard and showing what you can do. I always give 100 per cent to help take the team forward.” James has certainly done that on his return to Leeds following a frustrating loan spell at Fulham last season. I wouldn't say I was a massive talker in the dressing room. I let the other boys do that and concentrate on my own game. Daniel James The former Manchester United player made only five Premier League starts in West London and has had to rebuild confidence in the Sky Bet Championship following Leeds’ relegation from the top flight. James said: “Fulham was a good learning curve for me and I don’t regret it at all. “I didn’t play as much as I wanted to but, because it happened so late in the window on deadline day, it takes a while to settle and find somewhere to live. “You’ve got children as well and the first two or three months were very hard. The World Cup was coming up and it’s always hard to settle in pretty quick.” On his return to Leeds, where he has been joined by Wales teammates Ethan Ampadu and Joe Rodon, James said: “It’s great to be back. As soon as I got back in the summer I just wanted to play and show that I was there to stay and work hard. “We had a little bit of a tricky start, but we’ve had a good run of games and we’ve just got to keep pushing. “It’s always harder when you haven’t played many minutes, not just physically but mentally as well. “You need to get into the rhythm of games and I’ve got that at Leeds now. I’m feeling fit and ready and, when that happens, everything comes naturally.” :: Daniel James was speaking at a special fun football session at the Wales training camp to celebrate the wave of free McDonald’s Fun Football sessions in Wales this autumn. McDonald’s Fun Football is the UK’s largest grassroots participation programme for 5-11 year-olds. Find your nearest free session at www.mcdonalds.co.uk/football Read More I feel sorry for the manager – Chiedozie Ogbene sympathises with Stephen Kenny Gareth Southgate questions why England fans booed Jordan Henderson Stephen Kenny admits Republic of Ireland ‘needed to win’ against Greece Ben Davies: Wales go into Croatia clash believing anything’s possible Matty Jones says late Wales Under-21s draw in Czech Republic ‘feels like a win’ Stephen Kenny under pressure as Ireland’s qualification hopes come to end

Chiedozie Ogbene has admitted he feels sorry for under-fire Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny after his lingering hopes of Euro 2024 qualification were finally dashed. Kenny’s reign seemingly reached the point of no return on Friday night when a 2-0 home defeat by Greece left his team with just three points from a possible 18 in Group B and mathematically unable to clinch a place in the top two. Ireland head for Gibraltar on Monday evening with only pride at stake and while Kenny received assurances last week that he would remain in charge until after next month’s fixtures, discontent with the direction of travel under his charge has reached fever pitch. I actually feel sorry for the manager Republic of Ireland international Chiedozie Ogbene Asked about the manager’s future, Luton striker Ogbene reflected on early chances which went begging and said: “Had we scored those chances, then the game would be different. “We would have been 2-0 up. But we didn’t take those chances and a positive start ends up negatively. “I actually feel sorry for the manager. We were not sharp in our decision-making and overall it is disappointing, the result.” Kenny took over from Mick McCarthy in April 2020 and vowed to shake up the squad he inherited. He has since blooded a new generation of young players and tried to implement a more progressive brand of football. Unfortunately for him, potential has not yielded results and his team have won just five of the 27 competitive games they have played. Four of those victories have come against lower-ranked sides – Azerbaijan, Luxembourg, Armenia and Gibraltar – with a Nations League success against Scotland the exception. Qualification from a group which also includes World Cup runners-up France and the Netherlands was always a big ask, but five defeats in six games tell their own story. Even a handsome victory over Gibraltar in Faro would do little to quell the negativity surrounding Kenny’s reign, but Celtic defender Liam Scales, who made his senior international debut against Greece, insists there will be no shortage of motivation. Scales said: “Look, it’s never hard to lift yourself to play for your country. Obviously I’ve only done it once, but the lads will tell you that it’s the best thing you can do as a footballer. “As players, we’ll be motivated to go there and put on a performance. As disappointed as we are, it’s playing for the jersey now. “Obviously qualification is done and that’s that. But we’re playing for the jersey and pride now. We’re all proud to be wearing the jersey and we’ll go to Gibraltar, hopefully get a result and do better.” Read More Gareth Southgate questions why England fans booed Jordan Henderson Stephen Kenny admits Republic of Ireland ‘needed to win’ against Greece Ben Davies: Wales go into Croatia clash believing anything’s possible Matty Jones says late Wales Under-21s draw in Czech Republic ‘feels like a win’ Stephen Kenny under pressure as Ireland’s qualification hopes come to end England and Australia observe silence for those killed in Israel and Gaza

