The Patrick Copenhagen trainer is an OG squash trainer from the 1980s that now arrives at its spiritual home as part of a very special re-release.
Before the big gym chains took over the UK's fitness industry, there were these council owned things called leisure centres. If you've ever stepped foot in one, if it's even still open today, it was like stepping foot back into the 1970s & 1980s at a time when everyone went leisure centre crazy from 5-aside birthday parties to roller boot discos. Pebble dashed buildings built with a hint of brutalism, the UK's leisure industry absolutely boomed during the 1980s and racket sports like squash became accessible to those without country club memberships. The market for performance squash trainers was also huge. adidas released the Indoor Super trainer specifically for the speedy squash courts. Hi-Tech were also pretty big when it came to squash with their highly respected Squash Classic silhouette. Patrick also got in on the squash game with the Copenhagen trainer, an OG archive style that now arrives at its spiritual home as part of a very special re-release.
Above: The Patrick Copenhagen trainer in white now available from 80s Casual Classics.
Founded in 1892 by Patrice Beneteau, Patrick has been worn by everyone from Tour De France winners to a range of football royalty such as Kevin Keegan & 3 time Ballon d'Or winner, Michel Platini. The passion for Patrick in the UK really exploded when Kevin Keegan came back to the 1st Division from Hamburg to join Southampton in 1980. It wasn't just Keegan's perm that was iconic, it was also his sponsorship deals. Like a lot of the other big Casual styles at the time they were performance driven & were available in traditional sportswear stores. Patrick's styles didn't just stop at football though, classic court trainers like the Copenhagen trainer were a testament to the brands diversity across various sports. 
Above: The Patrick Copenhagen trainer in white now available from 80s Casual Classics. Originally made in France, the Copenhagen's tagline was "Le Sport Franais Doit Croire au Progrs (French sport must believe in progress) a play on the performance driven design of the speedy court shoe. The Copenhagen featured white nylon uppers with comprehensive suede reinforcement. The green & blue stripes gave the trainer a Continental feel alongside a competition sole which featured shock absorbing foam. There were various models of the Copenhagen available during the 1980s, some featured the traditional gum sole as seen on other squash trainers of the era and another featured a white sole unit. The classic 80s court trainer is now treated to a very special re-release. Featuring canvas & suede uppers with Patrick's signature twin stripes to the sidewalls, the Copenhagen is remastered for the modern day trainer fans.
