Maison Margiela outfits actors and musicians, not army personnel. However, the luxury fashion house has become synonymous with an enduring relic of 20th-century West German military uniforms.
First released in 1999, the brand’s Replica sneaker is a premium take on the 1970s German Army Trainer, otherwise referred to as the GAT. Few sneakers have impacted sneaker culture more over the last 25 years.
Minimal branding, neutral colorways, subtly textured leather — the Replica ushered in an era of quiet luxury, becoming a perennial must-have for celebrities urban creatives and paving the way for a genre of high-low brands like Common Projects.
But as with most grails, the sneaker is prohibitively pricey, retailing for $750 in 2025.
Not to worry: Adidas just dropped a convincing dupe of the Replica by offering its own spin on the classic GAT trainer for a fraction of the price.
What’s more, the shoe backed by genuine military heritage in the sense that Adidas actually supplied trainers to the West German Army throughout the ’70s and ’80s.