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How do you define “cool”? Maybe it’s ostentation. Maybe it’s exclusivity. Maybe it’s a 250-year-old orthopaedically inspired German shoe. In 2023, odds are it’s the latter. This week, it was announced that Birkenstock had landed on the US stock market with a $7.5bn (£6.1bn) valuation, more than double its worth in 2021. If you’re unfamiliar with these absurdly comfortable sandals, the classic “Arizona” Birkenstock features a layered sole made of jute fibre and moulded cork, offering your foot some serious support, with two thick suede straps coming in some sort of earthy hue. The brand itself dates back to 1774, when founder Johann Adam Birkenstock started making shoes near Frankfurt. But for a long time, the shoes themselves were the pinnacle of dorkiness. There was nothing chic about the geek connotations, either. They were just, to put it bluntly, a bit lame – often associated with exceedingly earnest, granola-eating American liberals, and dubbed everything from “Geekenstocks” to “Flintstone feet”. You get the idea. Today, though, Birkenstock sells roughly 25 million pairs of shoes a year, and the brand is seen on and celebrated by stars such as Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, Katie Holmes and Sienna Miller. Some have even been spotted wearing them with socks, demolishing decades of jokes about a look once considered fashion’s cardinal sin. It all adds up to form the greatest redemption arc in footwear. But how has one company managed to pull off a complete 180, as if transforming a pumpkin into Cinderella’s glass slipper? “The German engineering that has gone into this product actually speaks for itself,” says fashion analyst and author of Look at the Labels, Jennifer Walderdorff. “There are no gimmicks: the shoe does what it says on the tin. Its reliability is what [makes it] a fashion staple.” It has not been a quick turnaround, though, its reappraisal starting – sort of – in the 1990s. Fashion fans may recall the famous photos of Kate Moss taken in 1990 by Corinne Day. They show Moss, then 15, posing topless on a beach in Camber Sands, smoking a cigarette in a series of shots that would later make her one of the most influential models and faces of her generation. But there is a small fact about the photos that often gets forgotten: Moss is wearing Birkenstocks in them. It took a little longer for the trend to catch on properly. In 2013, Oliver Reichert became the first person outside the Birkenstock family to run the company, and it’s his leadership that’s helped steer the brand’s perception. It was that same year, for example, that Birkenstock began making appearances on runways: Céline models wore blue fur-lined sandals inspired by the German shoe, while A-list stars including Naomi Watts and Ashley Olsen started wearing them out and about. That summer, American Vogue declared that its staffers had, against all odds, “fallen for the Birkenstock”, noting how “a bulky shoe is actually more flattering on the leg than you would think”. In the world we live in today, there is so much more room for fashion and function, hence the appeal of the Birk Jennifer Walderdorff, fashion analyst It’s from here that the humble Birkenstock began its ascent into the heart of the fashion zeitgeist. By 2017, there were designer collaborations, with Barneys New York partnering with the brand to release a limited edition line of pink fur-lined sandals. Collaborations followed with other brands including Opening Ceremony, Rick Owens, and, most recently, Valentino. But as the latest valuation shows, the brand found a new lease of life this summer. You could barely step outside your house without spotting a pair. As for what’s fueled this recent surge, we can look to the pandemic, when we forwent shoes entirely and got accustomed to putting our comfort above all else. When lockdowns were lifted, all of us re-emerged with a shifted set of sartorial priorities, with high heels falling further down the totem pole in terms of stature and status. Today, there is nothing trendier than having your feet close to the ground. What is particularly interesting about Birkenstock as a brand is that despite the constant movement of fashion trend cycles, the design of its signature shoe hasn’t changed. “Birkenstock has lasted so long and grown to be the super giant it is because of the awareness and availability of information on its benefits,” adds Walderdorff. “There are lots of clothing items that are no longer worn due to their detrimental effects on the body, like corsets, which realign your internal organs to no gain. Similarly, overwearing high heels contributes to foot deformities. In the world we live in today, there is so much more room for fashion and function, hence the appeal of the Birk.” The rise of “normcore” can also be attributed to Birkenstock’s popularity. Characterised by unpretentious, utilitarian and functional clothing, the trend lends itself to the aesthetic of an orthopaedic shoe. “Normcore” also provide Birkenstocks the air of new wave edge, the shoes slotting neatly into a look that has become particularly popular among east London hipsters – take one look at the Instagram meme account Real Housewives of Clapton (which parodies a very specific type of natural-wine-drinking, Perello olive-eating, east Londoner) and you’ll see what I mean. Fashion has also generally seen an exponential rise in flat shoes. According to the Lyst Index, the industry’s quarterly report ranking fashion’s hottest brands and products according to Google searches and social media mentions, the season’s must-have is the Maison Margiela Tabi, a split-toed Japanese-inspired loafer. In fourth place is the Nike x Martine Rose Shox MR4 Mule, a pair of Tory Burch mules came in sixth place, New Balance trainers in eighth. And what was in fifth place? None other than the Birkenstock Arizona, of course. Perhaps the final hurdle for Birkenstock was to align itself with the feminine ideal – a space previously occupied by stiletto heels. Now, though, changes in attitudes around feminism and how feminist ideologies can be expressed through a woman’s clothing and appearance – yes, feminists can wear makeup! – has created a space for Birkenstock after all. In fact, this formerly frumpy shoe is now being perpetuated as the bastion of femininity. Don’t believe us? Simply take a look at the hottest film of the summer. At the end of Greta Gerwig’s stellar Barbie, our hero (played by Margot Robbie) has undergone a major emotional transformation that has seen her find a sense of purpose and identity. Gone are the feet once permanently raised so that they were perfectly positioned for a pair of heels. By the film’s conclusion, Robbie’s Barbie is an autonomous figure, a woman epitomising everything about contemporary feminism. And that includes having feet that are flat. Her footwear of choice? Why, a pair of pink Arizona Birkenstocks. Read More The grown-up guide to getting ‘balletcore’ right The Barbie press tour has finally rescued Margot Robbie’s red carpet reputation Birkenstock sandals are Barbie-approved – these are the pink styles to buy now Taylor Swift’s jacket from Chiefs game hints at Travis Kelce romance From choppy bobs to fox red, 5 celebrity-approved hair trends for autumn How Taylor Swift’s style has evolved over the years

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