These Original Margiela German Army Trainers Are a Piece of Fashion History
Each pair is one of a kind.
The German Army Trainer (or GAT) sneaker has a rich history attached to its name. In the 1970s, the German army commissioned brothers Adi and Rudolf Dassler, who respectively founded adidas and PUMA, to create a shoe for the military — although it remains unclear which label actually made the shoes. The result went on to influence some of the most popular casual kicks, such as the entire Svensson brand as well as the adidas Sambas. The shoe’s first foray into high fashion was made possible by Maison Margiela in the early 2000s. The fashion house bought up vintage pairs of GATs, updating them with their own style with an embossed tongue featuring the brand’s numeric branding, hand-painted the midsoles. Before shipping them off to the stores, the shoes were passed around the staff of the design team so everyone could doodle something on, making each pair one-of-a-kind. The pair even came with an info card that reads, “Feel free to add your own graffiti.” While today’s version, Margiela’s German Army Trainer “Replica,” carries on the tradition of blending influences, only a handful pairs of the original remain in existence. Rare.
