German Army Trainers (GATs) are some of the coolest and most comfortable sneakers you’ll ever wear.

But what are GAT sneakers? Where’d they come from, and why are they so popular?

What’s the best German Army Trainer you can buy? What about more affordable alternatives?

Shop the Post

---

This guide will answer all of those questions and more. Sit back and relax: here’s everything you need to know about GATs.

Thanks to Our Sponsor

This article is sponsored by Mytheresa, a luxury e-retailer that carries over 100 amazing menswear brands from around the world.

Mytheresa provided several of the pieces you’ll see throughout this post, like the Maison Margiela Replicas – the quintessential German Army Trainers.

Mytheresa guarantees the authenticity of their products. They also offer free 2-day shipping in the U.S. and free returns.

Want to have a luxury boutique shopping experience without leaving your house? Click here to check out Mytheresa.

---

What Are German Army Trainers?

The German Army Trainer, or GAT, is a style of sneaker that’s actually been around since the 1970s.

There’s some confusion about who actually produced the original model almost 50 years ago, although it looks like Adidas (and maybe Puma) was involved.

Either way, hundreds of thousands of these sneakers were manufactured in the 1980s, fulfilling a government contract to outfit West German Army soldiers with training shoes.

After the Cold War ended, ex-soldiers sold their gear to surplus shops, flooding the market with these well-built minimalist leather sneakers.

While the silhouette has been copied, modified and remixed many times over the decades – most famously by fashion designer Martin Margiela – all GATs have a few common design elements: