The Return of the German Army Trainer Is in Sight

History of the GAT

Tim Suen and Sam Le Roy from Hartcopy are well-placed to relay the GAT’s unlikely style ascension. The educational platform has amassed over 250,000 Instagram followers with its unique storytelling, uncovering the backgrounds and idiosyncrasies of both new and archival sneakers. When an opportunity to work with adidas on a collaborative project arose, the Three Stripes’ take on the GAT, known as the BW Army shoe, and its fascinating backstory was their subject of choice.

“The German Army Trainer traces its origins to the two feuding brothers behind adidas and PUMA, Adi and Rudolf Dassler,” they explain. “The brothers famously competed for a contract with the German army, with no clear outcome on winners and losers, merely claims in either direction. After the armed forces were downsized following the fall of the Berlin Wall, the shoe became a fixture of German and European military surplus shops.”

Efficient and austere, the traditional GAT features no branding, embellishments or decoration. It’s an expression of pure simplicity; the original shape has been maintained and repeated for decades. Because of that, it’s now one of the most recognizable sneakers in the footwear vernacular.

Professor Andrew Groves, director of the Westminster Menswear Archive, suggests the GAT’s undesigned quality is what makes it such an appealing sneaker to so many. “In an age when our sneaker choices are constantly judged and questioned, the GAT allows you to avoid such scrutiny,” says Groves. “Certain elements of military dress have crossed over to become menswear classics and we almost forget their military origins, such as the trench coat, the bomber jacket, the field jacket and, of course, the German Army Trainer. So much of menswear originates from the military, you could be forgiven for thinking that it exists not to fight wars, but to enable men to get dressed up and look cool.”

Maison Margiela and the GAT’s Rise to Style Prominence

Throwing Fits co-host Lawrence Schlossman echoes the GAT’s likeability factor. “There's no outfit I can think of that would look bad with the GAT,” he says. “If you were going to buy into some menswear headline that was like, ‘The Last Pair of Sneakers You’ll Ever Need,’ that's the GAT.” Of the numerous models inspired by the original, Schlossman leans towards the Margiela Replica version, which he wore during his time as editor of Four Pins. “If I had to buy a pair tomorrow, I would buy Margiela GATs.”

Looking back a decade, Margiela Replicas were one of the few valid high-end styles in the 2010-era landscape, a time when the luxury space was clearly distinguishable from streetwear. From a distance, the high-fashion version and the thrift-store find can be difficult to tell apart, and it’s this playful dichotomy of luxury and military surplus that makes Margiela’s version all the more intriguing. (According to fashion folklore, the legendary Belgian designer was an admirer of the original GAT for its versatility.)

On closer inspection, you’ll find the French house’s version is reinforced with calf leather and luxury suede details; an improved sole unit; a padded tongue for a snug fit; and an inner lining with leather. The silhouette, along with the equally austere Common Projects Achilles Low, was something of a phenomenon among creative types, allowing them to communicate a menswear understanding without leaning into heavy branding. Margiela released the shoes in different guises throughout the 2010s, from scribbled-upon to paint-splattered and all manner of color themes, becoming a favorite among musicians, artists and actors who valued their proto-quiet luxury qualities.

Hartcopy x adidas and the Silhouette’s Impending Comeback

Circling back to Hartcopy, the Margiela Replica mirrored their wider footwear point of view, which in turn led to their appreciation of the BW Army. Citing a “perfect storm,” they explain how footwear’s shift from logomania to minimalism, an impending sense of Samba fatigue and an unwavering respect for Maison Margiela culminated in them working with the shoe.

Plus, it provided ample opportunity for storytelling. “Berlin is the epicenter for all things GAT—the public is clued up on it—and it’s also revered in Japan,” they explain. “In the UK and US, the understanding is much more limited, reserved for people that strive to understand products and their origins. This is another reason for Hartcopy’s perfect alignment with the model.”

Schlossman groups the GAT with the popularity of other streamlined indoor-style silhouettes like Sambas, Gazelles or the Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66. “I don't know if the GAT can go nuclear like the Samba, but it has potential.” Schlossman notes that no matter the unique historical significance of any sneaker, there are greater forces at play. “Do Hailey Bieber and TikToks matter more than heritage? Yes, absolutely.”

Still, there’s a sense that, in 2024, the GAT checks it out with two key demographics: the millennial types who were drawn to it in the 2010s and are now in key industry positions to work on products themselves, and younger audiences looking for the next sleeper hit following the Samba. It seems our collective thirst for minimalist footwear, in particular, shows no sign of abating, and the GAT can be neatly compartmentalized within this genre.

Despite being huge drivers of cultural shifts, street style and TikTok videos remain incredibly fickle and unpredictable, but as the cyclical nature of the fashion pendulum swings back and forth, the storied German Army Trainer is primed for a resurgence along with other aspects of the 2010 era of menswear. Perhaps it’s time to excavate those Tumblr blogs for inspiration.

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