Community Clothing Launches UK Trainers With Walsh

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Community Clothing launches trainers made in collaboration with cult British sports shoe makers Walsh. Norman Walsh has been handcrafting shoes for a huge range of sports at its Bolton factory since 1961 and have developed a cult following amongst athletes and trainer enthusiasts alike.

Patrick Grant, Community Clothing founder, worked with the Walsh team re-designing a 1980’s running shoe from the extensive archive. The new unisex style, named ‘Beacon’ after Beacon Fell, a popular hill near Community Clothing’s HQ in Blackburn, comes in five colourways across a broad range of sizes. The new trainers will be introduced in limited numbers, but Grant is hopeful that this will become a longstanding collaboration.

Patrick Grant comments: “It’s hard to say exactly why I love Walsh so much. It might be their amazing colours, it might be that for years they were the only shoe worn by serious fell runners (and those folks are cool), or it might be that their factory, tucked away down a little back street on Bolton, is one of the most idiosyncratic still operating in Britain. I’m so happy that after years as a fan I’ve finally got to work with them.” 

TheChicGeek says,

“Community Clothing is such a champion of affordable made-in-England, so it’s great to see they are supporting another UK producer. Walsh has been quietly making sports shoes since the 1930s and have become something of a cult trainer brand for those in-the-know. (IYKYK). This will take them to a wider audience at such a great price. I particularly like the Community Clothing Pac-Man Cs on the backs.”

Community Clothing Beacon Trainers – £95