The Return of The Patrick Rio Trainer

After recently reviving the Patrick Villan trainer towards the end of 2022 we're very pleased to announce another archival release with the Patrick Rio trainer for March 2023.

Bringing back fond memories of an old school playground kick about with coats as goal posts, school trousers covered in mud and haircuts something like an extra from Grange Hill. If you grew up in the early 1980s and liked a bit of a kick about with your pals then the chances are you will have probably owned a pair, or desperately wanted a pair, of Patrick football boots. Every 80s kid wanted a bit of Patrick on their feet and it didn't really matter if the soles were studded or gum soled. Whether you grew up in Liverpool, Leeds, Leicester or London, Patrick's football boots and football trainers really were the talk of the playground back in the early 80s. Another classic gum soled trainer, the Patrick Rio, now returns to its spiritual home for an exclusive re-release for March 2023. Above: The Patrick Rio trainer in olive green now available to pre-order from 80s Casual Classics. Patrick gained its popularity in the UK courtesy of a football boot sponsorship deal with Kevin Keegan aka 'Mighty Mouse' in 1980. It wasn't just about football boots though. Patrick also introduced a range of gum soled football trainers that were not only as hard as nails but also looked great with a pair of jeans. Wearing trainers with jeans was the cool thing to do but in the UK having a pair of Patrick trainers took the trend to a whole new level. Patrick released numerous football style trainers during the early 1980s such as the Liverpool, the Villan, the Platini, the Rio & the Keegan King which all catered for the growing football style trainer trend. Above: The Patrick Rio trainer in navy now available to pre-order 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. In the case of the Patrick it was the football connection. From the classic cagoule to OG trainers, everyone wanted a piece of the Patrick sportswear brand back in the 1980s. Above: The Patrick Rio trainer in sky blue now available to pre-order from 80s Casual Classics. The classic gum soled trainer now returns to its spiritual home for an exclusive re-release for March 2023. Featuring premium suede uppers with Patrick's signature stripes to the sidewalls & T-toe detailing to the front, the Rio is packed full of early 1980s football nostalgia. Other highlights include a padded ankle collar, a white midsole and the signature toe bumper of the OG trainer. Finished off with the classic gum sole and Rio branding in gold foiling to the sides, the Patrick Rio is just about as good as it gets when it comes to classic football trainers from the early 1980s. Shop the very latest Patrick releases now from 80s Casual Classics via the links.