While looking for a pair of simple summer sneakers I found it surprisingly hard to find a minimalist, unique and non-branded shoe.
I didn’t realize that finding a simple pair of sneakers (with minimal branding) was such a difficult task.
It seems as though we live in a time where everything has to be heavily branded to the point of instant recognition.
Even shoes that are on the simpler side in terms of design and branding are instantly recognizable because of how widespread they are (eg: Converse Chuck Taylors).
On my quest to find a simple and clean pair of versatile sneakers that are somewhat unique I came across what’re known as “German Army Trainers” or GATs for short.
These shoes feature a simple white and grey design and a gum sole – perfect for what I’m looking for.
GATs were designed to be an in-door shoe for exercise specifically used by the German military (as the name suggests).
But because of there sleek and relatively simple design, they’ve become a huge hit among fashion designers and enthusiasts everywhere.
They’re such a universally liked design that they’ve been replicated and reproduced by high fashion designers (Martin Margiela) and mega brands such as Adidas.
So where do you get GATs?
The official ones made by the German army are still in production but they can be difficult to obtain if you live outside of Germany.
A great option to get the official issued army trainers is to scour eBay – Simply search for “German Army Trainers“.
There are also 3 great alternatives to the German army trainers that will give you the look and in some cases even better quality.
Maison Margiela – Replica
The great designer Martin Margiela’s take on the classic German army sneaker.
Svensson – Army Sport
Get the look and a great quality from Svensson for a very reasonable price.
Adidas Samba
While not the exact look of the GATs the Adidas Samba has a very similar silhouette and style with a super low price point that makes it a great alternative.