In spring/summer 2022, Miuccia Prada took the New Balance 574 out of the archive and, in British Vogue's words, reimagined it "emphasising construction through deconstruction", with frayed, raw-cut edges. It was a sneaker that looked half unpicked, and it started one of the stranger and more lasting partnerships in fashion. That is the whole idea behind Miu Miu New Balance: a shoe that looks like it already has a past.

I like that the choice was so ordinary. Highsnobiety called the 574 perhaps the Boston company's most normal sneaker, and the joke is that normal is exactly what Miu Miu loves to take apart. The 530, a running shoe first launched in 1992, later became the hallmark of the pairing, in distressed suede, mesh and cord laces. So when you shop these, you are really shopping a point of view about wear and tear.

Start with the 530 SL pairs, because that is where the shape is most obvious. The Ecru is the sand-tan suede with raw-cut seams, green and brown laces and a gum sole, and I would wear it with straight dark jeans and a gray crewneck. The White Gum is distressed off-white leather and mesh, a good one for pleated skirts and thick socks. The Black has glossy washed leather and chunky brown laces, which makes it the easiest to wear with a long coat. The Cinnamon is worn-in brown suede with orange laces, and the Periwinkle Blue is faded blue-gray suede with green and white laces, the one that sits happily with a navy sweater.

There is also a pre-owned white suede and mesh pair in size 38. Check the laces, the heel and the sole edge, and ask for the style code. For October, I would wear any of them with knee-high socks and a wool skirt.

The 574 is the shoe that began it, and the frayed edge is the signature. Vogue notes it came back in spring/summer 2023 and autumn/winter 2023 in new fabrics and colors, and the denim versions here are the ones I would look at first.

The Denim Cognac is tan, fuzzy and frayed, with a gum sole. The mid-blue Denim has distressed overlays and white laces, which is the one I would wear with a cream knit and wide jeans. The Denim White is white frayed-edge denim on a gum sole, and the Denim Royal Blue is navy with a gray sole, a good match for gray flannel trousers. The Colonial Beige is sandy with raw-cut overlays, so it reads soft against camel and chocolate brown.

Three pre-owned pairs round this out: a white marbleized denim, a blue frayed denim with cream laces and a beige canvas pair with raw-edge trim. Frayed is the point, but loose threads should look designed. Turn the shoe over, check how the overlay stitching holds at the toe and heel, and look at the tongue label, since the stacked logo is part of the story.

What I would skip: the Fair condition beige pair if you want a clean shape, since it is the one most likely to look tired rather than deliberately worn.

This is where the 530 gets playful. Vogue mentions a trainer-mule hybrid, and the Mule Black Deco is the slip-on version in black leather with an open back and brown laces. I would wear it on a weekend morning with a long cardigan and no sock at all.

The Bleached Ecru Shearling is the October pick: sand suede with a shearling collar and green laces, made for cold ankles. The Ballerina White is a white leather ballet flat built on the 530 sneaker pattern with tie laces, which makes it a neat answer to a slip dress and a trench. The Cocoa Brown is dark suede with white and black laces, the quiet one. The Mule Ecru is tan suede with a green lace accent, and the Deco Cinnamon Travertine Grey is bleached bronze leather with cream panels and red laces. The Deco Black White and the white distressed Mule round it out.

Vogue also notes that the 530 SL tennis sneaker was made with Coco Gauff, who wore it at Wimbledon, so the line has a sporty side too. Most of these are sold as new, deadstock, so check the box, the size tag and the style code before you commit, and compare the lace colors to photos.

What I would skip: the Black White Deco if your wardrobe is already full of glossy black, since the white panels do not soften much.

New Balance began in Boston in 1906 as the New Balance Arch Support Company, and the name is believed to come from founder William J. Riley watching chickens in his yard. He kept a chicken foot on his office desk to show customers the idea. I like knowing that the shoe Miu Miu keeps unpicking started as a fit product.

The regular 574 is the plainest way to get the shape. The Core Nimbus Cloud is pale gray suede and mesh with a white N, and the Core in warm gray has a silver N and a black outsole. The Core NB Navy has a white outlined N and a gray midsole, and the Blue Suede and Mesh is washed blue with a gum outsole, my choice for a gray coat. The Core pairs come in standard and wide widths, a nod to the Trackster, which Wikipedia describes as the first running shoe to come in varying widths.

For the 530, the Turtledove and Sea Salt are cream mesh with taupe overlays, the Pumpernickel is dark brown with a chunky white sole, and the Raincloud Shadow is gray suede with white laces. Rub a finger across the suede, because it should feel dry and even, and keep a suede brush handy. Pair the cream ones with navy and the dark one with olive.

What I would skip: the palest 530s if you walk through wet leaves a lot.

Jim Davis bought the company in 1972, when it had six people making 30 pairs of shoes a day, and it grew with the running boom around Boston. That runner heritage is why these chunkier shapes look so right next to the Miu Miu pairs.

The 9060 Cortado is warm brown suede and mesh with a taupe N and a chunky sole, and the 9060 Thunder Brown is espresso with a cream midsole. Both want wide-leg trousers and a heavy knit. The 2002R Steel is gray suede and mesh with slate blue overlays, which suits denim. The 1906R Linen is cream mesh with beige overlays, and the 1906R Silver Metallic is the one for black tights and a slip skirt. The 471 Rich Oak is brown suede with a cream N and a low wedge sole, the 471 Morel is pale yellow-green with a purple N, and the 327 White Black has an oversized black N and a nubbed sole.

My test is to stand in them in front of a mirror with your usual hem. Chunky soles shorten a cropped trouser, so check the break before you decide, and walk down a flight of stairs if you can.

What I would skip: the metallic 1906R if every outfit you own is already neutral, because it can look like a costume.

I would begin with the cut. If you want the most recognizable story, take a frayed denim 574. If you want the shape Miu Miu keeps coming back to, take a 530 SL in suede.

Then decide how new you want it to look. A pre-owned pair already has the lived-in finish, and the regular New Balance runners give you the same mood with less drama. Check sizes, the style code and the laces, and wear them with socks that show.

It all started with one frayed edge in 2022, and I still think that is the best part.