This Sneaker Is So Legendary, Everybody Wants Credit for Designing It
When you think of the German Army Trainer—the legendary sneaker introduced by the (wait for it) German army roughly 50 years ago—you probably think of its supple leather, clean lines, and signature gum sole. You might also think about the enduring legacy of its streamlined design, and the countless highfalutin counterparts it’s inspired since it debuted.
Hell, if you’re a real sicko like me, you might even start to think about how the Dassler brothers, the estranged Deutsche siblings behind both Adidas and Puma, made Liam and Noel Gallagher look like best friends, or about how fun it is to say “GAT” like you’re ad-libbing over a Future song.
It’s a lot to contemplate, I know. But the one factoid you should absolutely not forget is that Adidas itself produced the original GAT, though today the brand calls it the BW Army Shoe, and it remains notoriously hard to pin down. Or, at least, it was notoriously hard to pin down until Adidas graciously restocked it last week, which means you can snag the OG GAT right now for $120.
Before we get into the product details, let’s rewind for a second: that OG honorific is technically contested. Puma founder Rudolph Dassler, the brother of Adidas founder Adolph “Adi” Dassler, also claims to have invented the German Army Trainer—and like virtually every other squabble that defined their decades-spanning beef, the mystery never quite resolved itself. Regardless of who invented them, though, Adidas was indeed producing these sneakers five decades ago as indoor training shoes for the German army. It took the brand until 2017 to start producing them again, but man, the wait was worth every moment.
Damn-near a decade later, the uppers are still crafted from soft leather with suede overlays, the gum outsole is still as sturdy as ever, and the only visible branding remains a little leaf logo at the very top of the tongue.
The sole (heh) issue? As you might’ve anticipated, the BW Army Shoe tends to fly off the shelves whenever it makes a reappearance, which means inventory is bound to move faster than an ambitious recruit at boot camp. Buy a pair for yourself, and then maybe consider buying a pair for your brother, too. Time might heal all wounds, but new sneakers never hurt.
