The Adidas Sneakers That Designers Love to Rip-Off Are Back
By Jake Woolf.
Both Adidas and Puma claim responsibility for inventing the German Army Trainer sneaker. It's '70s-era low-top kick with a gum sole and suede paneling on the toe (usually in gray) developed as a training sneaker for—you guessed it—the German armed forces. In reality, both rival brands are responsible for manufacturing the sneaker originally (Adolf Dassler founded Adidas and his brother Rudolph Dassler founded Puma) but it's easy to see why each would want to lay claim to what's colloquially known as the "GAT." Because not only is it a now-iconic piece of modern design, but the silhouette has served as the basis for countless other sneakers since they first debuted, from the Adidas Samba to the Puma Suede to Maison Margiela's Replica versions. Now, in a full circle sort of moment Adidas is introducing a new German Army Trainer style under its Originals line dubbed the "BW Army."
There are many reasons this sneaker works and chief among them is that its nearly unbranded, heavy on elevated details (gray suede around the toe, a contrast gum sole). Maison Margiela's popular versions, which come in a host of different colorways and fabrics (some even have scribbles on them, others don't have laces), have become the gold standard for GATs over the past decade. In fact, when pictures of Adidas's version surfaced online this week, many people mistakenly thought that the three stripes had actually copied Margiela, not the other way around.
But Margielas aren't cheap, usually retailing for over $400 depending on where you buy them. And generally speaking, finding a pair of GATs online for a reasonable price has been a difficult task in recent years. A decade ago, Dior made a version that retailed for $400+ while today, Svensson offers a version that goes for $300+. Authentic vintage pairs (as in ones actually used by the German Army back in the day) are few and pair between on Ebay. So the best part about these Adidas GATs—besides the fact that they look great—is that they are affordable, coming in at $120.
$120, buy now at bstnstore.com
This story originally appeared on GQ.
More from GQ:
Brad Pitt's 50 Most Stylish GQ Moments
Cristiano Ronaldo Has Mankind's Greatest Body
What Women Really Think of Your Cologne
The Secrets to Perfect Sit-Ups
